14.6 doesn't correspond with any of the ranges I was given for Ivan, so I have no idea what implication that value has.

In regards to breed having no impact, I believe that is innccurate. Here's a link to a document referring to sighthounds in general and greyhounds specifically.

Thyroid disease in greyhounds is a controversial topic. There is increasing awareness of the differences in thyroid hormone levels between sighthounds as a group (and greyhounds specifically) and the general dog population. This feature of greyhounds has been recognised for more than 10 years but knowledge of it does not appear to have been fully disseminated.

Thyroid Function

And I know Dr. Dodds believes breed and age play a part.

Veterinarians commonly are confused about which tests are necessary to accurately diagnose thyroid dysfunction in the dog and cat, as well as another animal species. During case review, many veterinarians contact us about the reference normal ranges provided by their commercial clinical laboratory. Many colleagues assume that these reference ranges are finite and apply to all breeds and breed types [toy and small breeds have higher basal levels, while large or giant breeds and sighthounds have lower basal levels], as well as all ages and physiological circumstances. For example, veterinarians are generally unaware that the printed reference ranges on laboratory reports typically pertain to adults, and not to very young, adolescent, [higher basal levels] or geriatric animals [lower basal levels].

DODDS-BEHV-THYROID

 

Preliminary data has been presented at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine meeting in Anaheim, Ca in June 2010 where it was concluded that Basal serum T4 and FT4D concentration vary among breeds and use of breed-specific reference intervals is recommended when evaluating thyroid function in purebred dogs.

Determination of Breed-Specific Reference Ranges for Assessing Thyroid Function in Several Breeds | AKC Canine Health Foundation

 

Doberman Pinscher Club of America

Doberman Pinscher Club of America: Hypothyroidism

 

theres a difference in a T4, and a free T4 (no, it's not free $). In order to get thyroid certified by OFFA, the vet must do a FREE T4 and use an approved lab. I looked at my free T4 test results on my kids ,and the range for normal says between 8 - 40 ( none of my results have a decimal point in the result of any the FREE T4s)

 

Thanks for your reply. I believe for the full panel they do T4, free T4, T3, free T3 and then T4 and T3 antibodies. I actually have no idea what the result 14.6 is, I figured that was maybe an overall result. We dont have OFA over here or thyroid certifications for breeding (As far as I'm aware). Think I need to speak to the vets personally!

 

One of my neighbors has a Black Male who was tested for thyroid issues and was told by the Vet his thyroid was OK.

When I met him and his Dobe I asked why he was shivering and his coat didn't look good. He told he has been taking him to the Vet but they couldn't find anything wrong. He had been dumped at a shelter in bad shape. I told him he needed to find out if the Thyroid test showed low normal the test had been run at Michigan State.

He called the Vet and it was low normal but she didn't believe that was a problem. He then went to see her & took the DPCA Thyroid paper with him after seeing the paper she called Dr. Dodds and faxed the test results to her. After reviewing the test results Dr. Dodds called back & said his Dobe needed to be Thyroid Meds Now.

Vets don't always know whether a low normal reading for a particular Breed could require supplementation.

 

Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health

To see what the University of Michigan tests are for Thyroid you'll have to go to catalog and put in Thyroid and Canine.

One of them is the certified thyroid test for the OFA

 

Hi Amelia,

Just an additional bit of information about thyroid tests. It isn't that different labs have different criteria for ranges on the various bits of a full thyroid test it's more like the situation between analog and digital read outs. Different numbers can mean the same thing--as long as you know what the referance ranges are. Antech and IDEXX are two big testing labs in this country and their ranges for thyroid are very similar but if you look at the University of Michigan's thyroid test numbers they are very different--they just scale things differently.

Any of the labs who can do tests for OFA (and there is a list of them on the OFA website) are acceptable for the testing. UOM used to be the gold standard because they were the only lab that did all of the testing including TSH and TgAA. There are now about 8 labs who OFA accepts results for--it includes UOM, Antech, IDEXX, Texas--where ever the vet school is and several others.

Dr Jean Dodds used to use Antech for her testing but for a couple of years now has been doing thyroid tests in house but will look at results from other labs as well.

 

The Thyroid tests shown in the MSU catalog show only what will be tested, test preparation & shipping along with price of the test.

No numerical values are shown you wouldn't get those until the actual test is run and sent to your Vet. It's just a good reference point to show comprehensive Thyroid testing in the US

 

Hi Dictator,

I guess I should have been more specific about how thyroid testing works. And by the way in my earlier post where I said UOM I really didn't mean that at all--my brain went on vacation evidently--I did mean MSU and I know my brain was on vacation when I couldn't think of Texas A & M.

With the test results from each and every lab there will be, in addition to the the numbers for the dog tested the numbers which constitute the reference range. Those numbers are usually labeled either "normal range", "reference range" or something very similar.

By the way MSU has changed their list of offered tests substantially recently. The tests that are required for OFA listing are NOT the same as a full thyroid panel. The OFA required tests are (I don't have my paperwork here so this is from memory) I believe only TSH and TgAA. These are the tests that indicate genetic thyroid problems. But for purposes of determining if and how much medication should be given to a potentially low thyroid dog you also really want T4 and free T4 or T4 by ED (same thing as free T4) just expressed differently and you really should have the T3 values and antibody tests.

Nobody said this was going to be easy--there are whole specialties involved in just endocrine systems of which thyroid is arguably the most important.

 

Did you have a chance to speak with the vet yet?

 

I got my results emailed to me today and I'm none the wiser. I'm going to call the vet first thing int he morning and go through it with her Here's the paperwork I've got:

I asked for a full 6 panel thyroid test...does this look right to you guys? I expected to see different levels for free t4, free t3 ect. Am I missing something?

The 14.6 figure I was told seems to relate to the FT4d results (?) of which average is 6.6-40. From research I had found, I thought that the results for a young, otherwise healthy large breed dog should read somewhere in the top 50%? Obviously 14.6 is way below the 50% mark, but my vet said there was no differences for different breeds?

Furthermore, the text at the bottom says that if clinical hypothyroidism is suspected, once can retest using the dialysis method +/- TgAb? I have never heard of this. Could someone shed some light on this for me?

I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this for me, it means a lot!

 

According to this website ~25% of dogs with true hypothyroidism do not have elevated TSH levels as expected.

This website also states that the only acceptable way to test for free T4 is through equilibrium dialysis, which it looks like was not done as they are suggesting it.

01 Hypothyroidism in Dogs - VeterinaryPartner.com - a VIN company!

 

I would assume the TgAb testing is the TgAA test I'm more familiar with. . . ???

I haven't looked up this woman's sources to confirm what she says, and she does provide a source reference, but I found this interesting.

The diagnosis of “hypothyroidism” isn’t about a positive or a negative TgAA. But a positive or negative TgAA associated with hypothyroidism varies by breed. Hypothyroid English Setters and Golden Retrievers, for example, tend to test positive for TgAA more often than not, whereas hypothyroid Collies and Doberman Pinschers do not test positive for TgAA as often (Graham et. al, 624).

Thyrogloblin AutoAntibodies (TgAA) The House of Two Bows ????

Ivan did not test positive for TgAA.