thyroid issues - Page 1

My 7 yo female was tested at 4 1/2 yo.  spayed recently before the test.  Her T3 and FT3 were low.  apparently this is not treated.  I rechecked her 6 months ago because she had gained weight in her neck and lost muscle mass in her rear and was not up for exercise, but she was doing every other day runs with me of 31/2 miles.  again, low t3 and FT3 and ok(low ok)  T4.  recommended no treatment per hemopet.  I jsut retested her as it was a follow up and now she had lost weight.... 10 pounds.  not intentionally.  her T3 is low her FT3 is low as is her T4.  no antibodies to show autoimmune thyroiditis.  Her meals are raw, but she gets Acana kibble with yogurt at night.  She is constipated and her stool has changed to a lighter color as well.  She ahd soem low values in her bloodwork CBC/chem panel, but when I questioned them the vet said to not even look at them - platelet count was low, alk phosphatase low, tbilirubin low, sodium low and anion gap low. 

She will start soloxine(I am guessing)  and I hope it straightens things out...

Is there any thing I need to be looking for or just accept this as hypothyroid???

Thanks,

Darcy

Your vet is not doing a good job.  Low thyroid levels that are "within the normal range" do not mean everything is fine.  I had a 7 year old spayed female who had recurring skin problems that cleared up after I gave her raw de-hydrated animal thyroid (aka Armour).  The vet said her thyroid levels were within range but the results from home treatment said otherwise.  If I stopped treatment her the symptoms returned in a couple of weeks.  The vets want to test and treat and test some more and then monitor thyroid levels when all that is needed is a natural product that was used in people before the Pharma companies started marketing Synthroid.  It's always about the money with some vets.  There are many endocrine problems in our dogs which go back to over vaccination and immune system disorders brought on by pollutants in the environment.

Yes, I know they should have been helping me sooner, which is why I did a quick follow up.  I was not aware of Armour and will ask about that tomorrow.  Kind of like adding enzymes for me senior male that does not fall within the range of EPI, but present with symptoms if his food is not treated.

Thank you,

Darcy

This is what I have used with success .. the vet will blow you off for a $1000 solution to a $50 problem. 

I wish I would have kept the articles I researched when I had a dog I thought was thyroid deficiant. It also runs in my family. Many physicians now feel that just testing T3/T4 is not accurate enough to determine if a patient actually has a thyroid dis-ease. Too many physicians rely on just lab results and DON't listen or are too lazy to work with their patients for better health. I know we are talking about dogs but the same applies. Very few vets over the years take any more time on a dog than the 15 min you might get with them in the room.

I live in the states and the thyroid mentioned above was very hard to find. Big Pharm Daddy has squashed much of the product being sold online (not all products are the same) and I ended up finding a lab in Canada that would sell it to me. This was about 3 years ago so things may have improved??? You could try giving it and see if she improves. I would test before and after so you have a baseline from which to compare. I do however feel that the thyroid is one of those organs that if it's working fine leave it alone. If you do decide to supplement the thyroid, read up on also supplementing the adrenal glands as the two work hand in hand.

Barb

If you want to improve the endocrine system function in your dogs reduce the number of vaccinations during their life time.  My puppies get a dual parvo/distemper at 9 and 13 weeks and never get another parvo or distemper vaccination for the rest of their life.  I give rabies as required by law but wait until later 6-8 months for the first if possible.  Current rabies vaccine research is showing the initial two rabies vaccine shots last at least 5 years and your dog probably will need 4 or fewer rabies vaccinations in a lifetime if vets and public health workers choose to believe science instead of vaccine company propaganda. 

Before the synthetic thyroid medications humans took animal thyroid gland based medication.  I have found no research or rationale that the synthetic was ever proved superior to the animal based medication.  The predominate reason that animal gland based meds were dropped by doctors and vets was that Synthroid is a prescription drug and animal based meds were impossible for drug companies, vets and doctors to control and make as much money on.  At the time the primary reason for using Synthroid was that it was "cleaner" because it was synthetic.  Remember when everyone had their tonsils removed because they "might" get infected and you didn't need them anyway??  Never ever trust a doctor or veterinarian and what they tell you just because they are a doctor or veterinarian.  I am a long way from being a tree hugger but I have come to realize that industrialized medicine and industrialized war do not serve the public good and could care less if people or animals die as a result of their making profits.

well, I already do the minimal vaccination on my dogs.  my 14 yo male has not gotten a distemper in 8 years as he has titered good every year.  my puppy got two shots and will get rabies to keep us legal.  the vaccinations this girl got, before I got her, was obviously out of my control.  I just got back from the vets and it is soloxine they were going to put her on.  this is my holistic vet mind you.  She has all the natural support supplements like standard process and thorne and whatever else, but has not mentioned them. she does not have the Armour or raw thyroid. I did not get a chance to speak to her today, but spoke to the tech as I want them to also think about the fact that she came to me with an elbow calcinosis and to see if this is all related and told her I wanted a natural treatment.  What i don't understand is if she has it and does the alternative modalities as well, why not offer it????  She is the closest holistic vet and is 45 minutes away.

thanks for the replies and input....

Darcy

The vet may not think that the thyroid is what is wrong. I could have sworn that this dog I did all the research on had it but it turned out to be a small intestine disease. Maybe your vets truly feels the thyroid is functioning correctly. I work in the medical field and I will tell you that the thyroid is one of the last organs docs want to mess with. It does way more than just regulate metabolism. It occurred to me today to tell you to not feed any foods or soy (which is really bad) that will suppress the thyroid. How would your gal do just on raw? Maybe that would be better for her

You may want to log on to Jean Dodds' Hemopet website where she talks extensively about thyroid issues in dogs. Jean is now the GSDCA's health consultant, so she's very familar with the breed.  Hypothyriodism can be very difficult to diagnose and treat.  You can contact Jean via email, she is very good about responding.

Good luck with your dog. If anyone can help you find the right treatment, it's Jean Dodds. She is the authority.

http://hemopet.org/