Dear Dogs Today,
My six-and-a-half-year-old Yorkie has an underactive thyroid which he takes Forthyron 0.4mg for twice a day.
He also has dry eye, skin problems which affect his paws badly and weight problems, some days he seems depressed and doesn't want to play or do anything. He also gets out of breath very quickly.
Do you know what sort of lifespan he will have? Also how will we know when his quality of life is bad as i would hate to think of him suffering.
Linda Ashcroft, by email
My working GSD has an under active thyroid and is leading a normal active life on 0.8 mg of thyroxyl a day. he was depressed before the medication started to work and he didn't want to do the exercises required but all is good now but is on the tablets for life and blood tests to make sure his levels are right
ReplyDeleteMy BSD has had an underactive thyroid since the age of 3 and is now 12. He's been on Soloxene and a supplement I bought online from the States called Thyodine which supports the thyroid and he has had various other supplements and diet changes over the years. My dog has had phases when he seemed depressed and was putting on weight and each time we had to change the dose of his Soloxene (usually increasing it) and occasionally when he's become too hyper and we've had to decrease. I have his blood levels checked annually by Dr Jean Dodds, a vet in the States as she is the world's leading authority on canine thyroid problems and the blood test she offers is different to those which are available in this country - hers is more comprehensive and she takes breed specific factors into consideration. Jean has written a book called "The Canine Thyroid Epidemic - Answers You Need for Your Dog" which you can buy from Amazon and if you live anywhere near Ascot in Berkshire, Katie Rourke Dowding runs monthly blood clinics where the blood is sent to Jean Dodds for analysis. See details here: http://www.centrestagedoggrooming.co.uk/BloodClinic.html I think you can also arrange for your vet to take the blood and send it to Katie if you're too far. It does sound as if your Yorkie isn't getting enough support for his thyroid so I would definitely get another blood test done if he were mine. Very best of luck.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a recent study* that shows a link between raw diet and hyperthyroidism (over-active thyroid) in dogs.This is the opposite to what your dog has but if diet affects the thyroid perhaps you could look at changing his diet to help his condition? Just an idea :-)
ReplyDelete* 'Dietary hyperthyroidism in dogs' by Kohler, Stengel and Neiger. Publsihed in March 2012 Journal of Small Animal Practice.
Linda,
ReplyDeleteMandy thank you so much for your reply i will definitely try and get a copy of the book recommended.I have made an appointment to take my yorkie back to the vet tomorrow so hopefully we can get him sorted out.You have given me hope of having him around for a long time yet as he is dearly loved.