Blu’s Thyroid
Here is what the vet said about Blu’s thyroid. He is doing wonderful on the medicine and is ready to go to his forever home.
Hypothyroidism is the natural deficiency of thyroid hormone. It is the most common hormone imbalance in dogs. Active thyroid hormone serves as a sort of “volume dial” for metabolism and affects multiple body systems.
The classic symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- skin abnormalities/infections
- hair loss; loss of under coat; dry, brittle hair coat
- obesity
- lethargy
- very rarely neurological problems
Hypothyroidism is diagnosed by blood tests. Treatment is relatively straight forward with twice daily oral thyroid supplementation. Treatment is for the life of the dog and the medication is very safe and not very expensive. Often improvement in attitude and energy level is seen within the first couple weeks. Skin and hair coat improvements take longer (2 – 4 months), but are often quite dramatic.
Blood tests are run to check the thyroid level 4 – 6 weeks after the supplementation is begun to make sure the dose is correct. After the correct dose is found, rechecking the level every 6 – 12 months is recommended.