Adopting a dog with thyroid issues: Is medication a lifelong commitment?

You are very welcome. Yes, once you find the right dosage, this medication will be life long because his thyroid will not be able to produce the correct amount of hormone. If you stop the medication he will not have enough thyroid hormone. Pets who lack this hormone struggle with not feeling well, weight gain, skin infections and a heavy thirst. They definitely don’t feel like themselves so it’s important to continue the medication. Please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor girl. It is really common for dogs used only for breeding to not understand play and to not be very active. If she is gaining weight despite being on a diet then I would worry about thyroid issues. She doesn’t look like she is very heavy. Also remember if she was recently spayed she will gain some weight after that due to her hormones being lowered. As far as her gum disease, if she is healthy enough (heart sounds okay and blood work normal), I would talk to your vet if she is a candidate for a dental cleaning and extractions of any diseased teeth. I hope this helps.

Interpretation of thyroid test results should always be made with the whole picture in mind - this means taking into account whether Ollie has any symptoms of hypothyroidism, and also keeping in mind his other health issues which can sometimes affect thyroid results. Cushing's disease, along with other chronic health issues, can often cause artificially low results on a TT4 screening test, which is the thyroid test that most veterinarians do in-clinic. So for me personally, in this situation, I would make the decision about whether to recommend medication based on whether Ollie is showing any signs of a thyroid problem. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may include decreased appetite, weight gain, skin issues or poor haircoat, and decreased energy levels. If he's not showing any of these signs, it would be reasonable to decide not to start any treatment at this time. If you want to get a better idea of whether Ollie is truly hypothyroid, your vet can send a blood sample to a reference lab for a full thyroid panel - this can often help sort out whether there is an actual problem or not, in cases where it isn't clear.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If you want to rule out hypothyroidism 100% you should have a profile done that includes fT4, TSH, T3, fT3. I like the profile to Michigan State. With that being said, hypothyroidism at 21 months old is exceedingly rare. It occurs in larger breed dogs more commonly. These dogs have stunted growth, have retention of "puppy coat," orthopedic abnormalities due to delayed growth plate closure and many other obvious abnormalities. Dynasty looks very normal. I hope this helps!

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.

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.

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If you have been having difficulty in getting his weight down, it certainly could be from a disease such as hypothyroidism. If you have not had a veterinarian examine him and test his thyroid level, I would suggest doing so to rule this out as a cause. If his thyroid level is normal then you may want to enquire about Hills Metabolic Diet. The vet would need to provide you with a prescription for this food as well. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.