After many months I pretty much now have the answer to my dog peggys illness.I went to see consultant vet who, took about 40 minutes to diagnose  that peg was suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
All the symptoms were there, and although I am waiting for results for blood test, he was certain that was what we were dealing with, not to mention that two weeks before hand I had been back to my vet, (and without losing my temper)stated that my dog had been in chronic pain since last august,and that she needed a painkiller everyday.My husband happened to pick up a leaflet on a drug called zubrin for arthritis, it listed everything peg had,so we asked why arthritis had been ruled out so quickly,not much of a reply but he prescribed it and within days peggy was much much better.
Consultant vet said just keep going on zubrin,as we have had such a drastic improvment and we hope that we will not have to take further treatment involving lots of steroids and that we can keep this condition under control, sadness also that I know that there is no cure, but count myself lucky as someone I know has just lost thier 7 year old labrador to cancer.

Thyroid? well turns out that if you are that ill in the first place for a long time, your thyroid levels drop anyway,so we keep going with the thyroxine and she is due blood test in about 3 weeks so we shall see and take it from there.
All I know is this, peggy now is always the first in the kitchen, has gone back to her favourite past time of staring at the biscuit cupboard, wants to play with her toys again, bothers to get off the sofa to greet me, will manage the stairs just about,and cries all the way to the golf course where I walk them as I am not driving fast enough.
I couldn't ask for more.
Ash.

Ashlee I'm so pleased to hear she's getting back to her normal self :D

Debs

That's great news :)

If it will help, my Ma has rheumatiod arthritis too and has found that GREEN LIPPED MUSSEL capsules have made an enormous difference to the pain and her mobility.  They're not cheap tho at £13 a bottle ;)

Nothing is ever cheap,but thanks dill I will look into it, I got a post from (stakemaster I think)who warned me of zubrins side effects,and posted me patient info, which as usual wish I hadn't read,so now have to be rational,right now she needs all the pain relief she can get,but hoping in the summer not so much as I am sure warm weather will make a difference,vet also warned me that as I have peggys brother,Daws,I need to watch him for signs as could be genetic(nightmare) but right now you couldn't tie him down if you wanted to so I wont worry (too much)
thanks once again for your help,
Ash