Canine Hypothyroidism And Underactive Thyroid Disorders in Dogs
Veterinarians often prescribe meds such as thyroxine, levothyroxine, and soloxine
with the main ingredient levothyroxine sodium to treat hypothyroidism thyroid disorder in dogs. Levothyroxine and
thyroxine are synthetic thyroid hormones designed to supplement for the body's naturally occurring
thyroid hormones when they are not being properly produced.
Hypothyroidism in dogs is a condition described by inadequate production of the thyroid hormone -
often due to the dog’s own immune system attacking the thyroid gland tissue. Virtually every cell in
the dog's body can be affected so it is not surprising
reduced levels of the thyroid hormone can lead to symptoms in multiple organs and systems throughout the body.
For the most part, dogs do not develop hypothyroidism disorder until they reach adulthood, somewhere
between three to ten years of age and male and female
dogs appear to be equally vulnerable. Possible signs of hypothyroidism include but are not limited to ...
changes in hair coat, thinning hair around the lumbar area, skin abnormalities, infertility, obesity and lethargy.
Regarding canine hypothyroidism diagnosis, your pet's veterinarian may conduct a blood test to view hormone
levels should they suspect hypothyroidism, however, testing is not cut and dry and it will often be up to the skill of your
veterinarian to properly diagnose the disorder. Sometimes, a veterinarian may administer a
levothyroxine sodium medication like soloxine or thyroxine for several months to see if
conditions improve and then diagnose and adjust treatment accordingly. Once diagnosed it usually takes trial
and error to determine which amount of medications will work best for your specific dog.
Once beginning the proper dose of medication your dog will usually look,
act and feel much better than they did before they began their treatment. The bad news is that once a
dog is placed on a levothyroxine medication, it will usually need to be given for
the rest of the their life. The good news is that when the disease is
diagnosed early and treated properly, one can expect their pet to live a long,
happy life in spite of their hypothyroid disorder. Always nice to know improvement is possible.
Hypothyroidism is one of the most common hormone imbalance issues in dogs today,
so common that more than 70% of the 140 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club
are considered to be genetically predisposed to hypothyroidism. However, some breeds
seem to have a particularly higher rate of hypothyroidism including but not limited to, the golden retriever,
doberman pinscher, dachshund, greyhound, boxer, sheltie and
cocker spaniels. Hypothyroidism is more common in dogs than cats, but hypothyroidism
can occur in felines too, and levothyroxine meds are sometimes prescribed for cats.
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