Thyroid? Fun fun!

jatango · 09-11-2008, 10:36 PM

So lately I have been wondering what is going on with W. Funny hairloss, exercise intolerance, lack of focus, "tragic" expression...DUH, wonder what that could be?

I guess I'm going to have to cough up the dough and get labs sent to U. Michigan. He's got hairloss around his spine, on the backs of his rear legs, around his neck and on his belly. Oh yeah, and he keeps condition on 1.5 cups and one chicken quarter a day...I know I can't be THAT lucky.

Anyone else have a thyroid kid that had the tragic expression? Have pictures? Even when he's playing frisbee he looks horribly concerned.

Did your dobe's temperament and exercise tolerance change a lot? I'm almost terrified he's going to become barky or bad. Note to self: Get that WalkyDog!

Andrea · 09-12-2008, 12:05 AM

I am sorry!

I have no thyroid kid but I have few friends in Germany with thyroid dogs.
Yes, thyroid dogs change his mind. Sometimes aggressive, sometimes nervous and timid....

But you can get very good drugs to stop this and all the other things.

dobes4me · 09-12-2008, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jatango

He's got hairloss around his spine, on the backs of his rear legs, around his neck and on his belly. Oh yeah, and he keeps condition on 1.5 cups and one chicken quarter a day...I know I can't be THAT lucky.

Definitely get his thyroid checked. The hair loss you describe is exactly like Indy's. Also, I've had a tough time keeping Indy's weight in check. He takes 1 pill in the morning and 1/2 pill at night.

Make sure when you have him tested that you find out what his numbers are, especially if they tell you he's in the normal range. As I've stated in other threads, many times dobes can benefit from thyroid supplements when they are in the low normal range. That's where Indy was and he has definitely benefited from his medication.

**DreamDoby** · 09-12-2008, 03:18 PM

Both of mine are thyroid kids. Asher's attitude was fine pre-thyroid meds. His weight was terrible and of course hair loss. I put a lot of the hair loss into his blue coat, but a lot of it came back post-meds. That was lucky for him. He gets 1 1/2 tabs in AM and PM of his Soloxine now and has been steady on it for about a year now. Before that we bounced around.

Harmony was a nightmare. Her attitude was a literal witch. She would attack anything in sight and jump at the wall. If Asher got into her space, she would jump at him. Her weight was consisent and the hair loss was minimal, mainly around her neck where she wore her collar. She has always been consistent with one tablet in the AM and PM.

Both were hard to work with and a bit flighty. The leaves distracted them. It took only a few weeks and they were back to their old selves. I was happy as ever. I still test every 6 months to make sure that the dosages are in check. Earlier if I notice a change in their demeanor or body condition.