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Hypothyroidism Info

Hypothyroidism Blog Topics

	Dr. Michael Dym Holistic & Conventional Veterinarian
"Over 19 years of caring for the well-being of pets" Visit his Ask the Vet blog.

Hypothyroidism in Dogs


	What Is Hypothyroidism? Hypothyroidism is a deficiency of thyroid hormone. Because the thyroid gland sets the rate at which cells burn energy, a deficiency of thyroid hormone leaves pets dull and listless in body and soul.

Hypothyroidism is the most common hormone disease in dogs


	Hypothyroid disease is the most common hormone disease of dogs Pets lose their sparkling personalities Too many vaccines may cause hypothyroidism


Which Pets Are Most at Risk for Hypothyroidism? Dogs frequently develop hypothyroidism. In fact, hypothyroid disease in dogs is the most common endocrine disease of dogs. Between 1 in 150 and 1 in 500 dogs has hypothyroidism. Cats, on the other hand, rarely develop hypothyroid disease, although they frequently develop the opposite disease—hyperthyroidism. Among the dog breeds predisposed to hypothyroidism are: • Golden Retriever • Doberman Pinscher • Irish Setter • Great Dane • Airedale Terrier • Old English Sheepdog • Dachshund • Miniature Schnauzer • Cocker Spaniel • Poodle • Boxer
Recommended Products for Hypothyroid Disease in Dogs Soloxine

Why Is Hypothyroidism Bad for My Dog?

Hypothyroid disease affects your dog's entire body. The skin is often smelly, dry, and dull. The hair falls out and your pet gains weight. Some pets don't experience normal heat cycles or develop normal sperm. Most dogs seem mentally dull. Fortunately, hypothyroid disease is easily treated.

Can Over-Vaccinating Cause Hypothyroidism?

Some veterinarians believe the increase in hypothyroid disease parallels the increase in the number of vaccines given. They point out that vaccines stimulate the immune system, and that many dogs develop a form of thyroid disease where their immune cells attack the thyroid (lymphocytic thyroiditis) until it is no longer able to function. Because of this, many veterinarians recommend that dogs be vaccinated as infrequently as necessary to provide disease protection. For some pets that will mean they need only a single vaccine as an adult to be protected for life. Other dogs may need vaccines every few years.


		Max's Tip: One of the main symptoms of hypothyroid disease is hair loss and scaly skin. Consider giving your dog Omega 3 fatty acids, such as Super Pure Omega 3, to restore skin and coat health.


	Hypothyroidism in Dogs Hypothyroidism Symptoms in Dogs Canine Hypothyroidism Treatment

1 through 15 of 21 matching documents

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Date: 08/09/11 Cateory: Other Pet Type: Dog Topic: High Triglyceride Levels And Hypothyroidism
Question: Hello, I Am A Loyal Client Of 1-800-pet-meds And Have A Question As You (vet) Have Helped Me In The Past And It Has Seemed To Help. I Have A Pure Bread Yellow Lab, Truman, Who Will Be 10 Yrs Old In Oct. He Is Very Active (walks, Playing), Has Energy And Appetite And Drinks Lots Of Water Which Is Due To His Hypothyroidism. He Has Been On Soloxine Forhis Hypothyrodism (low Metobolism) With A Dosage Of .4 Twice/day For Over A Year. He Gets This Tested (and A Full Blood Panel Given His Age) Every Six Months To Ensure He’s On The Proper Dosage. His Numbers Last October, 2011 Was 1.6 In And This April, 2011 Was 1.5. Which My Vet Said Was Fine (note: I Moved And Changed Vets During This Time But The New Vet Has His Complete File Although I Feel That I Get More Solid Advice Via You). Recently He Has An Ulcer In His Eye Which Is Now Officially Gone. During This Time, June, 2012, I Had Another Full Blood Panel Taken As He Was Gaining Weight. During This Time, His Blood Panel For His Alt (liver) Was 248 (he Had A Liver Ultrasound Which Didn’t Show Any Masses) And As Of Today, His Blood Test Results Show His Alt At 177 Which Is A God-send. However, His Triglycerides In June, 2012 Was 102 And Is Now 574! Also His Alk Phosphatase Was 102 In June, 2012 And Is Now 59 Which Is Good. The Vet Wants To Speak To A Encrynologist/specialist To See If His Weight Gain (10 Pounds In Past 5-6 Months) And His Triglyceride Level Is Correlated With His Hypothyroidism, But The Vet Said That Sometimes It Takes A While To Speak With The Specialist, Thus My Desperate Email For Help. I Had Emailed You Before About His Alt Levels And Asked About What Medication And Food I Should Order From You And You Informed Me To Get Denamarin (tablets That He Takes 3 Times Daily) And Halo Spot Stew Dry Food, Which I Did. The Vet Told Me Today To Keep Him On The Denamarin For Two More Months And She Has No Comment About His Food, She Only Asked Me Of The Fat Content But When I Told Her She Didn’t Have An Opinion, Thus My Coming To You. I Know This Is A Lot And Thank You For Loving Our Family Members Like We Do. I Guess My Question To You Is Two-fold; One, Do You Have Any Theories Or Suggestions Based On What I’ve Stated And Should I Order The Denamarin And The Halo Spot Stew Dry Food Again From You? Thanks For The Work That You Do. God Bless, Candace And Truman Answer: Hi Candace. Thank You For Your Kind Comments. Elevated Triglycerides Can Have Many Causes And I Would Not Worry If Only One Time Elevated. I Think The Denamarin And The Spot Stew Are Excellent Diets. Consider Supplement Dmg Liquid, Which May Help With Elevated Triglycerides. I Would Repeat A Triglyceride Level In 3-4 Weeks Making Sure Blood Sample Is 12 Hour Fast To See If Persistantly Elevated. May Be Normal Next Time.


Date: 11/17/09 Cateory: Grooming Pet Type: Cat Topic: Psychogenic Grooming
Question: My Cat Has Been Excessively Licking Herself Bald In The Hindquarters, Stomach And Legs. She Uses Advantage Now Since She Got A Few Fleas Using Another Brand. Comfort Plug-ins Do Nothing - I Read The Article On Psychogenic Grooming And This Sounds Just Like Her. She Does Not Have Hyper Or Hypothyroidism. I Think That This Reaction May Have Become A Habit. I See Topical Meds For Dogs But Nothing For Cats. Any Suggestions? Background - Her Older "sister" Died And We Got A Kitten And She Was Not Thrilled - They Tolerate Each Other But Do Play Together At Times - Some Of This Is Probably Anxiety - What Can We Do? Thank You - Answer: I Would Consider Having Vet Exam And Possibly If Licking Real Bad Consider Your Vet Try One Shot Of Cortisone To See If It Helps. If Responds To That, Then Likely Allergic Based Either Inhalent/contact Allergies, Flea Bite Allergies And Less Likely Food Allergies. All Of These Are Common But Response To Steroid Injection Would Help. Also Use Dmg Liquid From 1800petmeds, As Well As You Could Try Chlorphenirimine At Dose Of 2 Mg Twice Daily From 1800petmeds However If Licking That Bad, Likely Steroid Shot Best For Now.


Date: 09/01/09 Cateory: Skin Care Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hair+loss+on+tail
Question: I Have A 6 Ear Old Chessepeake Bay Retreiver With Hypothyroidism. Currently Treated With Soloxine Once A Day. After Treatment The Hair Grew Back. However At 5 Years Old I Had Him Neutered. Now He Has The Bald Patch On The Tail No Hair Growth. The Bald Spot Is A Little Begger Than A Quater. What Can Cause This? Answer: There Are Some Pets Who Actually Do Develop A Testosterone Responsive Hair Loss After Being Neutered. My Alma Mater Penn Actually Published That Work Some Years Ago. However I Would Look At Other Factors Such As Flea Bite Allergy, Inhalent Allergy And Food Allergies As Possibly Involved And Are Certainly More Common Than Post Castration Hair Loss And Should Be Looked At First By Your Vet


Date: 11/09/08 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Appetite Poor
Question: My Dog Was Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism And Since Being On Thyroid Medication His Problems Have Decreased Dramatically. But His Appetite Has Decreased And The Food He Has Always Liked He Just Wont Eat. I Have Tried Other Foods And He Isnt Crazy About Them As Well. Any Suggestions As To What Could Be The Problem Or What I Could Do. He Is A Cocker Spaniel. Answer: Sounds Like Your Vet Is Missing Diagnosis Here. Ask For Full Workup Including Further Blood Work, X Rays And Possibly Ultrasound To Get To Bootm. Also Consider Acth Stim Test For Disease Called Addisons Disease Which Can Sometimes Accompany Dogs With Low Thyroid. Let Me Know What Workup Reveals.


Date: 06/29/08 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Lipoma
Question: My 14-year-old Chocolate Lab Has Had Two Lipomas That Have Ruptured. She Had Surgery To Repair The First One After It Ruptured. She Just Had A Second One Rupture. I Am Afraid To Chance Surgery Again Because Of Her Age. What Is The Proper Treatment Of The Site (which Is An Open Sore About The Size Of A Softball On Her Back)? I Surfed On The Internet And Learned That The Fatty Tumors Are Suspected In Dogs That Have Hypothyroidism. Would You Recommend She Be On Medication Or That We Make Dietary Adjustments? My Son Took Her To A Veterinarian In The City Where He Just Moved For An Ear Infection. My Son Pretty Much Said Exactly What I Said Above--about Being Afraid To Chance Surgery. He Said The Vet Agreed. That Still Leaves The Question About How To Treat It Now. Thank You. Maggy Is A Member Of Our Family, Which I'm Sure You Know. Pamela Answer: Thyroid Disease Is Easily Ruled Out With Complete Thyroid Panel Including T4, Free T4 And Thyroid Autoantibody Testing Done At Vet. All These Should Be Measured To Accurately Assess Thyroid. I Would Avoid Un Necessary Vaccination As In My Opinion Overvaccination Plays Role In Fatty Tumors, Warts, Etc In Dogs. As Immunity To Parvo/distemper Lasts For Years To Life Of Pet. Consider Getting Book Dr Pitcairns Guide To Natural Health For Dogs And Cats By Richard Pitcairn, Dvm, Phd Which Goes Over Holistic Options And Consider Consulting With Homeopathic Vet Www.theavh.org.


Date: 10/05/07 Cateory: Other Pet Type: Dog Topic: High Cholesterol
Question: I Was Wondering If You Can Steer Me Toward Information Re: An Appropriate Diet For My Dog. She Is A Spayed 12 Year Old Sheltie Just Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism (t4 Is 0.4 With Reference Range Of 1.0-4.0, Free T4 Is 7 With A Reference Range Of 8-40 And Tsh Of 3.70 With Reference Range Of 0.00-0.60). Her Triglycerides Are Normal But Her Cholesterol Is 717 (reference Range Is 92-324); This Has Increased By 250 Points In The Past Six Months (which Was Higher Than Normal Then, As Well). She Also Has Skin Problems That May Or May Not Be A Symptom Of Allergies; With The Recent Diagnosis Of Hypothyroidism, I'm Wondering If That May Be The Cause. I Had Put Her On Organic Dog Food A Few Months Ago Thinking It Would Help With The Skin Condition, But Now Her Cholesterol Is High. Anyway, My Vet Wants To Treat Both The High Cholesterol And The Skin Conditions With A Hypo-allergenic Diet. Naturally, My Dog Does Not Want To Eat That Stuff (i'm Guessing It Tastes Like...well...dog Food). He Also Says She Can Have Pasta And Veggies. Though She Is Not Accustomed To Human Food, She Is Used To A Daily Strip Of Dehydrated Chicken (dog Treat). She Is On A Couple Of Regular Meds (deramaxx 25 Mg Daily, Tramadol 12.5 Mg Daily, Primor 300 Mg Daily For Skin And Now Soloxine 0.4 Mg Twice Daily). I Was Using Pill Pockets (made With "real Beef") To Give Her The Meds And Now He Tells Me Not To Even Use Those. Is High Cholesterol In Dogs To Be Treated The Same Way It Is Treated In Humans? My Instinct Tells Me That A Canine Diet Should Contain Meat, Not Veggies And Pasta. I Think My Vet Is Absolutely Wonderful And He Has The Best Of Intentions In Prescribing This Diet, But My Dog Has Refused To Eat This Food--no Matter How Hungry She Gets. My Final Question Is This: Is Elevated Cholesterol Even Related To Her Diet??? Could It Be Just Because Of Her Hypothyroidism? Answer: High Cholesterol Is Often Related To Low Thyroid And I Would First Have Thyroid Levels Checked After 4-6 Weeks Of Thyroid Therapy Before Doing Anything Else. Once Thyroid Correct Her Skin And Cholesterol May Improved. Also This Followup Level Should Be Checked On Fasted Sample And Not With Meals Or Around Meals. Also You Should Know That Primor, Being A Sulfa Drug Will Lower Thyroid Levels And I Would Ask Your Vet For Alternative Drug Or Antibiotic For Skin Infection If Needed, Or Ask For Referral To Vet Dermatologist In Your Area


Date: 08/27/07 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hypothyroidism
Question: My 11 Year Old Beagle Was Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism A Few Years Ago And Takes .3 Thyroid Pills. She Greatly Improved, However, Suffers Repeated Bouts Of Urinary Tract Infections As Evidenced By Her Constant Licking Of Her Genital Area And The Color Of Her Urine. She Also Needs To Have Her Anal Sacs Expressed Very Frequently. Is The Hypothyroidism The Cause Of The Frequently Infections And If So, What Can Be Done To Stop Them? Answer: Low Thyroid Can Be Involved With Reduced Immune Function, However If Her Thyroid Levels Are Well Controlled Then That Is Not Involved. I Would Also Make Sure Other Hormonal Abnormalites Are Not Present Like Cushings Disease In This Breed Which Can Suppress Immune System And Lead To Recurrent Urinary Infections. Also Make Sure Your Vet Has Done Proper Urine Cultures To Make Sure Right Antibiotics Are Chosen For Proper Length Of Time


Date: 07/23/07 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Cat Topic: Hypothyroidism . . .helpful Diet?
Question: What Can My Sister Do For Her 10 Year Old Kitty Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism . . . Eats Like A Horse But Very Skinny, Etc. Any Ideas Appreciated Answer: Three Options To Discuss With Your Vet: Medication With Drug Called Tapazole Which Must Be Taken Forever And Needs Periodic Monitoring Of Thyroid Levels And Blood Tests To Monitor For Side Effects; Surgical Removal Of Thyroids, And In My Opinion Best Option Which Is Single Injection Of Radioactive Iodine Compound Which Selectively Destroys The Excess Thyroid Tissue And Is Curative. Ask Your Vet About This Availability In Your Area.


Date: 06/17/07 Cateory: Skin Care Pet Type: Dog Topic: Fecal Odor In Golden
Question: My Golden Retriever, Who Is 3 1/2 Yrs., Has Hypothyroidism And Is On Medication, Has Recently Developed An Odor That Smells Like Feces. I've Looked In Her Mouth, Ears And Even Smelled Her Skin To No Avail.(i Am Bathing Her Frequently). She Has, However, Recently As Of The Last Two Weeks Started To Break Out In Little Red Bumps That Gradually Develop Into Little Scabs. I've Given Her Benadryl To Help With This But Is Still Recurring. The Odor Started Before The Breakout And Is Getting Progressively Worse. Could This Be A Yeast Infection Or Something Else? Answer: Overgrowth Of Yeast And/or Bacteria Are Common In Dogs With Contact/inhalent Allergies, Food Allergies, Low Thyroid, Etc All Of Which Are Possible In This Breed. Try Shampooing With Chlorihexiderm Shampoo Every Few Days From 1800petmeds Until Vet Assessment Can Sort These Out


Date: 04/09/07 Cateory: Digestive Care Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hypothyroid
Question: After Countless Efforts To Reduce The Weight Of My Dog, A Recent Blood Test (ran It Two Ways) The Test Confirmed Hypothyroidism. Just Started Medication. How Long Before Any Weight Loss Begins, Are There Side Effects? Answer: Usually Weight Loss Will Be Seein Within 2-3 Months Of Treatment. No Side Effects As Long As Blood Thyroid Levels Are Monitored.


Date: 03/28/07 Cateory: Pain/Inflammation Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hip Displacia
Question: Our 3 Year Old Lab Is Very Overweight And Has Been Diagnosed With Hypothyroidism. We Have Started Her On The Medicaltion And A Good Excercise Routine But Now She Has Hip Displacia In Her Left Hip And Can Not Walk. She Is Taking Rymadal But I Am Afraid Of The Long Term Effects. What Other Pain Meds Can I Use? Are There Any Good Supplements For Her? And Is It Ok To Take Her Swimming? Fortunately We Live In Florida And Have Access To A Pool. We Love Our Luci And Want To Help In Anyway We Can. Answer: Swimming Is Excellent As Physical Therapy For Pets With Joint Issues. I Would Also Explore Holistic Vet Options Like Acupuncture, Chiropractic Or Homeopathy. See Www.thehavh.org Or Www.ahvma.org For List Of Holistic Vets In Your Area. There Are Plenty In Florida!!!! Try Super Joint Enhancer From 1800petmeds As Well As Add Naturevet Enzymes And Be Well Fatty Acid Supplement To Meals. I Love Grape Seed Extract From Health Food Store At Same Time At Dose Of 1 Mg Per Pound Twice Daily.


Date: 09/14/06 Cateory: Ear Care Pet Type: Dog Topic: Rapid Hearing Loss
Question: I Have A 12 Year Old Lab/shepherd Mix Who Has Been On Levothyroxine Twice Daily For Appx. 4 Years For Hypothyroidism. She Gets Regular Blood Check Ups And Senior Panels. She Is Also Taking Cosequin Super Strength 1x Daily And Metacam Liquid 1x Daily Filled To #50. (she Weighs Appx. 47 Lbs) She Has Always Been An Active Dog And Is Highly Intelligent Although She Is Showing Some Signs Of Aging. For The First Time Ever, Her Fur Has Not Grown Back From Grooming...due To Her Hypothyroidism, I Am Told. She Had A Beautiful Full Coat Until Last April. My Main Concern Is That Her Hearing Has Gone From A Mild Loss To Almost Complete Deafness In 3 Months. She No Longer Reacts To Our Voices And Often Runs In The Wrong Direction When Called. She Is Trying To Use Her Other Senses To Adapt, And Our Other Dog Is Running To Her To Get Her For A Walk, Etc. I Am Very Concerned About The Rapidity Of Her Hearing Loss From Mild To Deafness. Is This Normal Or Should We Be Concerned That It Is A Reaction To The Combination Of Meds I Described, Or Perhaps, Even Worse, A Brain Tumor? My Current Vet Saw Her In July And Noticed Nothing Unusual Except Normal Aging. It Is Now Only 2 Months Later And I Am Concerned About Her Condition. I Would Greatly Appreciate Your Response. Thank You. Answer: Many Dogs Do Lose Their Hearing Innocently As An Aging Change And Does Not Shorten Their Lives. On Very Rare Occasions Can Be Sign Of More Serious Brain Issue But I Doubt It And As Long As She Is Otherwise Happy And Comfortable, It Sounds Like You Are Doing Great Job With Your Care. Only Thing I Will Leave You With Is Truly Consider Home Made Diet As Described In Dr. Pitcairns Guide To Natural Health For Dogs And Cats By Richard Pircairn, Dvm, Phd, And I Bet You See Some Even More Improvements In Her Overall Health. Good Luck


Date: 08/25/06 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Dog Topic: Hypothyroid
Question: Sammy, Our Sheltie, Has Been Diagnosed As Hypothyroid. Twice Now He Has Had These "weak Spells" Where He Is Sleeping Soundly, Wakes Up And Can't Get Up Very Easily. When He Does Get Up He Staggers Around For Less Than A Minute, And Then He's Fine. Just Wondering If This Could Be A Part Of The Hypothyroidism Or Something Else. His Vet Seems To Be Stumped Right Now. Thank You. Answer: Might Be Related To Low Thyroid But If Blood Levels Of Thyroid Hormone Are Normal With Medication, And These Episodes Still Occur, I Would Have Worked Up At Specialist For Other Disorders Like Circulatory/blood Pressure Issue, As Well As Neurologic Issue


Date: 06/28/06 Cateory: Other Pet Type: Cat Topic: Is It Hypothyroidism? Is There A Homeopathic Remedy?
Question: I Took My 17year Old Cat To The Vet For A Check-up. They Took Several Tests Including Blood And Told Me That She Had Hypothyroidism And That I Could Give Her Some Prescription Medication And She Would Be Ok. I Havent Followed Through On The Prescription Because The Vet Bill Immense And I Couldnt Afford The Meds. After A Lot Of Research, I Read One Of Your Answers About Hypothyroid In Cats Being A Rare Condition. Now, I Dont Know If She Has Hypothyroid Or Something Worse. How Should I Go About Improving Her Health/treating Her Condition? What Homeopathic Remedies Would You Recommend? Thanks For Your Time. Answer: I Dont Think You Have Diagnosis Correct On This One. I Highly Doubt That Your Cat Is Hypo Thyroid Which Is Low Thyroid. This Is Very Rare In Cats And Usually When Vets Find Low Thyroid Levels On Cats Blood Work, There Is Another Illness In The Body Causing The Low Thyroid Levels. We Call This Euthyroid Sick Syndrome. I Would See Another Vet In Your Area For Second Opinion And Review Of Your Workup As Likely Another Problem That Your Vet Has Not Discovered. If Your Cat Has High Thyroid(hyperthyroid)and You Gave Made Typo Mistake In Your Question, Write Back And I Will Advise.


Date: 04/26/06 Cateory: Hormonal/Endocrine Pet Type: Cat Topic: Hypothyroidism In Cats
Question: My Now 2 Year Old Female Tabby Drastically Changed After She Was Spade At 2 Lbs. She Was An Active, Confident, Adventurous, Slim Kitten Who Changed Overnight Into A Lethargic, Overweight Cat, Afraid Of Her Own Shadow. We Restrict Her Diet And Have Tried Everything To Stimulate Her And Get Her To Play To No Avail, All She Wants To Do Is Curl Up And Sleep. She Sheds A Tremendous Amount Of Fur That Is Now Starting To Mat, And Has Horrible Dandruff. My Vet Says In 30 Years Of Practice That He Has Never Seen A Hypothyroid Cat, So Don't Even Bother To Test Her. Would A Blood Test Be Conclusive? Or Could Her Levels Of Hormone Fluxuate Within The Normal Range Yet She Could Still Be Hypothyroid? If It Quacks Like A Duck Is It A Duck? Answer: According To The Sources I Have Found On The Web, The Incidence Of Hypothyroidism In Cats Is Extremely Rare, And Is Usually The Consequence Of Removal Of Both Thyroid Glands. Check Out The Web By Typing 'hypothroidism In Cats' In The Search Function Box.

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