Clinical Associate Professor Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University Shrewsbury, MA, United States
Abstract:
Background: Current recommendations for dogs suggest measuring triglyceride concentrations after a minimum 12-hour fast. However, reference values for postprandial triglyceride concentrations in healthy adult dogs receiving a non-standardized diet remain unknown. Hypothesis/
Objectives: To establish a reference interval for postprandial triglyceride concentrations in healthy dogs fed non-standardized diets and investigate the effect of body condition score (BCS) on serum triglyceride concentrations. Animals: 57 healthy, client-owned dogs were enrolled. Breeds known to have dyslipidemias and dogs receiving medications and supplements known to affect lipid metabolism were excluded.
Methods: Cohort study. Triglyceride concentrations were measured after a minimum 12-hour fast (T0) and repeated four (T4) and six (T6) hours after the dog’s typical meal. Reference intervals were calculated for all dogs and separately for ideal (BCS 4-5), overweight (BCS 6-7), and obese (BCS 8-9) dogs using nonparametric methods. For groups with less than 20 individuals, the range of triglyceride concentrations are presented. Multivariable linear regression using maximum triglyceride concentration at 4 or 6 hours (MaxTg) as the outcome was performed.
Results: The median (reference interval) triglyceride concentrations at times T0, T4, and T6 are summarized in Table 1. Patient BCS was significantly associated with MaxTg, adjusting for T0 triglyceride concentration. Subjects with overweight or obese BCS exhibited MaxTg values that were on average 38 mg/dL higher than subjects with ideal BCS (p=0.039). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: The proposed triglyceride reference interval for postprandial dogs will improve recognition of lipid abnormalities and increase the diagnostic yield of non-fasted bloodwork.
