"It's an interesting hypothesis, especially as we don't usually test for cholesterol in dogs," she told Discovery News. Peterson explained that since high cholesterol in dogs doesn't always lead to the same health issues as it does in humans, such as clogged arteries, dogs aren't tested for their serum lipid levels as part of their annual wellness exams. "Blood pressure isn't usually measured for dogs either, unless the dog is exhibiting extreme symptoms," she added. As for tail-chasing, she said, "this is usually just a puppy thing that happens when young pups discover they have a tail." But when tail-chasing becomes compulsive, she said the behavior could be due to "nature or nurture," meaning genetic or environmental causes, including "a stressful incident trigger." Although a change to a lower fat diet could help alleviate compulsive tail-chasing in dogs, Peterson doubts high cholesterol is always a result of overeating, since "manufactured pet foods must all meet governmental regulations for protein, ash, fat and water content, and more." "Dogs don't elect to gorge themselves on french fries all day," she said. Related Links: Find Your Very Own Tail-Chaser at Petfinder.com Jennifer Viegas' Blog: Born Animal |
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