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Underactive Thyroid in Dogs



 Submitted by Michael Adams on April 16, 2010
The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland found in the body of humans as well as in mammals including in dogs. An endocrine gland is a gland which performs a particular function of releasing hormonal components directly into the blood stream. The main hormone secreted from the thyroid gland is known as thyroxin. This hormone regulates the body’s functioning by governing the speed of metabolism. There are two main problems associated with the functioning of the thyroid. These are known as hyperthyroidism where the thyroid is overactive and releases too much thyroxin and hypothyroidism where the opposite, that is too little thyroid is released into the system. They symptoms associated with hyperthyroidism are a racing heartbeat, rapid breathing, sweating and tremors in the limbs.

An underactive thyroid in dog will result in displaying some telltale symptoms such as lethargy, hair loss, rapidly increasing weight, slow heart rate and general tiredness. Severe cases may also trigger canine depression because of the slow metabolic rate. Thyroid problems in dogs are not uncommon. There are some breeds that have a predisposition to thyroid problems. Generally speaking, larger dogs are more likely to develop thyroid related issues than smaller dogs.

Thyroid in dogs develops due to a malfunctioning of the thyroid gland. In the case of hypothyroidism, this may be because of a known autoimmune condition. An auto immune condition is one where the immune system attacks a healthy part of the body assuming it to be affected by an illness. If the thyroid cells are attacked and damaged, hypothyroidism will result. In order to diagnose a condition of hyperthyroidism you should first notice a few of the symptoms and these symptoms should present themselves continuously over a period of a few days.

When you visit your pet health care specialist, make sure to provide a detailed history of the health of your dog and of the various food and medication that you are feeding the dog. Try to be clear about the symptoms so that a proper diagnosis is made. If the doctor feels that the dog is suffering from hypothyroidism, a blood test will be ordered to confirm this diagnosis.

Hypothyroidism is treated by administering thyroid in the diet of the dog. This can be done by using thyroid medication that may be prescribed by your doctor. The effectiveness of the medication can be judged by comparing blood samples.
 
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