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Low T-4 And Weight Loss?


Guest SusanP

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Wizard has lost a little weight and seems more treat-focused than usual. He's 9, and I had senior bloodwork done on him today. His T-4 was .5. But the vet said she'd expect to see weight gain with low thyroid, not weight loss. She recommended a full thyroid panel, which we will do, but why would he be losing and not gaining weight?

 

Is .5 low even for a greyhound?

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Guest Energy11

Greyhound thyroid values below. If in question, ask your vet to run a Free T4. That will determine whether your dog needs supplementation. Staggerlee was 0.5 eight months ago, and he is nine. I want to have him retest and do a Free T4, as I think he is hypothyroid.

 

Good Luck!

 

T4 (Thyroid)

 

Greyhound: 0.5 - 3.6 (mean 1.47 +/- 0.63)

Other dogs: 1.52 - 3.60

 

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No. It's not low. does he have any symtoms? My Chloe is .02 and shows many signs of hypothyroidism when not on meds. She tends to gain easily too.

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

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His symptoms are slight weight loss and an unusual amount of interest in getting treats.

 

No vet here, but with slight weight loss and wanting the x-tra treats- I'd let him have them and see where it goes but his symtoms and numbers don't make me think hypothyroid. His numbers/weight could be changing due to his age.

 

See where he stabizes at.

 

 

ROBIN ~ Mom to: Beau Think It Aint, Chloe JC Allthewayhome, Teddy ICU Drunk Sailor, Elsie N Fracine , Ollie RG's Travertine, Ponch A's Jupiter~ Yoshi, Zoobie & Belle, the kitties.

Waiting at the bridge Angel Polli Bohemian Ocean , Rocky, Blue,Sasha & Zoobie & Bobbi

Greyhound Angels Adoption (GAA) The Lexus Project

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Will he eat more if you feed him more?

 

Doesn't sound like much to go on for hypothyroid to me, either. I probably wouldn't bother with the full panel unless another symptom indicative of hypothyroidism shows up. T4 isn't useful for much except to tell you "hmmm, maybe I should do a full panel" IF you have symptoms.

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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Beth tested 0.5 a couple of months ago, I did the whole super-expensive thyroid panel by equilibrium dialysis as recommended here -- she's perfectly normal. Of the zillion reasons Wizard could be losing weight, I'd say it's highly unlikely to be thyroid related. But if it sets your mind at ease....

 

Could the weight loss and hunger be simply due to the colder weather?

With Cocoa (DC Chocolatedrop), missing B for Beth (2006-2015)
And kitties C.J., Klara, Bernadette, John-Boy, & Sinbad

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Well, the weight loss has been kind of gradual. His recent, increased interest in treats seemed strange in light of that, which was why I wondered. We free-feed, and he has access to (and eats) dry kibble any time of the day or night, so no, it isn't like he's wolfing all the food in sight. It's more hoping for treats than food.

 

The treats they normally get are homemade biscuits of canned pumpkin, peanut butter and whole wheat flour. He gets a little cheese wrapped around pills morning and night. It's not like I'm handing out anything out of this world!

 

 

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Guest KennelMom

Hanna had weight loss with her hypothyroid condition before treatment. That symptom, though, is not typically seen with low thyroid. However, I do recommend having the thyroid panel run before starting any meds because you want to be sure the dx is correct. I don't recall what her values were. She maintains a normal weight and is back to her normal spirits now that she's started treatment.

Edited by KennelMom
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Check your food formula. Patrick was loosing weight, and it turned out Canidae had change the formula, and the new one must have had fewer calories.

Beth, Petey (8 September 2018- ), and Faith (22 March 2019). Godspeed Patrick (28 April 1999 - 5 August 2012), Murphy (23 June 2004 - 27 July 2013), Leo (1 May 2009 - 27 January 2020), and Henry (10 August 2010 - 7 August 2020), you were loved more than you can know.

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Weight loss can be caused by worms, especially if there is more interest in food and even if there is a negative fecal a few times.

 

Our new guy, adopted in July, had negative fecals three times, even after I saw tapes waving at me in late September! Believe it or not, 5 days of Panacur hit the kind of tapeworm he had. He was very hungry, ate more, but lost 5 pounds. His poops are now fine; they were semi-formed before the Panacur.

 

The .5 thyroid is probably OK.

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