My dog's hair is thinning. How much are thyroid tests and meds?

I am so sorry to hear about Liberty Bell. I would make sure they have retested her thyroid to make she is on the correct dose of Levothyroxine. I would also talk to your vet to recheck her ACTH stimulation test to see if she is on the correct dose of Vetoryl. If everything is at the correct dose then I would start thinking about allergies, secondary bacterial or secondary yeast/fungal infections that could be causing the hairloss. Talk to your vet about whether a hypoallergenic food or medications for allergies may help. You could also have your vet refer you over to a dermatologist who could do additional testing to figure out the cause. I hope this helps!

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.

The cost depends on your area and if your vet wants to run a full panel to check all the chemistries and organ functions or if they want to just check the thyroid levels. Call you vet and ask what the cost would be. If it is the first time, the vet will probably want a complete panel and these generally run $100-150. These are helpful because it gives a good baseline to compare future blood results against and can give indications of early kidney or liver disease, diabetes, and is a good indicator of overall health.

A low thyroid can be due to hypothyroidism or euthyroid sick syndrome. Euthyroid sick syndrome is where the thyroid is artificially low due to something else going on in the pet like skin issues. The thyroid level Depends on the lab they use. Usually 0.9is the low end of normal (0.7) still normal. Your vet could run a free t4 or tsh for more information and confirmation of hypothyroidism

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to us concerning your pets hair loss. Yes, hypothyroidism can be a cause of an older dogs hair loss. The clinical signs of hypothyroidism are no itchy hair loss, panting, constantly seeking out vents or shady places because the heat bothers them, etc. but this condition usually begins between the ages of two and five but there are some situations in which happens at an older age. There are many other diseases that can also cause hair loss so it is in your best interest To take him to a veterinarian to have a full physical examination performed. The vet will be able to run tests such as blood work up, thyroid testing, skin scraping, etc. to be able to make a diagnosis and put him on the correct treatment. I hope this information has helped. Have a great day.

I would see if you can borrow money from family and friends to afford Sally's bloodwork, and I can give you some resources that may help. You can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources, and I hope one of them helps you!