High Cholesterol

• High cholesterol in dogs can be caused by many things, including thyroid problems, adrenal gland problems, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, inflammation of the pancreas and kidney disease. It also can be inherited.
  
  Hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) may exhibit symptoms such as seizures, abdominal pain, skin patches and dysfunctions of the nervous system.
  
  

Atorvastatin

• Atorvastatin, also known as Lipitor, is used to lower cholesterol levels in both humans and dogs by lowering lipid levels in the body. It works to inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol by increasing LDL receptors. This drug might reduce the occurrence of coronary artery disease, according to jn.nutrition.org. Atovastatin comes in 10, 20 and 40 mg dosages.
  
  

Studies

• There has not been much research done on the use of Atorvastatin in dogs. Cholesterol research is typically done on rodents such as rats or hamsters. One study was done using seven female beagles in France. The absorption of cholesterol was assessed, and the dogs were fed normal meals throughout the day. This study reported that there was a significant decrease in cholesterol levels in the dogs.
  
  

Side Effects

• In dogs that were studied, one dog suffered a brain hemorrhage after three months of treatment at 120/mg/kg/day. Another dog also suffered from a brain hemorrhage along with optic nerve damage after 11 weeks of increased dosages of Atorvastatin. Studies done on rats have reported rare muscle tumors and liver damage.
  
  

Other Treatments

• PetMD states that high cholesterol in dogs is typically controlled by a diet that is less than 10 percent fat. If this doesn’t work to control the cholesterol level, the veterinarian may decide to prescribe medication for treatment. It is important that the dog is monitored closely by the veterinarian, because high cholesterol can result in acute pancreatitis due to the high levels of fat in the dog’s blood. This can be fatal.