Anyone have A dog With Thyroid Problems

I took Maggie in to see the Vet this morning for a rash on the inside
of her rear leg.Got some antibiotic pills & a shot for the itching. While I
was there I asked the Dr.about Maggie's weight. (She's been on lowCal
type dog food for 3 months and still hasn't lost any weight. :confused:
The Dr suggested a thyroid check (blood test) Ran the test there at the
clinic & said Maggie registered on the low end of normal. She put her on
a thyroid RX for a month to see if this helps Maggie.I sure hope so.

Anyone know any symptoms of thyroid problems? I never had any
experience with this before.

Years ago I had a German Shepherd that was on the opposite end of the spectrum. I couldn't put weight on her. People thought I was starving her to death and that was very difficult to deal with. She was on meds that kept her from losing any more weight but she never gained any. From what I learned thyroid conditions are for life.

Liz we had that same problem with Angus and our vet put him on meds. In no time at all he was feeling better, lost weight and seemed much happier.
Hugs and kisses to your sweet girl (and of course that handsome boy of yours:D).

Two of my dogs are hypothyroid. It's fairly common in all dogs, extraordinarily common in sled dogs. Preacher has been on thyroid meds for years. Earle just started meds a few months ago. They each take .9mg twice a day.

The potential list of symptoms for hypothyroidism fills several pages in the Merck Vet manual. Preacher had all the classics--low energy, poor coat, gaining weight, unable to cope with the cold, grumpy. Earle's were a little more complicated, but the weight gain was what led to the testing.

If it really is the thyroid that is causing Maggie's troubles, you will seen an improvement very quickly. Within three days, Earle was acting more like himself. Be careful when she starts feeling better. One of the common complications of thyroid medications is a blown cruciate ligament. The dog starts feeling better, starts to run and play more, but is still too heavy and their knees can't take it!

Thyroid conditions do not go away. The meds will not fix the problem, they just deal with the symptoms. However, it will not affect Maggie's lifespan.

When I took Finn to the vet recently, my vet agreed that he could spare 8 or 10 pounds. ;) She said that if I didn't notice any weight loss after decreasing his meals and exercising him more...and, I noticed he seemed to be having allergies...that I should bring him for thyroid testing. And, as has already been said, the thyroid problem doesn't go away, but, it's controllable with medications. If Finn doesn't lose weight after a couple months (which he's already lost 2 or 3 pounds!), I'll take him in for testing. But, allergies (like your dog's rash) are one of the signs that something might be wrong. I hope your girl reacts well to the meds!

Wow, I had no idea that this could be so common in dogs.Maggie has
always been an active pup, but just started to slow down in the last few
weeks. I put that down to the heat & humidity we have during summer.
She would rather stay inside in the A/C.

I have been concerned about the weight problem because she seems too
heavy for her frame & also the stress her joints take with the extra pounds.

She truely loves to eat, but I've just got to be strict in cutting down the
amount of food per day. The Dr put her on .7mg of Thryozine once a day.

Thanks for all the advice & insights with Maggie's problem. Liz. :)

I've never experienced any of this, but I have to admit I was a bit alarmed by Maggie's size, too. Hopefully you can get it under control!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kfamr

I've never experienced any of this, but I have to admit I was a bit alarmed by Maggie's size, too. Hopefully you can get it under control!

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Yeah, she could easily lose 15-20 lbs. I can imagine if she was on the
other end of the spectrum it would be just as frustrating.I mean, you do
all the right things but they continue to gain/lose weight. :( I never guessed
this might be the problem because Maggie's always been pretty active. She
can run faster, or as fast, as Smokey. I really hope this helps her. She is such
a sweetheart. :)

Well, Maggie's 30 day supply of pills are almost gone (3 left) and she still
doesn't look like she's lost any weight at all. It's had for me to tell anyway.
Sometimes I think I see some difference, but other times not.I'll bring her
in for weighing Monday. She's still the funny & sweet little girl that I love
but she really has to lose weight. :( I sure hope the Vet has more ideas to
try. I'm feeling really bummed about this. :(

Sorry to hear that Maggie didn't lose much weight on the meds. Good luck at the vet on Monday and let us know what happens. Hugs!

I really think she could benefit from feeding her raw.

Our dobe rescue "Rusty the amazing felon " is hypothyridic so it is the opposite problem, we have trouble keeping his weight up. He is on meds 1x a day and we add some extra fat to his food. His vet wanted to see 4 pounds this month and he is doing really well. We do feed him Raw as when we adopted him we were aware of his issue and felt more natural maybe be easier to help him balance his body. So far it is amazing for him. That isn't to say it will work each time but his vet is open to the raw diet and glad to help us tweak it for his needs, he is also vWB + at the 7% range. And he thinks he is a toy poodle :rolleyes:

I also recommend switching to a raw diet. It can help with thyroid function and raw is great at helping an overweight dog lose weight, or an underweight dog gain weight.

Well, I was wrong, Maggie did lose 2lb 5 oz and the Doc is pleased
with that. She refilled the meds and said to continue with the same dosage
for another month. I really wouldn't mind if she stayed on it because it has
helped her & isn't expensive at all. Yea for my little Macarooni. :D

P.S. If I did switch to a raw diet, I'd have to guard the food to keep the
cats away. :D

Cats benefit twice as much from raw as dogs do

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Originally Posted by IRescue452

Cats benefit twice as much from raw as dogs do

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I'm sure they do, and dogs as well, but I cannot do it. My hang up I'm sure,
but I don't want to feed raw food. Thanks anyway. :)