Background: Bezafibrate (BZF) is effective for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia in dogs, but there is limited data on its use in the long term.
Objectives: To assess the long-term safety and efficacy of BZF in controlling primary and secondary hypertriglyceridemia in dogs. Animals: Fifty-five client-owned dogs with hypertriglyceridemia.
Methods: Retrospective study. Dogs were treated with BZF at a mean dose of 6 mg/kg [2-12 mg/kg] and categorized into 3 groups: primary hypertriglyceridemia (PH), and secondary hypertriglyceridemia with stable (SHs) or unstable (SHu) treatment. Serum triglycerides (TG), creatine kinase (CK), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were recorded before treatment (T0) and at subsequent follow-ups (1, 3, 6, 12, and >18 months, as available). Treatment response was classified as complete [TG <221 mg/dL], partial [TG between 221 to 443 mg/dL or (decreased by >50 % T0 and TG >221 mg/dL)] or no response [TG >443 mg/L and decreased by <50% T0].
Results: All groups showed a significant decrease in TG concentration between the baseline (T0) and the last available value (P < .01). The median TG decrease over the study period was 85%, all groups combined. Adverse effects consisted of mild gastrointestinal signs in 2 dogs and a significant increase in ALT (>3x higher reference range) in 1 dog after 6 months of treatment. Conclusion and clinical importance: Over the study period, BZF was overall safe and effective in the long term for most dogs with primary and secondary hypertriglyceridemia.
