Hypothyroidism in dogs is one of the most common endocrine diseases in dogs and, unfortunately, it is a difficult disease to prevent, since it is believed that the causes are mainly due to a genetic predisposition to hypothyroidism.
If your dog has recently been diagnosed with this disease or is simply curious to know more, Animal Expert has prepared this article with everything you need to know about hypothyroidism in dogs: causes, symptoms and treatment!
- The thyroid gland is largely responsible for regulating the puppy’s metabolism.
- Sometimes.
- Due to an abnormality of this gland.
- Insufficient amounts of hormones needed in the dog are produced.
- Causing so-called hypothyroidism.
- Hypothyroidism can result from any dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary -thyroid axis.
Hypothyroidism can be described as an endocrine disease characterized by a decrease in thyroid hormone production.The thyroid gland is responsible for the production of the hormones T3, called triidothyronine and T4, called tetraiodothyronine.The low production of these hormones causes this problem so common in dogs..
Primary hypothyroidism is undoubtedly the most common in dogs.The origin is usually directly a problem in the thyroid gland, usually the destruction of it.The two most common histopathological regimens are lymphocytic thyroiditis (a process in which the thyroid is infiltrated by lymphocytes, plasma cells and lymphocytes) and idiopathic thyroid atrophy (a process in which the gland loses its parenchyma that is replaced by adipose tissue).
Secondary hypothyroidism is characterized by dysfunction of the pituitary cells themselves, resulting in a decrease in the production of the hormone TSH, a hormone responsible for stimulating the thyroid to produce hormones, so it is called ”secondary”.There is progressive atrophy of the gland, due to the absence of this hormone, a decrease in the production of TSH and therefore T3 and T4.
There are different processes that can lead to this secondary hypothyroidism, namely [1]:
Tertiary hypothyroidism in dogs appears to be a consequence of insufficient production of HRT, the hormone that releases thyroxine and stimulates the production of TSH in the anterior pituitary gland, that is, the problem lies in the hypothalamus, which produces HRT.
This disease is extremely rare and there are virtually no reports of this disease in dogs.
Congenital thyroid defects are very rare in dogs, however, sometimes they can occur and we can not fail to mention them, this type of disease is reported in puppies and is usually fatal.
One of the most documented causes of this type of hypothyroidism is the low consumption of iodine-rich foods, in addition, there may be a defect in the correct organization of iodine, called dysormigenesis or thyroid dysgenesis.
The clinical signs of this disease appear around 4 to 10 years of age, being the breeds most susceptible to this disease, among others, the Boxer, the Poodle, the Golden Retriever, the Doberman Pinscher, the miniature Schnauzer and the Irish Setter.according to some studies, there is no sexual predisposition to this problem, i.e. it can affect men or women in the same way [2].
The main clinical signs of this problem are
In any case, the clinical signs of this disease are very varied and can range from dermatological, as described, to neuromuscular, reproductive and even behavioral. The thyroid gland is involved in the entire metabolism of the dog, hence the great complexity of this problem.
Although veterinary medicine is not as advanced as human medicine regarding this disease, there are different alternatives to study the functioning of the thyroid gland and confirm if the dog does have a hypothyroidism problem.
Your veterinarian will rely on clinical signs, thyroid function tests, and hormone replacement therapy response to definitively diagnose the disease [2].
To correctly diagnose this problem it is necessary to measure the hormones in the dog’s blood (mainly t4), measuring the levels of this hormone in the blood alone is not enough, however, if the values are normal or high, we can exclude hypothyroidism from our list of differential diagnoses, so this is one of the first tests that are performed when the veterinarian suspects this problem.
If we check that t4 levels are low, this does not mean that we are necessarily present with a hypothyroidism problem, another test called a thyrotropin stimulation test (TSH) will be needed to confirm the definitive diagnosis.
In addition to these tests, further testing may be needed, depending on the specific case of the animal.
Once diagnosed, the vet can prescribe a hormonal supplement. Some veterinarians also use this method as a diagnosis, evaluating response to treatment. The treatment of choice is based on levothyroxine sodium, synthetic T4.
In cases where dogs have secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism, treatment with glucocorticoids and cobalt may be necessary.
Generally, after a week of treatment, the animal begins to show improvements, increased appetite and general well-being.
It is very important to respect re-evaluation dates and visits to the veterinarian.Animals with this problem should be closely monitored as the veterinarian sometimes has to readjust the treatment doses, depending on the animal’s response.
This article is for informational purposes only, in Animal Expert.com.br we cannot prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis, we suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any condition or discomfort.
If you would like to read articles similar to, we recommend that you visit our Other Health Problems section.