Questions Regarding Hypothyroidism

[Greytlady94]

I suggest e-mailing Dr. Feeman through Greytalk with the results you have posted. He is a veterinarian, and we aren't.

 

Dr. Feeman

I already emailed him, thank you. I had contacted him two days ago and he agreed to look at the numbers when I got the fax. I have not yet heard from him.

BTW I know the general GT'er is not a vet, however many on GT have had dogs with hypothyroid and so I posted the numbers for those folks who can compare their dogs' test results and treatment.

 

That's great that you have already contacted him. I have a hypothyroid grey who has been on thyroid meds for years, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to interpret someone elses dog's numbers. No offense intended. I hope your Monty does very well.

[Guest greytmonty]

I suggest e-mailing Dr. Feeman through Greytalk with the results you have posted. He is a veterinarian, and we aren't.

 

Dr. Feeman

I already emailed him, thank you. I had contacted him two days ago and he agreed to look at the numbers when I got the fax. I have not yet heard from him.

BTW I know the general GT'er is not a vet, however many on GT have had dogs with hypothyroid and so I posted the numbers for those folks who can compare their dogs' test results and treatment.

 

That's great that you have already contacted him. I have a hypothyroid grey who has been on thyroid meds for years, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to interpret someone elses dog's numbers. No offense intended. I hope your Monty does very well.

Thank you,

how long did it take for the vet to get the right med dosage? Is your dog on a steady dose? How often do you need follow up blood tests for thyroid levels?

thanks!

Karen

[Guest MomofSweetPotatoes]

It took Yardman 4 months to get the right dosage. He was on the meds for a month. Bloodwork done after 1 month, still a little low. Upped his dosage and recheck in 2 months it was much better and then retested 1 month after that with the same numbers and he was good to go. Now we check every 6 months.

[ahicks51]

I think there's an extra charge of $4.50 or something like that for interpretation of thyroid results from MSU; just tack it on to the analysis, and they have a staff endocrinologist who can interpret the results specifically for sighthounds.

 

Don't know if it's too late or not, but you can always give them a call.

[Greytlady94]

I suggest e-mailing Dr. Feeman through Greytalk with the results you have posted. He is a veterinarian, and we aren't.

 

Dr. Feeman

I already emailed him, thank you. I had contacted him two days ago and he agreed to look at the numbers when I got the fax. I have not yet heard from him.

BTW I know the general GT'er is not a vet, however many on GT have had dogs with hypothyroid and so I posted the numbers for those folks who can compare their dogs' test results and treatment.

 

That's great that you have already contacted him. I have a hypothyroid grey who has been on thyroid meds for years, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trying to interpret someone elses dog's numbers. No offense intended. I hope your Monty does very well.

Thank you,

how long did it take for the vet to get the right med dosage? Is your dog on a steady dose? How often do you need follow up blood tests for thyroid levels?

thanks!

Karen

 

Renie was started on a fairly low dosage Soloxine .6mg and it has never needed to be increased. We do complete bloodwork every 6 months, but for the first 6 months we checked very often, I believe it was monthly.

Edited August 2, 2007 by Greytlady94

[Guest Heyzq]

What a helpful thread. I just found another flaky and possibly balding spot on Music -- newly diagnosed with Hypothyroid but has had the seasonal flaky thing for years (big, nasty brown flakes that are stuck to the skin -- when they come off, she gets really icky skin). I'm on my way now to double-check her med bottle to be sure it's not the generic.

Oddly enough, I was recently diagnosed with Hypothyroid too. Strange, eh?

[Guest greytmonty]

Thanks everyone. Dr. Bill also suggested getting the interpretation so I will contact the lab today. I would like it to be sent to my regular vet as we are not going to work with the derm vet any longer if we can help it.

[Guest greytmonty]

Dr. Bill was VERY helpful!

Dr. Couto has also replied and agreed to review ALL of Monty's care, including all his allergy testing and treatment, so I am going to make up a package of information and fax it to him.

I love GREAT VETS!

I kind of don't love our derm vet.......

[tydyelady]

Just going through thyroid diagnosis with my new greyhound, Opie, so interested in all the discussion here. I noticed quite a difference in the dosages for peoples different dogs - from .1 or .2 twice a day, to .6, Opie was prescribed .8 - and it is the generic. Since he just started, I am not noticing any difference in behavior yet.

I read the Suzanne Stack article, and noticed the .1mg recommendation. So then .8 would seem very high to me??

 

[Guest greytmonty]

Dr. Couto is THE BEST!

He reviewed Monty's records via fax and feels that he is NOT hypothyroid, that these numbers are WNL for greyhounds and that many vets make this mistake. He said Monty's TSH would be HIGH if he was hypothyroid. He didn't comment on the clinical signs (baldness, proneness to infections, lethargy, etc) but is faxing two articles to my vet for her review, so we can make a decision about whether to continue the meds or not.

Dr. Couto still feels he has staph and needs more antibiotic, perhaps first with a skin biopsy. My derm vet (if and when she calls) had suggested that too so I may see if my regular vet can do it herself. If not we may HAVE to go back to the derm vet, or I may find a new one.

Dr. Couto is SO HELPFUL it is unbelievable!

Please PM me if you consulted with him via fax or phone, did you pay or send a charitable contribution? He is not asking for payment but I would like to at least make a donation in his name if he has a greyhound group.

[Guest Bodie]

Karen -

 

Dr. Couto IS the best! He is a wonderful, caring man. He will help you with Monty and if he wants to see Monty in Ohio - GO! It is more than worth the trip.

 

Rhonda

[Houndmommy03]

Dr. Couto is THE BEST!

Dr. Couto is SO HELPFUL it is unbelievable!

Please PM me if you consulted with him via fax or phone, did you pay or send a charitable contribution? He is not asking for payment but I would like to at least make a donation in his name if he has a greyhound group.

 

Please post if you find out about making a contribution or payment. He looked at some xrays for me last January. I really appreciated that.

 

Thanks!

Kim

[Guest jurishound]

The lower left corner of page two has donation information. I wish I had known about Dr. Couto when my beloved Lucy and Cricket were sick; he does sound wonderful.

 

http://www.vet.ohio-state.edu/assets/pdf/h...BROCHURE-LM.pdf

[HopeForHounds]

Donate directly to OSU Make sure you designate that the money is to go to the greyhound wellness program, otherwise he may not get any benefit from the donation..

 

Or you can make a donation to Hope for hounds and I can send a card on your behalf. All of HfH money goes to OSU's Greyhound Wellness Program. The money we send allows him to continue his research and also benefits other hounds that need help with treatment. A win, win situaltion.

 

Dr Couto is also very involved with Scooby Galgo rescue too, so that's another option.

Edited August 7, 2007 by foxysmom

[feemandvm]

I know we discussed things earlier in PMs but don't completely rule out hypothyroidism yet. The bloodwork for me was also normal for a Greyhound but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be hypothyroid. Not every dog with hypothyroidism has an elevated TSH. One of the biggest things that I see as a difference between your hound and so many others that I read about on GT that are diagnosed is that your hound actually has signs that could be attributable to hypothyroidism. The derm vet should have been able to give you a pretty good opinion on if that was likely or not.

 

A skin biopsy is certainly a viable option but if it is unremarkable or indicates an "endocrinopathy" I would still consider a trial of thyroid meds to see if signs improve. I'm not on GT as much as I used to be so feel free to PM me if this doesn't make sense.

 

 

 

 

[Guest greytmonty]

I agree that MOnty has many clinical signs of low thyroid. We are seeing our regular vet today and will discuss this. I am inclined to do the one month trial and see if he improves.

On another note, we have an appt with a NEW derm vet at Penn in two weeks. I am so done with our old vet. GT'ers, did she call YOU back last Friday?

That's how she called me back..... not Friday, not Monday, and not Tuesday.

[RobinM]

I know we discussed things earlier in PMs but don't completely rule out hypothyroidism yet. The bloodwork for me was also normal for a Greyhound but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be hypothyroid. Not every dog with hypothyroidism has an elevated TSH. One of the biggest things that I see as a difference between your hound and so many others that I read about on GT that are diagnosed is that your hound actually has signs that could be attributable to hypothyroidism. The derm vet should have been able to give you a pretty good opinion on if that was likely or not.

 

 

I AGREE. I would not rule out hypothyroid and would keep him on the meds to see how he does. If it the meds work, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY!!!!!

[Guest greytexplorer]

What a helpful thread. I just found another flaky and possibly balding spot on Music -- newly diagnosed with Hypothyroid but has had the seasonal flaky thing for years (big, nasty brown flakes that are stuck to the skin -- when they come off, she gets really icky skin). I'm on my way now to double-check her med bottle to be sure it's not the generic.

Oddly enough, I was recently diagnosed with Hypothyroid too. Strange, eh?

 

Not strange at all to me!

Mandy and Ester are both on Soloxine=each takes a purple pill every day.

I take Levothyroxine.

the three of us are hypo.

My 18 yr-pld Tippy (cat) is hyperthyroid and takes Methimazole. We just upped her dose, adding a half tablet at night.

 

We don't take synthetics either.

 

A greyt friend asked me if my dogs REALLY needed meds, with all the talk about greyhound blood values being so different from other dogs.....blah blah blah..........I told him, All I know is that Ester's vomiting stopped and she looks and acts greyt!

This is Ester:

I love this Health forum. I have learned SO MUCH!

[BauersMom]

I know we discussed things earlier in PMs but don't completely rule out hypothyroidism yet. The bloodwork for me was also normal for a Greyhound but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be hypothyroid. Not every dog with hypothyroidism has an elevated TSH. One of the biggest things that I see as a difference between your hound and so many others that I read about on GT that are diagnosed is that your hound actually has signs that could be attributable to hypothyroidism. The derm vet should have been able to give you a pretty good opinion on if that was likely or not.

 

 

I AGREE. I would not rule out hypothyroid and would keep him on the meds to see how he does. If it the meds work, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY!!!!!

 

Well, it DOES matter what the numbers say, to a point.

 

I could give any healthy dog a supplement of soloxine and probably see improvement in hair growth, stamina... because that's what the drug does. But why give a dog not hypothyroid something it doesn't need?

 

Bauer was diagnosed hypothyroid, and ended up dying shortly after of hemangiosarcoma. His numbers weren't super low, but we saw what we thought were some 'symptoms' - lethargy, etc. I can't help but think now that the low thyroid was only a symptom of the cancer - and while the soloxine made him feel bettern on some counts, it did nothing for the ACTUAL problem. Had we really paid attention to his numbers, instead of finding something that worked for some symptoms, we might have dug a little deeper and found the real cause.

 

What I'm saying is that soloxine will cause certain results that will make people think it is "working". But that's NOT a real indication that the dog needs the medication in all cases. Which is why hypothyroidism is so difficult to diagnose and treat.

 

I'd say in Monty's case, given everything, there's a good chance he is hypothyroid, but it always helps to rule out any other possibility.

 

 

[feemandvm]

I know we discussed things earlier in PMs but don't completely rule out hypothyroidism yet. The bloodwork for me was also normal for a Greyhound but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be hypothyroid. Not every dog with hypothyroidism has an elevated TSH. One of the biggest things that I see as a difference between your hound and so many others that I read about on GT that are diagnosed is that your hound actually has signs that could be attributable to hypothyroidism. The derm vet should have been able to give you a pretty good opinion on if that was likely or not.

 

 

I AGREE. I would not rule out hypothyroid and would keep him on the meds to see how he does. If it the meds work, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY!!!!!

 

Well, it DOES matter what the numbers say, to a point.

 

I could give any healthy dog a supplement of soloxine and probably see improvement in hair growth, stamina... because that's what the drug does. But why give a dog not hypothyroid something it doesn't need?

 

Bauer was diagnosed hypothyroid, and ended up dying shortly after of hemangiosarcoma. His numbers weren't super low, but we saw what we thought were some 'symptoms' - lethargy, etc. I can't help but think now that the low thyroid was only a symptom of the cancer - and while the soloxine made him feel bettern on some counts, it did nothing for the ACTUAL problem. Had we really paid attention to his numbers, instead of finding something that worked for some symptoms, we might have dug a little deeper and found the real cause.

 

What I'm saying is that soloxine will cause certain results that will make people think it is "working". But that's NOT a real indication that the dog needs the medication in all cases. Which is why hypothyroidism is so difficult to diagnose and treat.

 

I'd say in Monty's case, given everything, there's a good chance he is hypothyroid, but it always helps to rule out any other possibility.

Great reply and I couldn't agree more. The numbers really do matter!

 

Here is what makes this a tough case.

 

Monty does have low thyroid levels, however not so low that they couldn't be in line with what is normal for a Greyhound. Also, his TSH is normal and his cholesterol (not listed above) was normal. A high percentage of dogs that are hypothyroid will have both an elevated TSH and cholesterol level. If I was only given this thyroid result with no history I would say not hypothyroid. The tough part is that not every dog that is hypothyroid will have an elevated TSH or cholesterol level. So although some Greyhounds may have "normal" levels compatible with Monty's numbers... what if Monty's normal levels are actually in the normal range for other dogs and now they are low because of hypothyroidism? Several of his signs COULD be compatible with hypothyroidism although as noted above maybe they are related to something else. This is where things get confusing... how do you know? Well, Monty has already seen teh dermatologist which is the most logical next step. If the derm vet says it doesn't look like hypothyroidism then I would pursue testing recommended by the derm vet (likely skin biopsy/culture). If the derm vet says a trial of soloxine is indicated... then I'd likely pursue that as a next step.

 

Clear as mud, right?

 

 

[MarcR]

I know we discussed things earlier in PMs but don't completely rule out hypothyroidism yet. The bloodwork for me was also normal for a Greyhound but it doesn't mean that he couldn't be hypothyroid. Not every dog with hypothyroidism has an elevated TSH. One of the biggest things that I see as a difference between your hound and so many others that I read about on GT that are diagnosed is that your hound actually has signs that could be attributable to hypothyroidism. The derm vet should have been able to give you a pretty good opinion on if that was likely or not.

 

 

I AGREE. I would not rule out hypothyroid and would keep him on the meds to see how he does. If it the meds work, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NUMBERS SAY!!!!!

 

Well, it DOES matter what the numbers say, to a point.

 

I could give any healthy dog a supplement of soloxine and probably see improvement in hair growth, stamina... because that's what the drug does. But why give a dog not hypothyroid something it doesn't need?

 

Bauer was diagnosed hypothyroid, and ended up dying shortly after of hemangiosarcoma. His numbers weren't super low, but we saw what we thought were some 'symptoms' - lethargy, etc. I can't help but think now that the low thyroid was only a symptom of the cancer - and while the soloxine made him feel bettern on some counts, it did nothing for the ACTUAL problem. Had we really paid attention to his numbers, instead of finding something that worked for some symptoms, we might have dug a little deeper and found the real cause.

 

What I'm saying is that soloxine will cause certain results that will make people think it is "working". But that's NOT a real indication that the dog needs the medication in all cases. Which is why hypothyroidism is so difficult to diagnose and treat.

 

I'd say in Monty's case, given everything, there's a good chance he is hypothyroid, but it always helps to rule out any other possibility.

Great reply and I couldn't agree more. The numbers really do matter!

 

Here is what makes this a tough case.

 

Monty does have low thyroid levels, however not so low that they couldn't be in line with what is normal for a Greyhound. Also, his TSH is normal and his cholesterol (not listed above) was normal. A high percentage of dogs that are hypothyroid will have both an elevated TSH and cholesterol level. If I was only given this thyroid result with no history I would say not hypothyroid. The tough part is that not every dog that is hypothyroid will have an elevated TSH or cholesterol level. So although some Greyhounds may have "normal" levels compatible with Monty's numbers... what if Monty's normal levels are actually in the normal range for other dogs and now they are low because of hypothyroidism? Several of his signs COULD be compatible with hypothyroidism although as noted above maybe they are related to something else. This is where things get confusing... how do you know? Well, Monty has already seen teh dermatologist which is the most logical next step. If the derm vet says it doesn't look like hypothyroidism then I would pursue testing recommended by the derm vet (likely skin biopsy/culture). If the derm vet says a trial of soloxine is indicated... then I'd likely pursue that as a next step.

 

Clear as mud, right?

 

 

 

It's what makes "long distance" diagnosis very tough, I guess.

[Guest greytmonty]

Monty saw our regular vet today who we love.

She agrees with Dr. Bill and some GT'ers re Monty's hypothyroidism. She is familiar with the greyhound thyroid literature (Dr. Couto faxed her 2 articles, I don't know if she'd read them yet but seemed aware of the studies) and said that she sees the clinical signs of hypothyroidism on Monty (lots of baldness, no hair regrowth 8 months after shaving, lethargy, and multiple infections).

She is going to keep him on the thyroid meds for 30 days and reeval at that point.

We have an appt with a new derm vet in 2 weeks. (did my derm vet call YOU back in the last 5 days? That is how she called me ) and that vet will likely do a skin biopsy of his infections and also look at his labs and thyroid studies.

 

In an unrelated matter (?) Monty had 6 episodes of awful diarrhea today (4 in the house, he was so upset!). the vet thinks this is UNRELATED to his thyroid meds and we will keep an eye on him. Has anyone here had their dog get the big D from thryoid meds?