References intervals in Shetland sheepdogs: is primary hyperlipidemia a real feature in this breed?

Clinical decisions are often based on the comparison of patient’s laboratory results with reference intervals (RI). Several breeds have physiological peculiarities that induce variations in RI compared to the general canine population. However, no information is available about the need to establish breed-specific RI for Shetland Sheepdogs, a breed reported to be potentially affected by physiological hyperlipidemia. The aim of this study is to determine whether RI referred to the general canine population may be applied to Shetland Sheepdogs from Italy, and to determine breed-specific RI, when the general RI were not validated.