Laurelin Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 Anyone have any experience with it? My old sheltie was just diagnosed with it, which was a major relief because we thought his tumor had come back. I'm taking him tomorrow for another blood test (I'm not sure why they need to run another one exactly) and I can ask the vet then a few questions. I had a couple though. I hear if a dog has allergies, then hypothyroidism can really aggravate them. Trey's allergic to fleas and seems to be having a really rough time trying to get over this last batch of fleas he's had. He got a Capstar but even though I had given him Frontline, his fleas aren't going away. The vet says that a lot of people are having problems with frontline this year. Also, I keep reading about it affecting the dog mentally. Well, Trey is a really weird dog. Is it possible all his mental issues are from having hypothyroidism and we didn't know it? What I read is it causes dogs to be 'mentally dull' and Trey's definitely mentally dull, lol! We honestly thought there was something developmentally wrong with him. I'll feel kind of bad if it was this the whole time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 I don't know about dogs. Fergie doesn't have it. But I'm hypothyroid. Evidently was for ages before a fluke of a blood test hinted at it. It causes severely dry skin. So the fleas would be a real problem. It caused depression, among other things. So it could affect the dog mentally. The thyroid is the basic control mechanism for the whole body. So, if it isn't working properly, nothing works properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted February 5, 2009 Report Share Posted February 5, 2009 Hello all, I've written about this before, but here it is again. Hypothyroidism can cause all sorts or problems such as allergies, phobias and seizures. If you think your dog has it, I highly reommend Dr Jean Dodds, a CA vet. Here's her website to learn more. Once on the homepage, click where it says "click here" for more info. Your vet can send her a blood sample from your dog and she will test it looking for specifics relating to the disorder. Then, she'll give you an emailed analysis and her recommendations. You want to ask for a 5-panel thyroid test, and she will take your call after she gives her recommendation. You can call her office if you have any questions. I have a student with a seizure dog who has returned to normal as a result of Dr Dodd's recommendations, which included the drug, Soloxine. Hope this helps and good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claire24 Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 My 11 year old GSD mix was diagnosed with hypothyroidism a few years ago. He's taking medication every day (can't remember the name of it right now) but it has helped him significantly. His symptoms were horrible skin and chronic ear infections (had these problems his whole life) plus his hip dysplasia and arthritis got worse, he gained a lot of weight despite being on a diet, and he just seemed "old". I noticed a difference within a week of the medication, he was a whole new dog! He's starting to slow down again, but he's also getting pretty old so that's expected. About it affecting the dog mentally, I'm not really sure. He definitely is a grumpy old man, but I can't tell if that's because of his condition or because he's just an old fart. I know how the flea allergies go. My BC Aveda has flea allergies and I've been battling them since I got her a month ago. Frontline did not work for me at all! My dachshund got infested and no matter how often I treated with Frontline, it never did a thing. Huge waste of money. I've been using Advantage Multi, applied half a month ago, and just found a flea on Aveda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrayburn Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Nellie has tested borderline low normal for several years and I finally asked the vet if we could go ahead and try treating her. The treatment has made an incredible difference in her behavior and demeanor. Nell is a weird dog and has been from day one - she is a resource guarder, has a large personal space, and noise phobias. I have seen improvements in all aspects of her behavior. She's never going to be a model citizen and she's not going to be non-aggressive but she certainly seems less reactive and more relaxed. This isn't scientific at all but everyone who knows her says she seems like a "happier dog" all-around than she was before. Meanwhile, she's lost the bit of weight that she needed to and her coat looks better but those are secondary as far as I'm concerned. Nell's situation was considered borderline, I can't imagine what a change people with severely hypothyroid dogs see in their pets. This isn't a cure-all and isn't the problem for every dog but I have been really happy with Nell's reaction to her treatment. I wish I had started it sooner. We even call them her "happy pills". Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amelia Posted February 15, 2009 Report Share Posted February 15, 2009 lrayburn and clare 24, I'm just curious. What is the name of the drug that you are giving your dogs that has helped them and what is the dose? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrayburn Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 lrayburn and clare 24, I'm just curious. What is the name of the drug that you are giving your dogs that has helped them and what is the dose?Thanks I just checked the vial and Nell is on 0.4 mg of Soloxine daily. She weighs about 33 pounds. Does anyone know if Soloxine is the same drug as Thyroxine? I thought the vet called it Thyroxine but maybe one is a generic equivalent? Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnLloydJones Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Does anyone know if Soloxine is the same drug as Thyroxine? Soloxine is a branded version of Levothyroxine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurae Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 I just checked the vial and Nell is on 0.4 mg of Soloxine daily. She weighs about 33 pounds. Does anyone know if Soloxine is the same drug as Thyroxine? I thought the vet called it Thyroxine but maybe one is a generic equivalent? Lisa It is a generic equivalent. Sophie was on Soloxine for the first 2 years after she was diagnosed; then I switched vets and she was put on Thyroxine. After a year on Thyroxine, at her retest, her thyroid levels were slightly high, so her dosage has actually been reduced now. I don't know if that had anything to do with the switch to Thyroxine. At any rate, everything is stable once again and the Thyroxine is doing its job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lrayburn Posted February 16, 2009 Report Share Posted February 16, 2009 Laurae and John - thanks for clearing that up. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.