Anyone have A dog With Thyroid Problems

[lizbud]

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.
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.

[LeahMM]

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.

[anna_66]

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).

[Glacier]

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.

[finn's mom]

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!

[lizbud]

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.