Remy had his thyroid tested last Friday.  We were going to have bloods sent off to Dr. Doods in California, but when we arrived with the forms the vet had been chatting with the UK lab about tests, and they said that the best test was the TSH stimulation test.  Much debate later, we went with that one and we got the results yesterday.  The vet is talking to some endocrine specialists about them - the final value is within the normal range but only just above the lower level, vet thinks Remy has early hypothyroidism and wants to start him on a 6 week treatment trial, once he's seen what the specialists have to say.  Given Remy's recent hair loss and the ilttle extra padding that is proving hard to shift, I'm inclined to agree with him.

Ho hum.

I've read that dogs at the lower end of the normal range can benefit from treatment.  I'd be interested to hear how things turn out - keep us posted.  But why the ho hum?

I presume that the ho hum is because this dog if it has hypothyroidism will be on medication for the rest of its life, an expensive thing for a dog so young!

I have a girl who was diagnosed with this a few weeks ago and since beginning her medication has come on leaps and bounds. I started to find improvements in her activity levels and demeanour after a few days and her skin has come on really well. Well worth trying the treatment. Maybe it will only be for a short while as I have heard that the medication can sometimes give the thyroid a kick start,so to speak. My girl's reading was really low so the vet thinks she will be on it for life and has to have blood tests every 6 weeks to check the levels until we know that she is at the right level.

My girl is on .5mg of Soloxine twice a day and I was only £14 for 6 weeks supply of medication.

Hope this helps in some way.

yes indeedy perro, hit the nail on the ho-hum-head there :D between Remy, Opi's recent op for stitches and x-ray and me needing to see a specialist about possible hypoglycaemia, I feel a ho-hum is warranted lol!

Have just spoken to the vet, we're going to put Rem on a lower than normal dose of soloxine (because his TSH wasn't especially low) for 6 weeks to see how he does.  I have to go pick up the tablets this avo.

Sorry to hear you're having a bit of a time of it.

It's probably not much consolation, and I'm sorry that your dog is ill at all, but with hypothyroidism the major hurdle does seem to be getting the diagnosis and ultimately it's probably cheaper to treat than some of the other causes of hair loss - allergies etc. :-)

Hope you all get sorted soon.

Good thing is at least now you know what is going on with Remy. A friend's dobe has this and once diagnosed was fine ever after.

Keep us updated, won't you? :)

Lindsay
x

nikita, I wasn't aware that dogs could go on short doses of thyroline/soloxine as I have always been led to believeby the GP who told me that in cases in humans (no idea about dogs) where the levels aren't too far removed from normal they will not give medication as it is for life.  I assumed this would be the same in dogs - but feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

I dont want to say the wrong thing here,but the thyroid stimulation test,my dog had done, and J dodds in usa said its not effective as it will not show any real results of deterioration of the thyroid until its really bad,which by then you would be seeing symptoms anyway,she said that test is not used in the usa anymore.
If you do contact her,I understand she keeps records of thyroid levels for all different breeds of dogs,I contacted her by email,she will reply she is so good,its worth a try.
Aside from that, I hope all works out,it is scary when you have to start thinking of lifetime medication,but at least there is drug that can give your dog a normal life,
Ash

One of my American Cockers has an under active thyroid. Her T4 was less than 2, and her TSH more than three times the normal value. I saw an improvement in her mood and energy levels after only two days of treatment. She has been on Soloxine for 9 months and she is like a puppy again.

Dawn R.

I don't know if it's significant or merely coincidence because I've never had her tested, but since I started giving Clover Plaqueoff to help her teeth and breath she's had a new lease of life. And as Plaqueoff is made from seaweed which is used to help thyroid problems it could be that the very low extra amount is just enough to top her up - that's if her thyroid was slightly inefficient in the first place. ;) Anyway, I'm not complaining! :D

That's intriguing - and timely, I just got a tub of Plaqueoff through the post this morning!

ashlee - also intriguing.  I went with the TSH test because the UK lab said it was the "gold standard" test of those available - they also had a full panel available but recommended the TSH.  I'm getting a bit miffed with the whole tests issue - seems like it's a different story as to the best one wherever I look.  Very frustrating.

My friends boy has it and he is a completely different dog now!  Just like his son a real nutter and his coat has all come back, he looks so well now and a much slimmer boy.

Depending on the breed low normal levels can actualy be underactive for that breed/individual.  the Northern breeds seem to be a case in point and dogs with low normal levels have improved and lost the underactive thyroid symptoms once on low levels of syloxine.

The whole problem is extremely complex - I know - I'm hypothyroid myself, and have aut-antibodies, so that in spite of have the 'correct' dose of T4 as measured by the TSH levels, I still can't lose weight, and still get tired easily etc etc.

One of our dogs has recently been diagnosed as well, and we didn't hesitate to ask the our vets to ask for Dr Jean Dodds opinion.    In my view, thyroid testing in this country is way behind that in the States, both for human  and canine.   Wish Jean Dodds could do my own thyroid profile as well!!!

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

This seems to get more complicated the more I read!

The different breeds thing may be important to Remy - he is a dobe, and they are very prone to thyroid problems - a-symptomatic hypothyroid dobes have been known as well.