scott@vtx-cpd.com

Hello!

Glad you are enjoying the course! Some useful information from a DVM 360 article below:

Treatment options for hyperlipidemia include treatment of inciting diseases, diet modification, and pharmacologic intervention.

Dietary modification. In some patients, switching the patient to a low-fat diet may be the only therapy needed. It is generally recommended that diets should contain less than 20% fat on a metabolizable energy basis for dogs and less than 25% for cats. However, obtaining a good diet history to estimate the level of consumed fat is important before deciding the degree of fat restriction. The patient should be fed a diet with a fat level lower than the previous diet. Treats should be restricted to 5% of the daily caloric intake and changed to low-fat varieties. When low-fat diets are not adequate, lipid-reducing pharmacologic agents can be considered.

Pharmacologic intervention. Lipid-lowering agents used in people include chitosan, omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, fibric acid derivatives, and statins. Evidence for their effectiveness and safety in veterinary medicine is lacking. Chitosan is a calorie-free, animal-derived fiber supplement that not only passes through the intestines without being digested but also absorbs and removes fat. There are no clinical trials reporting the benefit or side effects of chitosan. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids can lower hypertriglyceridemia in people by decreasing the production of VLDLs. Menhaden oil can be used in dogs at a dosage of 200 mg/kg/day.

Niacin (100 mg/day in dogs) may also reduce hypertriglyceridemia by decreasing fatty acid release from adipocytes and reducing VLDL production. Potential side effects of niacin include erythema, pruritus, abnormal hepatic function test results, vomiting, and diarrhea. In my experience, these side effects and the lack of convincing evidence of efficacy limit niacin use in dogs and cats.

Fibric acid derivatives lower triglycerides by stimulating lipoprotein lipase, which decreases the production of fatty acids and, in turn, reduces VLDL concentrations. I commonly use gemfibrozil (Lopid—Pfizer) at a dosage of 200 mg/day in dogs and 10 mg/kg every 12 hours in cats. Potential side effects include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, myositis, and abnormal hepatic function test results.

This article is also helpful:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33137654/

Hope that helps!

Scott 🙂