My dog's chronic itching won't stop. Is her thyroid test okay?

It may take a little longer than two weeks to get his thyroid levels up. It looks like Butter is still dealing with skin inflammation and possible infection. Usually dogs will come back about two weeks after starting thyroid medication to check the blood levels. I advise to schedule that appointment and have them check the skin as well. In the mean time, you can wash the affected areas once daily with hand soap and rinse well. Make sure he is not licking the lesions as he will make it worse. An elizabethan collar will help prevent this. If he continues to have skin issues and his thyroid levels are good, it is possible that underlying allergies could also be affecting him. I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Not sure how you would know that a stray dog has hypothyroidism, since it requires a blood test to diagnose. You cannot diagnose this disease based on the clinical signs alone, especially in this case, as hair loss with severe itchiness (reflected by his chewing) are likely caused by mites (mange), ringworm, allergies, or fleas. If the antihistamines and steroids provide relief, he may very well have an allergy, but a veterinarian should rule out the other skin problems mentioned above with simple testing. You should also confirm the diagnosis of hypothyroidism with a blood test before continuing medications.

Dogs that are hypothyroid have a deficiency of thyroid hormone which can cause the symptoms you describe as well as lethargy, weight gain, etc. Replacing with thyroid hormone is the only way to treat the problem, and it is necessary to confirm that she is indeed hypothyroid before starting treatment. Unfortunately there is nothing that can be given at home.

There are four main causes of persistent skin issues and you must figure out the underlying cause to address the problem. The causes are: flea allergy, food allergy (this needs to be ruled out with a hydrolyzed diet), environmental allergy or hypothyroidism. With out any further information, it’s hard to know how to advise next steps. If your veterinarian is not comfortable with treating chronic skin conditions, find one who is. I recommend to rule out fleas with a product like Simparica. I rule out food allergy with a diet called Ultamino. Hypothyroidism is a blood test. Environmental allergies are unfortunately very common and also more complicated but they can be determined with a blood test as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would try a prescription hypoallergenic diet. Your vet will be able to recommend the one they think will work best for her like science diet Z/D or purina HA. This will be your best shot to rule out any food allergies. I recommend to do a minimum of a 12 week food trial with NOTHING else except for the Z/D. Even her heartworm prevention, if you give it, needs to be hypoallergenic. Unfortunately, most of the oral ones have chicken or beef flavoring in them. For treats, you can take the canned version of whatever food you choose and put a small amount into an ice cube tray and freeze them. Then popped them out and put them in a bag in the freezer for treats. I would also consider putting her on both apoquel and cytopoint at the same time to help control itching. I would also talk to your vet about whether or not they think there is any yeast on her. Yeast can be very itching. There is a anti-fungal that can be given long term and be safe. It is called terbinafine. I had a dermatologist to give it once a day for 4 weeks then every Monday and Tuesday long term to keep the yeast under control in my really allergic patients. Your vet will be able to determine the best dose and whether or not she even needs this. Finally, if this doesn't help, I would strongly recommend to find a veterinary dermatologist in your area to see if they can do different types of treatment. Most dermatologists can do skin allergy testing and get her started on allergy injections if needed. I hope this helps!

I'm so sorry that Duke is doing poorly. Unfortunately skin problems can be very difficult to diagnose and treat because they often look the same on exam and require further testing for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. If Duke has a low thyroid level, then he will need thyroid medication for the rest of his life. I have attached more information on hypothyroidism below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=461 Unfortunately, hair loss can be caused by a huge variety of hormonal and skin problems. Below is a handout that discusses another hormonal disease that can affect the skin called Cushing's disease. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1551 If Duke is itchy, I would also recommend that your veterinarian perform a skin cytology to evaluate for secondary bacterial or yeast infection which is very common with hormonal diseases. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=466 I think you will likely need to have your vet recheck Duke's skin, recheck his blood work, and possibly do additional testing to determine the best treatment for Duke. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Poor Shirley! Those spots on Shirley could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment or food allergy. Thyroid disease can also cause chronic skin problems. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the bumps should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for dogs, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Shirley wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.