What happens if I stop my pet's thyroid medication? Is it lifelong?

Hi there! Usually thyroid supplementation is for life! Hopefully her weight will start to improve as she continues the medication, with lots of exercise! Definitely it is something to think over, although generally it is not too difficult to manage a pet with thyroid issues. They do need to have their blood tested periodically to help with the ongoing dosing of the thyroid medication. Hope this helps!

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.

A human doctor is not a veterinarian. Dogs happen to need a higher dose than people of that particular medication due to the way they metabolize it. Do not ask human doctors for veterinary advice. They are not familiar with how animals metabolize drugs. According to the blood results the thyroid is improving but it is actually still too low. On the thyroid medication, the goal is to have the dog's T4 in the high normal range. His is still low.

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.

Unregulated thyroid disease varies by patient but can have many adverse effects including severe weight loss, distress and heart/circulation complications. There are treatment options which avoid regular/at home medications for which he may be a suitable candidate and I strongly recommend you discuss your issues with your vet to determine if these are an option or if referral to an endocrinology/internal medicine specialist maybe of help. Dietary control can also be of assistance in managing overactive thyroid cases and should be considered, especially in hard to manage cases. Offering the medications in a small (teaspoon) of warm strongly smelling soft food or treats/pill pockets just before feeding when hungry (remove all other food options for 4-6hrs before this) can help also

I recommend to have Tommy’s thyroid level rechecked. These are not normal signs from the medication and could inidicate that the thyroid level is now too high or it could be unrelated. That’s why you need to know what his levels are while on the medication. Have the blood sample drawn 4-6 hours after he takes the medication. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

While not ideal, not getting thyroid medication for 10 days should have no lasting negative effects on your dog. A quick call to your vet would be recommended for confirmation. He or she may want to see Morris and possibly submit blood work to check thyroid levels.