Relationship between the Serum Concentrations of Serotonin and Lipids and Aggression in Dogs

Abstract

The serum concentrations of serotonin and lipids - triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, high density lipoprotein and very low density lipoprotein - were determined in 18 normal dogs and 23 dogs diagnosed as aggressive on the basis of interviews with their owners and an assessment of their behaviour with reference to a canine overt aggression chart. The serum serotonin levels in the aggressive dogs were significantly lower than in the normal dogs (P<0.01), but the differences in serum lipids between the two groups were not statistically significant.