Dogs and Cats are different in their manifestation of Thyroid disease. Cats have a Hyperactive Thyroid (we'll cover this later) while Dogs almost always have an underactive Thyroid or Hypothyroidism. There is a LOT more info out there, but I'll be brief.
The signs that we see in dogs are numerous. They include Weight Gain, Dry skin, Hair loss, Itchy skin, Skin infections, Ear infections, Aversion to cold, Decreased Tear production, Neurological problems (especially around head and neck, etc. etc. etc.)
The typical patient we see is too fat, has smelly ears, is balding on the sides, has a rash that they scratch, and wants to stay covered up on the couch. I apologize if this reminds you of someone that you married a few decades ago.
The testing is usually straight forward. We take a blood sample and check a Free T4 on our Lab equipment. This takes less than 15 minutes. If it is low, we start them on Thyroid supplement. If it is normal, we have a decision to make if we suspect Hypothyroidism. We can put them on a trial of medication and monitor the response or we can send off blood for additional testing which may include testing for T3, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone and Total T4.
Treatment is simply replacing the Thyroid Hormone that the dog is lacking. I will start on twice daily treatment and recheck in about a month to recheck levels and see if we are making progress clinically. We often change from twice daily to once daily treatments to make it easier on our clients. Most of our patients do just fine with this. Over the last year or two, we have had trouble keeping our supplements on the shelves. The chewables went away for a while, but we have just learned that they are back. This makes the lifelong treatments for Hypothyroidism much more "palatable".
I have followed a couple of our patients with pictures that I hope you will enjoy.
The signs that we see in dogs are numerous. They include Weight Gain, Dry skin, Hair loss, Itchy skin, Skin infections, Ear infections, Aversion to cold, Decreased Tear production, Neurological problems (especially around head and neck, etc. etc. etc.)
The typical patient we see is too fat, has smelly ears, is balding on the sides, has a rash that they scratch, and wants to stay covered up on the couch. I apologize if this reminds you of someone that you married a few decades ago.
The testing is usually straight forward. We take a blood sample and check a Free T4 on our Lab equipment. This takes less than 15 minutes. If it is low, we start them on Thyroid supplement. If it is normal, we have a decision to make if we suspect Hypothyroidism. We can put them on a trial of medication and monitor the response or we can send off blood for additional testing which may include testing for T3, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone and Total T4.
Treatment is simply replacing the Thyroid Hormone that the dog is lacking. I will start on twice daily treatment and recheck in about a month to recheck levels and see if we are making progress clinically. We often change from twice daily to once daily treatments to make it easier on our clients. Most of our patients do just fine with this. Over the last year or two, we have had trouble keeping our supplements on the shelves. The chewables went away for a while, but we have just learned that they are back. This makes the lifelong treatments for Hypothyroidism much more "palatable".
I have followed a couple of our patients with pictures that I hope you will enjoy.
Louis - March 26, 2014. This hair loss on the body is called Truncal Alopecia.
March 26 to May 28, 2014. Big change in 2 months.
March 26 to May 28, 2014. From 103# to 83# in only 2 months.
Louis - September 29, 2014
Maggie March 28, 2014. She got shaved for the summer a year earlier and her hair never grew back.
Maggie April 18, 2014. In just 3 weeks, some hair is coming in patches.
Maggie October 21,2014
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