Pilot study of the use of ezetimibe in dogs with hyperlipidemia

The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance and efficacy of ezetimibe in reducing cholesterol and/or triglycerides in dogs with hyperlipidemia. Twenty-three dogs with hyperlipidemia were randomly distributed into three groups: group D (n = 7) received low-fat dietary treatment, group E (n = 9) received ezetimibe treatment, and group DE (n = 7) received low-fat dietary treatment associated with ezetimibe. Serum cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose were evaluated before (T0), between 12 and 18 days (T1) and after 30 days (T2) of treatment. The groups that received ezetimibe associated or not with dietary treatment had a significant reduction (p < 0.05) of serum cholesterol by the end of the study, and the group that received only dietary treatment did not show a significant reduction in cholesterolemia. None of the groups presented a significant reduction in triglycerides. The dogs' owners did not report clinical changes with the use of the medication. The results allowed us to conclude that ezetimibe was well tolerated and effective in reducing serum cholesterol in dogs with hyperlipidemia, without adverse effects under the conditions of the study.