high cholestrial

Question
I have 2 min schnauzers.  10yr & 12yr.  I had a wellness cbc and chem done on both.  12 yr old has 514 cholesterol.  Both eat the exact same diet/treats. Both get the same amount of exercise.  Why would one have such a high cholesterol and the other not.  Is there anything I should do or not do.  My vet called and said everything was fine. I asked my vet to send me a copy of the report for my records and she never mentioned the cholesterol. Should I be concerned? Both eat Purina Heathy weight dry food mixed with no salt string beans. Thank you for your response.

Answer
Susan,

Does your schnauzer have high cholesterol or high triglycerides?  Was your pet fasted (no food) for 12 hours before the blood was drawn?  

If this was a non fasted blood sample and the triglycerides were normal, I would not usually be too worried about that number.  But Schnauzers are prone to high triglyceride levels that can cause problems for them.  So, I would ask your veterinarian to review the bloodwork and if the triglyceride level was not measured I would have more blood drawn for that (on a 12 hour fast).  

There are many many different treatments used for high triglycerides.  From prescription non fat diets, niacinimide, omega 3 fatty acids to prescription medications.  But I, personally, base the decision on whether to treat or not on current health state of the pet as well as the levels over time, and occasionally I do not treat at all.

I would recommend an open communication with your veterinarian.  She should be able to provide you with more specific answers to your case.  If you ever feel that your veterinarian is not communicating with you, or educating you, I would recommend finding another veterinarian who will meet your needs.

Good Luck to you.