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Yep. :)

My sweet angel Tanner-"Showoffs Magic" 79D-82695. DOB 7/22/99. Gotcha Day 6/20/05. Bridge Day 3/11/10. Big Beautiful Brave Angel Norm-"Showoffs Storm" 89B-83263. DOB 8/16/99. Gotcha Day 3/24/06. Bridge Day 4/20/13. Angel Girl Bree-"Breezy Betty" 201A-93631. DOB 2/05/01. Gotcha Day 5/11/10. Bridge Day 10/07/11. She reached the beach.... Maci-"CF's Owhatanite" 44H-29320. DOB 10/05/04. Gotcha Day 10/11/11. Greta-"Greta's Milam" 90B-54582. DOB 9/17/10. Gotcha Day 11/30/12. Bridge Day 03/30/17. Ben-"P Kay Key Train" 63A-61271. DOB 6/2/13. Gotcha Day 12/26/15.

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The nekkid butt and belly looks normal. But from what I can see, your baby also is pretty bare on the neck and head and maybe a bit to bare up the shoulder (hard to tell at that angle); I don't think that's quite so normal. Can you post a better picture of the front end?

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Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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It's normal :) I'm not sure if you can see it really well in these pics but Brooke gets pretty bare on her neck and shoulders. I was really worried initially, but it's just her

 

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Jan with precious pups Emmy (Stormin J Flag) and Simon (Nitro Si) and Abbey Field.  Missing my angels: Bailey Buffetbobleclair 11/11/98-17/12/09; Ben Task Rapid Wave 5/5/02-2/11/15; Brooke Glo's Destroyer 7/09/06-21/06/16 and Katie Crazykatiebug 12/11/06 -21/08/21. My blog about grief The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

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Guest grey_dreams

The nekkid butt and belly looks normal. But from what I can see, your baby also is pretty bare on the neck and head and maybe a bit to bare up the shoulder (hard to tell at that angle); I don't think that's quite so normal. ...

 

Have to agree with this. The baldness on the shoulder blades (from the photo) is not normal. The neck baldness can happen if the collar is irritating, but then it's better to switch to a collar that doesn't irritate.

 

Edited to add: I remember Jennifer Batchelor once fostered a greyhound that was almost completely, utterly bald. Most people shrugged it off as "that's just greyhound" but she believed that there was some problem with food/environment/sensitivity. She found a great home for the dog, and he totally blossomed. Also grew in thick, beautiful, full-body coat of shiny black fur. So maybe there could be some kind of food or environmental sensitivity going on with your boy? Just wanted to add this comment to the "greyhounds are bald" discussion.

Edited by grey_dreams
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What really jumps out at me also is, one, the purple color of the skin and, two, what looks like a somewhat swollen or distended belly area. I don't think this is all just normal.

Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13).

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When my Sam was that bald on his throat and neck and thighs, he also was hypothyroid.

15060353021_97558ce7da.jpg
Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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Except for the shoulder baldness, I have one here that is equally as bald. From neck to butt, his undercarriage is completely nekkid. Even his skin color is similiar. :)

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Deirdre with Conor (Daring Pocobueno), Keeva (Kiowa Mimi Mona), & kittehs Gemma & robthomas.

Our beloved angels Faolin & Liath, & kittehs Mona & Caesar. Remembering Bobby, Doc McCoy, & Chip McGrath.

"He feeds you, pets you, adores you, collects your poop in a bag. There's only one explanation: you are a hairy little god." Nick Galifinakis

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Guest grey_dreams

Neck, behind ears, chest, inner front legs, shoulders, ribs, belly, back legs, butt - all bald. This degree of baldness is extreme, and is not normal greyhound baldness. The rest of his coat is rather dull and sparse too.

 

How long have you had him, has his coat changed since you had him (either more or less fur), what do you feed, how long have you fed it, what is his personality/behavior like, have you noticed changes in his personality/behavior, has your living situation changed since you had him?

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What does the vet say?

 

And I'd get that thyroid tested--the full-blown thyroid test, not just a T4. Thyroid issues cause all kinds of problems but are very easy to turn around with inexpensive meds.

15060353021_97558ce7da.jpg
Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and
Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come.

Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016),
darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006)

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I've had him since march,His buddy died in july, He went into separation anxiety right after,is currently on 10mg of prozac,down from original dose of 40mg,still has some anxiety when leaving home but will usually settle and no longer tries to break out of doors and windows.Coat was really rough and dull when we got him,is now smooth and shiny but is getting increasingly bald over time.Currently is on pro plan,other better foods give him diahhrea and bad gas.I am planning on switching to a raw diet.does not seem lethargic, but not exactly perky like our others were.Cannot afford more vet bills that come with getting him another buddy, wish we could.I will get a complete thyroid panel done. he only had T4 run which was normal.The redness of his skin is concerning to me too.This is not a rash,this is more of a flushing.His skin color was literally black from sunburn when we got him from the alabama sun.I also had a CBC/chem screen done when I got him,which was normal at that time.He is 5years old,and has been off the track since last December.Also, is there a preference for where his thyroid panel is run?Thanks for everyone's input.I'm not looking for problems where there probably is none, but Ijust want to make sure I'm not missing something that I don't know about.I've had too many really bad surprises in the last year and don't care to have another if I can help it.

Edited by cometdust1
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If the T4 is normal, there's no point in doing a full thyroid panel -- you already know he's normal.

 

And, in my experience, this degree of baldness IS normal in greyhounds and whippets. Some just don't grow a lot of hair and will be particularly hairless at the end of the warm season. Some grow more hair during the winter, some don't. If the skin isn't raw and itchy, I'd just leave him be.

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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Guest grey_dreams

Cometdust, there are people who very strongly believe that no greyhound has ever been born or will ever be born who has problems with thyroid function. Those of us (myself included) who have been blessed with greyhounds who did have problems with thyroid function know better. In the final analysis, it's up to you to make a decision to have your boy tested or not with a full panel, even though you have already been instructed not to test and you will doubtless be receiving further instructions not to test. There are a lot of threads here in the Health and Medical forum on the topic of thyroid testing and analysis of results, and a number of those threads discuss in detail the problems with current test protocols that can lead to misdiagnosis, where greyhounds who have problems with thyroid are misdiagnosed as not having problems. I wish your boy healthy, regardless of what decision you make.

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If the T4 is normal, there's nothing to test for. You've established that the thyroid gland is responsive and can produce an appropriate level of hormone.

 

A full panel would be of use for a nonbreeding dog only when the T4 is below normal. In that case, the full panel with fT4ed (free T4 by equilibrium dialysis) and TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) helps to determine whether the below-normal T4 is due to thyroid malfunction or T4 test inaccuracy.

 

A dog who might be used for breeding might get a test for thyroid autoantibodies, which is usually included in a full panel. That isn't a useful measure for a neutered dog. You wouldn't medicate unless the thyroid couldn't produce enough hormone, and for some dogs with autoantibodies, that never happens.

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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Um ... there aren't two points of view about a normal T4. I think some people are getting confused.

 

T4 isn't a good test for diagnosing hypothyroidism (low thyroid). The T4 can be low and the dog can still be normal. That is when a full thyroid panel is useful because (at least at reputable labs) it includes finer measures of thyroid function, measures that are less affected by other illness or medication, and more than one measure.

 

T4 is a perfectly good test for ruling out hypothyroidism. If it's normal, the animal isn't hypothyroid, by definition. The full panel doesn't add anything to the equation (unless you're hoping to breed the dog and looking to ensure there's no autoimmune thyroid disease, which is a whole 'nother ballgame).

 

If you want to medicate a dog that isn't hypothyroid, that's certainly a choice. And a bad one, potentially leading to early death from heart disease, kidney disease, and/or bone disease. Ouch.

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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