Question about thyroid problems
Is this serious if it is a thyroid problem? And, if it is his thyroid he will need medication, how expensive is it, are there any brands that anyone would recommend, etc? I just want him to be comfortable and healthy. In an way I am relieved that it is not contagious as I have another sheepdog whose fur and coat is fine. But I am also worried that it could be something more serious. Any help you could give would be great, I have not had to deal with any medical issues with my boys yet, I have been very lucky. |
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| I have a hypothyroid dog. I spend about $10- $15 a month on meds for the thyroid. I say about because I usually buy two or three months at atime and really don't pay exact attention to what it cost when I pick it up.
I am sure the cost varies by location and dosage - Morgan takes 1.5 pills twice a day, which I understand to be a larger dose. |
| Thanks! Is your dog otherwise healthy? I don't mean to pry, I am just trying to get some perspective on what to expect. He acts fine now so I would think it would just help his system regulate and his hair to grow back. I also read that he might be able to lose weight which we have been working on without success for some period of time. |
| Morgan has other health issues - mostly not at all related to his hypothyroid, although it can be an inidcation of an auto immune isse - especially in th ecase of my guy who has been on meds since he was 2. |
| Generally thyroid meds aren't all that costly compared to most other meds for dogs. Where are they sending the blood for testing? I seem to remember ours went to either University of Michigan or Michigan State. Whichever one my vet sent it to I remember being told by breeders & vets alike that it was "the" place to send it as they were on the cutting edge for thyroid. |
| ^^^
I believe there is a new cutting edge lab, I just can't remember where... Not Dr Dodds, I hate not being able to remember these things. |
| Thryoid is not a big problem in itself. My 3 year old was very ill from almost the time I brought him home. He was a "victim" of the pet food recalls and was very, very sick. But he survived and then started with all kinds of immune problems...Anyway, long story about his health.
He is fine now. But we went through some thryoid testing recently and it came back borderline low. Some doctors don't like to medicate if its a borderline low at this young age. But I insisted and since he started the meds. he is a totally different dog! Back to being his old self. Happy, energetic, eating his food, getting up in the morning, playful! We does 1 and 1/12 tab in the am and 1 tab in the pm. He is doing great and the meds are not that costly. Most docs will start the meds and re test after three weeks to see if the levels went up. A low thryoid is not a big deal and easily taken care of BUT if left untreated, it can cause all kids of problems with the immune system, weight gain, skin issues, etc. Don't be concerned if he has to take thryoid pills. |
| Be aware that the lost hair will come back very slowly and will probably be black and stay that way. Rosco is 11 and still has some black regrowth, he's been on the meds for 5 years. Other than the usual getting old problems he's in great health. |
| Thanks for the information. Huggs has been healthy since we have had him. We are his third (and final) home and I don't know anything about his health prior or his breeding. I know he was bought from a pet store in Portland and that he came from a breeder in Quebec. We have had him since he was about 1.5 years old and nothing has ever caused me concern.
I think our vet sends everything to Michigan. She said that was where they sent bloodwork that needed to be looked at more closely than what they could do in house. His fur never really changed to gray, it is gray underneath, but still pretty black on top, so I guess if it grows in black that will be fine. I just want him to be healthy, so it can grow back purple if it wants  |
| Though hypothyroidism is a major problem in the breed, so that's a good bet, when we had two three year old sisters surrendered to rescue with hair loss we tested and they were thyroid normal. Vet thought it was most likely seasonal flank alopecia. As she predicted, the hair grew back. I just saw one of them, two years later, over Christmas, and her coat is still normal, so there are other possible explanations.
Kerry, I thought Cornell U was another one of the approved labs for thyroid testing? Kristine |
| ^^^
Yeah but its somewhere else new my vet thinks is th ebest now (or at least 8 months ago) I can't even remeber anything but thta the bill was about twice what it usually is for the test, which bTW is the expensive part of the treatment. My vet likes to test levels every 6 months, we negotiate and do it about every 10. |
| hypothyroidism in humans tends to not only cause hair loss, but weight gain , lethergy and cold intolerance (get cold easily). Check with your vet as to how low his numbers are. Even if they are boarderline it might be worthwhile to treat him since he is having weight issues. You don't want him to carry extra weight and then have joint issues down the road |
sheepiegail wrote: hypothyroidism in humans tends to not only cause hair loss, but weight gain , lethergy and cold intolerance (get cold easily). Check with your vet as to how low his numbers are. Even if they are boarderline it might be worthwhile to treat him since he is having weight issues. You don't want him to carry extra weight and then have joint issues down the road
For most dogs the meds don't have the same effect as for humans and weight is not always affected |
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