Blood lipids, fecal fat and chymotrypsin excretion in the dog: influence of age, body weight and sex.

Effects of physiological variables (age, body weight and sex) on lipemia (total lipids, phospholipids, triglycerides and NEFA), fecal fat and chymotrypsin excretion were examined in dogs. On comparing various ages and body weights, they found statistically significant differences, while only total lipids showed a statistically significant difference between the two sexes. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between body weight and fecal fat and chymotrypsin excretion. The results obtained contribute to the evaluation of small intestine functionality, especially in relation to some diseases, as malabsorption, maldigestion and steatorrhea in the dog.