Hypothyroidism In Giant Breeds
If you’ve been here for awhile, you know that we worried about Mauja having an issue with her thyroid recently. While she was showing many of the classic symptoms, her blood work came back normal. I’m looking at that as a positive and hoping that there isn’t something worse going on. When we were worried about the possibility of hypothyroidism, I did a lot of research and I want to share some key points with you.
Hypothyroidism is the lowered production and release of T3 and T4 hormones by the thyroid gland. Both of these hormones are required for normal metabolism in the body. While any dog has the potential to develop hypothyroidism, it is most commonly seen in medium to large sized dogs. Of the giant breeds, Great Danes are most likely to be afflicted with hypothyroidism.
Most cases of hypothyroidism in dogs are of unknown origin, but dogs can develop the condition due to a congenital disease, iodine deficiency, cancer, or as an after-effect of a medical treatment, such as surgery.
Symptoms
Symptoms vary for each dog, but here are a few common signs:
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Lack of activity
- Weight gain (unexplained)
- Alopecia (hair loss)
- Dry coat
- Recurring skin infections
- Cold intolerance
- Excessive shedding
- Mental dullness
Diagnosing
A few steps will be taken in order to diagnose your dog with hypothyroidism. First, your vet will perform a physical exam on your dog. During the exam, it will be important to inform your vet of your dog’s health history so he/she can consider background symptoms.
Several tests will then be conducted to determine if hypothyroidism is, in fact, the reason behind your dog’s symptoms. These tests can include a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, and urine exam. An informed diagnosis can be made from these tests, but it’s important to also complete endocrine testing. Endocrine testing will examine the T3 and T4 levels to determine if they are low, suggesting hypothyroidism.
Treatment
Hypothyroidism is usually a life-long condition, but thankfully it has highly successful treatment methods. Carefully administered medication (synthetic hormones) and appropriate dietary measures are typically sufficient in managing hypothyroidism.
Once beginning treatment, the symptoms, including inactivity and mental dullness, should resolve after a few months. However, it’s still important to regularly meet with your veterinarian to ensure your dog is receiving the appropriate medication dosage.
While I’m thankful Mauja does not have hypothyroidism, it is a very common condition that I’m sure I will encounter in the future. Have you ever had a dog with hypothyroidism? Do you have any tips for those struggling?
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Thank you for this information! On Wednesday our vet mentioned checking our Pyr’s thyroid on the next visit if she doesn’t lose weight by then. We adopted her in November 2019 when she was 3 years old. At that time she had been in foster care for two months and was 100 pounds. When I took her to the vet in March she was 120. We immediately changed her food from a very rich large breed kibble to Merrick’s healthy weight kibble, 3.5 cups twice a day. At this week’s vet visit she weighed 126 and now the vet want us to drop that to 2.5 cups twice a day and recheck in a month or two. Since Wednesday I have been reading everything I can get my hands on. I think I’m not going to wait and take her back next week for the thyroid test. No point allowing her to possibly gain more weight and if it is in fact a thyroid issue the sooner we get treatment the better.
So again, thank you! Cheers to red wine and pyrs!!
P.S. Biscuit is our first pyr, such an incredible breed.
Hi, I have a six year old GP and she was just diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The vet started her on a medication which she takes twice a day. As GPs have a low metabolism, just wondering if you know of any special considerations that should be taken with her meds or treatment? It’s hot here now but she is really panting a lot with the heat, preferring to stay indoors and I’m wondering if the drug dose might be causing this. I will ask the bet as well, but as with most vets, he likely does not have GP-specific knowledge. Thanks, Martin
Thank you for your posting. My girl developed hypothyroid about 6yrs old, along with a 20lb weight gain, patchy hair loss, and skin infections over her body, and in her ears. Once diagnosed, she was easily stabilized on medication. But skin problems have continued. One thing possibly helpful to others would be focusing on what is known- all of this started at the same time! duh?! So finding an allergy food probably isn’t going to be the first thing you think of to fix all the skin problems. Again, I say, duh?! In the beginning I was not reading that itching and rashes, ear redness and infection were going to be from the hypothyroid, but rather about allergies. We are going thru another period of widespread skin sores and itching, and I now am sure we just need to give her another round of treatments with antibacterial/antifungal shampoo and spray. It’s time to get back to the vet too for more help dealing with what has happened to her thyroid, and the bigger picture, hoping there may be more we can do to keep her in better shape long term- getting back to baths sooner, and not spending so much time looking for a novel protein diet, or a new allergy food mix. I was about to lose my mind looking for the wrong solution. I don’t know what the vet can do, but some testing, and better symptomatic treatment and relief. Her fur has deteriorated over a year or more. There has to be something that will help. Thank you again. I’m so glad I saw your post.