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Common clinical signs include lethargy, mental dullness, reluctance to exercise, cold intolerance and weight gain without polyphagia. Dermatological signs, especially endocrine alopecia, seborrhoea, scaly skin and superficial pyoderma, are present in 60% to 80% of hypothyroid dogs. Figure 1.
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- Clinical Presentation
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Hypothyroidism typically affects middle-aged dogs, although it has been reported in younger and older dogs. Any breed can be affected. Clinical signs (BOX 1) may be nonspecific, which can result in overdiagnosis of this disorder; lethargy and weight gain are common.2,3 Clinical signs may have an insidious onset and may not be noticed by the owner. ...
Dogs should be tested for hypothyroidism only when the disease is strongly suspected based on the patient’s history and physical examination findings (BOX 1). Complete blood count and serum biochemistry panel results may heighten clinical suspicion for hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism can be misdiagnosed when testing is performed only because a dog i...
Initiating Therapy
Studies have shown that most dogs can be regulated with once-daily levothyroxine,26,27usually initiated at 0.02 mg/kg PO q24h. Some clinicians begin with twice-daily administration of levothyroxine (0.02 mg/kg PO q12h) and attempt to reduce the dosing to once daily, once clinical signs are well controlled. Lethargy often improves after a few weeks. Most clinical signs improve within 4 to 6 weeks, although dermatologic changes take months to resolve.
Monitoring and Adjusting Therapy
After 4 weeks of therapy, blood is collected 4 to 6 hours post-pill for T4 measurement. (T4 can be measured as early as 2 weeks after starting or adjusting therapy,26but waiting until 4 weeks allows for assessment of improvement in clinical signs at the same visit.) The post-pill T4 concentration should be at the upper end of the reference range or slightly above (<6 mcg/dL). Laboratory reference ranges for “initial” T4 concentrations and “post-pill” concentrations may be different, so carefu...
Treatment Failure and Adverse Effects
Treatment failure is uncommon. Possible reasons for failure to achieve the targeted T4 concentration include owner noncompliance in administering medication or patient refusal to swallow the pills. Variable gastrointestinal absorption of levothyroxine is also considered to be a possible cause.28If a target post-pill T4 concentration has been achieved and clinical signs are not controlled, the dosing frequency should be increased to twice daily. Additionally, the diagnosis of hypothyroidism sh...
Thyroid testing should be carried out only when patients are suspected of having thyroid disease. Measurement of T4 concentration is helpful to rule out hypothyroidism but should not be solely relied on to confirm the diagnosis. Combined testing that includes the serum T4 concentration along with fT4 and/or TSH levels is needed for definitive diagn...
Hypothyroidism is the condition that results from thyroid hormone deficiency. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs such as lethargy, weight gain, obesity, and coat changes, as well as low serum thyroid hormone concentrations. The treatment is lifelong, daily oral thyroid hormone replacement.
Symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, low energy, and alopecia (fur loss). Hypothyroidism is treated using daily medication to replace the missing thyroid hormones. With treatment, the outlook for a dog with hypothyroidism is excellent. Contact your vet if your dog is showing signs of hypothyroidism.
What is the signalment and most common clinical signs? Typically middle-aged to older dogs are affected. The onset of clinical signs is gradual and includes lethargy, weight gain, cold intolerance, dermatological concerns (e.g. alopecia), and neuromuscular disease (e.g. vestibular signs, facial nerve paralysis).
Jan 7, 2020 · Thyroid disorders are common in humans but they also affect the animal world! Dr Anna. Reavell, BTF Trustee and veterinary surgeon, gives a fascinating insight into the signs and symptoms of thyroid disorders in our pets and how they can be treated.
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Neurological signs are commonly seen in association with hypothyroidism, through a variety of mechanisms; these include mucopolysaccharide accumulation around nerves, hyperlipidaemia and central atherosclerosis (He et al., 2011).
