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Dog Thyroid Test - Information Dog Thyroid Testing and Cost of Thyroid Test For Dogs

A dog thyroid test may be suggested for your pet by the vet if he has symptoms of a malfunction in the endocrine gland which regulates the metabolism of your pet.

The thyroid gland could be either under active or over active and cause health problems. The test is simple and is done by drawing blood and sending it to a diagnostic laboratory for testing.

Apart from the blood test the vet may also physically examine the pet and see whether the gland is enlarged. The blood test does not cause any discomfort to your pet and is mandatory to find out the cause of the problem.

Dog Thyroid Testing

Dog thyroid testing is done to ensure that the thyroid gland which is in the neck region is stimulating sufficient hormones called T3 and T4 to be produced by the pituitary gland. If the thyroid hormones are not being produced according to their requirement or in excess then the dog will be suffering with either hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism.

Thyroid Test For Dogs

Once the tests are done the vet can determine the problem further by having a TSH test conducted. To do this the pet will be injected with a thyroid stimulating hormone after which the vet will wait for a few hours and then draw another blood sample. The final diagnosis of your pet will depend either on this test or if these are normal than on further diagnostic tests which the vet will have to decide on.

Treatment for hypothyroidism would be a dose of thyroxin which is synthetic on a daily basis or if the diagnosis is hyperthyroidism then the dog would be given a daily dose of a tablet which is a beta blocker.

Cost of Thyroid Test For Dogs

The cost of thyroid test for dogs has to be determined after the dog is examined and the costs of tests do differ from one region to another. This would also depend on the vet who is treating the animal and his method of diagnosis and examination. The cost may be more if the vet comes home to see the pet and administers any treatment along with the consultation. If any further tests are required then the cost will also rise accordingly so it is not possible to give a definite cost for the tests done on your pet.

Submitted on November 23, 2011