Dog Tail-Chasing Linked to High Cholesterol

By Jennifer Viegas

A team of veterinarians has found a surprising link between compulsive tail-chasing in dogs and high cholesterol, according to a study published in the March issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice.

The finding adds to a growing body of evidence — mostly from studies on humans — that high cholesterol may be a marker for behavioral problems such as panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder, which could be expressed by frequent tail-chasing falls in dogs.

Bouts of tail-chasing can also occur after a dog experiences physical trauma, surgery or illness, noted Hasan Batmaz, a member of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Turkey’s University of Uludag, who conducted the study along with a team of colleagues.

For the study, the researchers took blood samples from 15 otherwise healthy dogs that were compulsive tail-chasers. To serve as controls, 15 dogs that rarely chase their tails were included in the study as well.

The tail-chasers had significantly higher cholesterol numbers — including both HDL and LDL — compared with the control dogs, the researchers found.

The reason, they said, could be that high cholesterol levels glob up cell membranes at the microscopic level, affecting the flow of brain hormones such as serotonin that are involved in mood and behavior.

Lisa Peterson, a longtime dog breeder who is director of communications for the American Kennel Club, was surprised by the new study.

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.”