Hypercholesterolemia in Shetland sheepdogs

Plasma lipoprotein cholesterol in 64 clinically healthy Shetland sheepdogs was evaluated to assess whether the breed is more susceptible to hypercholesterolemia. The incidence of hypercholesterolemia was clearly higher in Shetland sheepdogs and mean plasma cholesterol level was significantly higher in Shetland sheepdogs than in control dogs. Blood biochemical examinations did not evidence the abnormalities, which imply the causative disorders, and thyroid hormone levels were not significantly different from the controls. These results suggest that the cholesterolemia is a primary disorder. Cholesterol fractionation by agarose gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation revealed that accumulation of α2-migrating lipoproteins was the common characteristic of dogs showing cholesterol level over 250 mg/dl in the breed. Increase in preβ~ β-lipoproteins was also found in Shetland sheepdogs with marked hypercholesterolemia over 500 mg/dl. Therefore, Shetland sheepdogs may include more dogs with primary disorders in lipoprotein metabolism, which cause hypercholesterolemia, at least in Japan.