Thyroid questions

[Murphysdad]

My 3 yo male boxer is very lethargic and has always been very timid. His last vet visit revealed that his thyroid level was at the cutoff for being considered low. However his vet did not seem to think he has a thyroid disorder since his thyroid stimulating hormone levels were normal. He says that he would expect that level to be high with a thyroid disorder. The levels have been like this for about 8 months now as I took him in for lethargy and timidness then and just recently again as I could not wait the year that was recommended. I'd value any thoughts you might have. I certainly want what's best for my buddy!

 

[gdhen]

Thyroid

Our 5 year old had low thryoid levels, they were really bad. He is now on medication most likely for the rest of his life. We can definitely tell a difference now that he's on his medicine. All he did before was sleep and never wanted to play. We also noticed he was shedding really bad! Now he is more active. I would ask about putting him on some medicine to see if makes a difference. They had to regulate Max's for a few months to make sure he wasn't getting too much. Now, he's pretty steady.

 

[DyckDogs]

Lexi has been on thyroid medication for about a year now (hypothyroid). She was also very lethargic, gained quite a bit of weight and was shedding hair.
Within a few weeks of being on the meds, she was back to normal.
The meds are inexpensive. I suggest you discuss with your vet to see if they can put him on meds to see if he improves.

 

[djheitz]

I agree - a low normal may still be too low for that particular dog. Try the meds for a month or two and if you don't see any improvement, you can at least rule that out.

My youngest was diagnosed right about at his second birthday. He did nothing but sleep and was up to over 90 pounds. He's now a sleek 70-72 pounds, has a lot more energy, but still likes to cuddle on the sofa once I'm home from work.

 

[Cami]

These previous posts concerning thyroid issues may be beneficial.
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/142230-thyroid.html
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/dog-health-issues-questions/142739-thyroid-readings.html
http://www.boxerworld.com/forums/do...ons/141059-thyroid-meds-when-do-you-give.html

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

I agree - a low normal may still be too low for that particular dog. Try the meds for a month or two and if you don't see any improvement, you can at least rule that out.

.

I completely agree. My girl's been on thyroid meds for 3 years now and her only indicator was that she was overweight despite not eating a ton. She dropped the 18 pounds that she needed to and is great now.

Also my boy had a few symptoms but the levels came back normal. We put him on the meds anyway and he perked up, his hair on this thighs started growing back the black skin went away, so sometimes they don't always present "characteristically".

 

[Murphysdad]

I am leaning towards trying the meds for a few months and see how it goes. Thanks for the other links. I had found two of them but the third helped affirm that perhaps my pup really does need the meds. He has had loose stools for sometime. I mentioned that to my vet but he didn't seem to think much of it.

 

[Boomer Dog]

I highly encourge you to call Dr Dodds regarding any thyroid issues. Cami, in a previous post, and a specialist referred me to her and she was able to shed a lot of light on the issue. Refer to Cami's link above under "thyroid readings" and you'll see what I dealt with...if you haven't already! If your readings, based on Dr Dodds equation, are low I would go with the meds and retest at a later date. It really helped out the foster boxer I had.

 

[Murphysdad]

Thank-you all. I have contacted Dr Dodds about Murphy's levels. She very quickly responded with a diagnosis of hypothyroidism and outlined a course of treatment for him. We'll be heading back to his vet with her diagnosis in hand and requesting they treat him according to her directions. I would certainly encourage anyone with concerns like mine to contact her. I'll you let you all know how Murph-dog responds to the treatment. Thanks again for the information. You have all been very helpful.