Hypothyroidism is the hormonal
disease we most frequently see in dogs.
In normal dogs, the thyroid glands in the neck produce the right amount
of thyroid hormones, mainly thryoxine.
These hormones regulate your dog’s metabolism, which influences all body
systems. In cases of hypothyroidism,
your dog has too little thyroid hormone produced. Sometimes it is familial, or seen in certain
breeds at the young adult stage; other times it is an age-related change seen
in older dogs. Most commonly,
hypothyroidism is caused by atrophy of the thyroid gland
or immune-mediated destruction of the gland.
Since metabolism affects all body
systems, hypothyroidism affects many aspects of your dog’s health. Your dog may have a poor coat, immune
dysfunction (recurring skin or ear infections), skin allergies, hair loss,
increased skin pigment, dry oily skin (seborrhea), obesity, heart disease,
neurologic diseases, behavior changes (lethargy, increased irritability or
aggressiveness), high levels of fat in the bloodstream (hyperlipidemia),
inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis), reproductive disorders, or anemia. Unfortunately, diagnosing hypothyroidism in
dogs is not easy. The blood level of
thyroxine, T4, is not the only modality of thyroid gland health in dogs; so, we
need to run a thyroid profile, where 5-9 tests are done, including T4, T3,
thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and autoantibody tests.
Treatment of hypothyroidism in dogs
requires giving an oral pill, usually twice a day. After approximately 3 – 4 weeks of treatment,
and then at least annually, we will recommend retesting your dog’s thyroid
level to assure proper dosing for adequate thyroid health.
If you have any questions about
canine hypothyroidism, or any other concerns about your pets’ health, please do
not hesitate to contact us.