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Cougar - T-4 = .5


Guest TaraCoachCougar

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Guest TaraCoachCougar

Cougar had a senior blood panel last week and we had corns removed at the vet today so he reviewed the results. Everything was at really good normal levels with the exception of the T4. The vet indicated that greyhounds tend to produce lower scores and he is definately not gaining weight so he doesn't feel that he is hypothyroid, but is willing to run the second set of tests at $170 if I'm interested.

 

While Cougar could be classified as lethargic, he really hasn't had behavior changes (other than adjusting to becoming an only dog which he has done quite well). He has always had a pretty bald hiney.

 

From my quick search on this forum, it looks like .5 is considered the low end of normal for greys.

 

Cougar is definately aging pretty quickly (will be 13 in Sept) and is getting a bit weaker in his hind legs, but everything else seems normal except for the slow minimal slide down in weight (although his ribs are pretty pronounced now).

 

Would a greyhound ever lose weight with a low thyroid? Not sure if we should investigate the other blood tests or not.

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Weight loss isn't a typical symptom, but if he's "just not doing well" and you can't find another explanation, it sure wouldn't hurt to run the test. Your vet is wise not to start treatment on the basis of a T4 -- it's a measure that should always be followed up with more testing as it can be low one day, high the next, etc. The big $$$ test uses some mechanisms to cross-check those types of variation.

 

Sending hugs and scritchies.

Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in Illinois
We miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10.

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His .5 is a bit low, but I think it can be considered a low-normal (greyhound normal) rather than plain low. If you have the $$$$ you might as well run the test, but in the absence of other symptoms, I wouldn't suspect low thyroid.

Classic symptoms:

Gaining weight

losing hair (beyond the greyhound pattern baldness on thighs and belly)

extremely dry, flaky skin

dry and/or flaking nails

sometimes changes in the eyes

extreme lethargy (again, beyond the grey normal!)

 

greysmom :D

Chris - Mom to: Felicity (DeLand), and Andi (Braska Pandora)

52592535884_69debcd9b4.jpgsiggy by Chris Harper, on Flickr

Angels: Libby (Everlast), Dorie (Dog Gone Holly), Dude (TNJ VooDoo), Copper (Kid's Copper), Cash (GSI Payncash), Toni (LPH Cry Baby), Whiskey (KT's Phys Ed), Atom, Lilly

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