Thyroid Disorders by Dave Hahne Common symptoms of a thyroid disorder are: seeking warm places to curl up lessened activity slow coat growth, brittle fur ring around the neck where fur won't grow, or loss of hair in trunk loss of appetite/excessive appetite dry, thickened skin prone to skin infections infertility More subtle signs: overweight despite controlled diets * thin coats (not hair loss) smelling bad chronic ear infections seizures. sudden changes in temperament Thyroid disorders usually develop in dogs that are middle-aged or older, although problems also occur in younger dogs. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, hypothyroidism is common in all breeds and all sexes, although the incidence is highest in spayed females. Treatment involves the administration of thyroid pills daily throughout the dogs life. In the March '92 issue of Dog World is an excellent article, "Autoimmune Thyroid Disease" by Dr. Jean Dodds DVM (a nationally recognized expert on the subject) that explains a lot about thyroid conditions in dogs. She also goes to great effort to explain that dogs can be hypothyroid WITHOUT showing the "classic" signs. She also explains a typical course of treatment and follow-ups. There's also a long list of breeds that are "predisposed" to thyroid problems. The article by Dr. Dodds points out that the "subtle" signs listed above are just now being recognized by the veterinary community. If your dog starts to show any of the signs listed above just have your vet do a thyroid test. The test only requires a blood sample and costs between $30 and $40. Speaking from personal experience, the money is well worth it. Altair's energy levels are up, he has stopped putting on weight, and I know that he just feels better. And isn't that what we want for our four legged friends. Editors note: Much of the information in this article is from a file on canine medical problems that was compiled by and is Copyright (c) 1992, 1993 by Cindy Tittle Moore.

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