Prescription Horse Thyroid Medications

If your horse’s vet diagnoses them with low thyroid, the treatment may depend on what is causing the condition. Hypothyroidism—or a thyroid that doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones—can be a secondary or tertiary symptom of other health problems. Your vet may wish to treat the primary cause of the issue first.

Alternatively, they may also decide to treat the hypothyroidism itself. In this case, your vet may prescribe supplemental thyroid hormones that come in the form of horse hormone injections. You may also want to ask your vet about over-the-counter thyroid supplements for horses—like iodine—that can support thyroid health in horses.

Thyroid hormones impact your horse’s body in many ways, and an improper balance can cause various symptoms. The most common include the following.

• Rough hair
• Lack of interest in food
• Low heart and respiratory rate
• Resistance to exercise
• Cold intolerance

If, while performing your regular horse grooming routine, you notice your horse’s hair is rough or doesn’t shed as much as usual, a thyroid issue may be the cause.

Weight gain or obesity in horses is sometimes mistakenly thought to be related to hypothyroidism, but this is a relatively rare symptom. It’s more likely an overweight horse is being fed too much.

If you notice symptoms of hypothyroidism in your horse, contact your equine vet to schedule an evaluation.

Thyroid levels can change depending on where a mare is in her hormonal cycle. If you suspect yours may have hypothyroidism, contact your vet, and they can run tests and make recommendations on the right horse medication for your mare. This may or may not include female horse hormones or supplements.