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Hypothyroidism In Giant Breed Dogs

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When it comes to giant breed health and nutrition, there's a lot that goes into raising a happy, healthy dog. We're going from A to Z talking about giant breed specific needs! Today, it's all about hypothyroidism in giant breed dogs.

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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When it comes to giant breed health and nutrition, there's a lot that goes into raising a happy, healthy dog. We're going from A to Z talking about giant breed specific needs! Today, it's all about hypothyroidism in giant breed dogs.

Pet House Candles for Dog Health

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I have a slight candle obsession problem.

I was going to take a picture of all of my candles, but that proved to be too daunting of a task. I have at least twenty candles sitting around my house in different locations.

Bath and Body Works 2 for $22 candles get me every time. Every. Time.

When I heard about the soy Pet House Candles from One Fur All, I wasn’t sure I wanted to give these a try. I had this idea in my head that soy candles wouldn’t burn well and wouldn’t have the delightful smell I’m used to. I had recently read about potential health hazards of traditional paraffin candles, so I figured this would be a step in the right direction. While I knew about potential hazards to my health, I didn’t even think about my dogs. (Wow, Kelsie.)

Pet House Candles

Soy candles, which are made from soy beans, are a natural way to scent your home. Traditional paraffin candles are made from petroleum oil which increase the CO2 levels in your home. Not surprisingly, soybeans burn much cleaner than petroleum oil.

Paraffin candles release a petro-carbon soot that stains your walls, furniture and is circulated through your air ducts. This soot, according to the American Lung Association, contains 11 documented toxins, two of which are known carcinogens — toluene and benzene. – Dawn Thull, Green Promise

Did you know that regular candles can not only be damaging to your health, but your dog's as well? Pet House Candles have a great, pet-friendly alternative to traditional paraffin candles.

Soy candles not only burn cleaner, but longer as well. While a soy candle might be a little bit more expensive, you can expect it to burn around twice as long! These candles also release their scent much more gradually than paraffin. This allows a nice, even fragrance throughout your home.

Pet House Candles are specially formulated for homes with pets. These soy candles contain an odor neutralizer and are scented with essential oils. Remember I said I thought they wouldn’t smell as nice? I was wrong. This candle smells ah-mazing. Currently, the company has three scents: Fresh Citrus, Lavender Green Tea, and Pumpkin Spice. I tried the Lavender Green Tea scent and it is so relaxing – it makes me want to take a nice, soothing bath.

Mauja agrees - soooo relaxing
Mauja agrees – soooo relaxing!

One Fur All also supports rescue and adoption through various fundraising opportunities. That’s something I can definitely get behind.

Tell me your thoughts! Have you tried soy candles? Are you going to give Pet House Candles a try?

Disclaimer: We received the product mentioned above in exchange for an honest review. It’s Dog or Nothing only promotes products we believe in and feel our readers would enjoy.