My dog has hypothyroidism. Should I start Eltroxin slowly?

The usual levothyroxine dose for dogs is 0.1 mg/10 pounds so for your dog the correct dose would be 0.5mg, so the pharmacy mislabeled it, or gave you the wrong dose. I would contact them to correct it so your dog gets an adequate dose of his medication.

A dog with hypothyroidism cannot produce enough thyroid hormone. In order to correct this your dog needs a very exact amount of thyroid hormone, as underdosing will not correct it and overdosing will cause hyperactivity, heart problems, and other physical damage. So the only way to ensure a proper dosage is to give medication (Levothyroxine) that comes in exact concentrations. This is not possible with natural remedies, or feeding necks with intact thyroid glands. So, in the interest of your dog, I suggest you trust your veterinarian to prescribe the proper dosage of levothyroxine, which actually is a synthetic thyroxine Though this is man-made, synthetic thyroxine is exactly the same as the thyroxine that is produced and released by the thyroid gland.

The only way to know if this is related is to have the thyroid level checked again. I recommend to call your veterinarian and let them know what you are seeing. They will advise on how much medication to give and when to test. The only way to know if Glanni truly has thyroid disease is to stop all medication for at least 2 weeks. Then test a thyroid panel that includes the Total T4, the Free T4 by equilibrium dialysis and the Thyroid stimulating Hormone. This will give you a complete and accurate idea of his thyroid function. I do not advise to make any changes to the medication with out first speaking with your regular veterinarian. Also keep in mind that the behavior could be coincidental and related to something else entirely. Best of luck.

Most Levothyroxine tablets come in 0.1-0.9mg dosages, so I am not sure why your pet is on a full 5mg dosage. If this is not a typo, then this is a pretty hefty dosage for a cat to receive if she surely got 2.5mg's. However, severe life threatening symptoms from a single overdose are less likely than with chronic overdosing. Some signs you may see are: Vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity to lethargy, hypertension, tachycardia, tachypnea, dyspnea, and abnormal pupillary light reflexes. It can take 1-9 hrs for absorption to occur. Then the drug should be mostly out of her system 12-24 hrs. In most cases this is not an emergency situation, but you can see the symptoms I mentioned above, which should be treated with supportive care through your vet. This is a tough one indeed, but it is likely that Kilala will be ok, since I assume that the dosage you gave has to be incorrect based on the typical dosage that dogs receive (between 0.1-0.9mg). I hope that everything works out well for your pet Kilala. Best wishes and take care!

It is unlikely that this will cause any damage or side effects. T4 hormone will be temporarily suppressed, without any noticeable side effects. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello. Yes, I would definitely put Kayo on thyroid replacement medication first. As her thyroid levels normalize, her skin should improve & the need for allergy testing will no longer be necessary. New allergies in a 10 year old dog is unusual, so my guess her low thyroid levels are more responsible for her symptoms than anything else. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If you have a copy of Milo's medical record, you can choose a Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach Consult to discuss this fully. Hypothyroidism does not usually cause weight loss in dogs, and the test may be caused by euthyroid sick syndrome, meaning the thyroid hormone is low because of some other illness. There are confirmatory tests that can help your vet decide if Milo needs to be on thyroid therapy. If there are no other abnormalities on a CBC and complete blood chemistry, then additional diagnostics may be indicated, including intestinal parasite screen, GI panel, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, etc. If Milo has a good appetite without vomiting or diarrhea, you could try feeding more calories. I like Purina ProPlan Sport. You could also try puppy food, which is higher in fat. If you do decide to switch food, mix them together slowly over 2-3 weeks to avoid an upset stomach.