Hypothyroidism

[Darcia]

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Does anyone have any experience of Hypothyroidism in their racing whippets?

Any info would be appreciated.

 

[ritchie]

ITS EITHER DECREASED OUTPUT OF THE THYROID GLAND AND OR A FORM OF HYPERADRENOCORTICISN (CUSHING SYNDROME) CUSHING SYNDROME IS DUE TO AN OVER-PRODUCTION OF CORTICOSTEROIDS BY THE ADRENAL GLAND OF THE BODY BOTH OF THESE CONDITIONS ARISE AS A RESULT OF THE STRESSES OF TRAINING/RACING

RECOMENDED TREATMENTS FOR THE ABOVE CONDITIONS ARE THYROIDHORMONE SUPPLEMENTS

THYROXINE TABLETS (200UG) MAY BE GIVEN AS FOLLOWS

1 TABLET EVERY 8 HOURS FOR 5 DAYS THEN

1 TABLET EVERY 12 HOURS FOR 7 DAYS THEN

1/2 TABLET EVERY 8 HOURS FOR 14 DAYS THEN

1/2 T5ABLET EVERY 12 HOURS FOR 3 TO 4 MONTHS

IT ALSO ADVISERS THAT YOU REDUCE WALKING AND REDUCE RACING TO ONLY ONE RACE EACH 7 TO 14 DAYS WHILST TREATMENT CONTINUES.

 

[cinnamon]

ritchie u r correct except there is extra needed to know .thyroxine only works on 1 condition depending on hypothyrodism or hyperthyroidism.the other drug used may be eltroxine but depending on the age and fitness of the dog the simplist way is to remove the effected gland this may be 1 or 2 .then u won,t need the drugs for life .also u would have to have another blood test to rule out cushings.

 

[kipper fluke]

My husband Steve is being treat for thyroid problems at the moment!

His is underactive due to poisoning from the heart drug-Amiodarone-

He's taking Carbimazole-quite a large dose to try and get it under control.

 

[kipper fluke]

Sorry Karen got a little mixed up when talking about my thyroid trouble it was over active at first then after some time on the drug Carbimazole at a very high dosage it became under active so this drug was reduced by half but is still a problem and i feel very sorry for anyone who has this trouble as it has lots of side effects we can say how we feel the poor dogs cannot so it must be terrible for them.This condition can cause a great deal of weight loss or gain it can be either.

 

[JoJess]

I have suffered with the condition Hypothyroidism ( under active) since my early twenties.... :blink:I have taken thyroxine ever since.... the dosage depends on the severity of the condition, i aint sure about the dosage dogs have though.... and some of the symptoms are terrible..... never mind you got to keep goin ey :cheers:

 

[Kavan]

Hypothyroidism is fairly easily treated in dogs and they respond to treatment fairly well once it has been diagnosed and the correct form of treatment has been initiated. The link between hypothyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism is poorly understood, however they are two separate diseases resulting in different treaments. The most common causes in dogs are either idiopathic or have some immune mediated basis resulting in thyroiditis.

I found a website that might be of interest to you which explains alot of the ins and outs of the disease and the testing procedures http://www.siriusdog.com/thyroid.htm

If I can help in any other way let me know (I'm a 4th year vet student so its all good revision for me!!)

 

[michelle]

True hypothyroidism is caused by degeneration of the thyroid gland itself in someway and is usually only treatable by thyroxine as a permanent medication

The "bald thigh" syndrome, which many non-peds suffer to some degree, seen as a result of racing stress was sometimes treated with thyroxine as the thinning hair was a symptom of hypothyroidism. Typicaly these animals had normal blood thyroxine levels and I know of no examples that exhibt the all the symptoms of true hypothyroidism. Ritchie is correct in that it`s the excess corticosteroid production by the adrenal glands that causes a negative inhibition of the hypothalamus that seems to affect all the hormones produced in the pitutary gland, of which thyroid stimulating hormone is one.

 

[michelle]

In "bald thigh" syndrome the excess corticosteroid production is due to racing stress and isn`t the true hyperadrenocorticosteroidism of Cushings. Once retired from racing most of these animals recover their coats.

Since we have a vet posting, I`ll get mine

 

[Darcia]

Thanks for all of your help, I was hoping that someone out there might actually have a dog with the symptoms and could advise as to any change in racing/training programmes.

(the person involved has been told to continue racing/training as normal with the addition of daily thyroxine treatment - which can be stopped when the dog retires from racing as is caused by the stress of running)

 

[Kirawan]

Does anyone have any experience of Hypothyroidism in their racing whippets?
Any info would be appreciated.

Yes - I have ....... both of mine are hypothyroid - the info is unlimited really - so it would be easier to ask more specific questions.

It should be borne in mind though - that sighthounds have a lower "normal" thryroxine level than other breeds (in fact their whole blood make up is different - viz - higher red blood cell count, slightly lower white blood cell count) - so often a misdiagnosis is made regarding T4 (thyroxine levels).

Presumably your friend had a T4 test done for his/her dog - do you know the result?

In your last post - you say that your friend gives the thyroxine daily.

It is recommended to divide the dose and give it twice daily (12 hours apart). Humans are usually dosed only once a day - but the dog's metabolism is different and most dogs are better being dosed twice a day.

It is also better absorbed if given on an empty stomach - preferably at least half an hour before food.

It is usually a life-long treatment once the dog is hypothyroid (hypothyroid is an underactive thryoid gland, hyperthyroid is an overactive gland) it is more often the case that the dog is hypOthyroid. Symptoms can be - lethargy, hair loss, unexpected aggression, exercise intolerance, cold, and many many more. Once on supplementation, the dog will need retesting periodically to get the balance right.

Too much medication can make the dog hypERthyroid though.