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Thyroid testing to ask for

LilF

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My vet emailed me and told me to call the office to get Blossom squeezed in. He suspects thyroid based on my description. She walks very slowly and puffs cheeks out/exhalations. She was like this intermittently since I got her. Initially I thought it was the Trazadone the shelter had her on and I got her off that. Off and on she has been walking kind of slow but not the cheek puffing until lately. Takes her about a half hour to walk .5 mile. When she comes in, she plops on the hallway floor (My JJ with the heart issues did exactly this). I am asking for the usual full CBC and Chem panel plus a ProBNP and full thyroid testing. I know conventional vets typically only do T4 but I would not make a determination for lifelong meds at her young age without additional data such as FT4 and TSH. Would you agree on that? Also does she need to be fasted for the thyroid test. I usually have to give her treats in the car to get her to the vets. None of my dogs ever went on thyroid until they were about 9 at the earliest. So what could make a dog's thyroid fizzle out so young---vaccines? I feel I should have done some detox as by the time thyroid problems are detected, most of the thyroid function is gone, so I thought. I was giving her a few, maybe 5 tabs of that one supplement I heard about on a webinar that seemed questionable--came unsealed and 4 pieces of cotton stuffed in it like it was mfg in someone's kitchen! I actually just sent a sample in to a lab today to be tested. I just want to be prepared as to what to ask the vet to run so we do not have to draw blood again. She is supposed to have her spay beginning of May and I want to be absolutely 100 percent sure there is nothing going on or I will not do it. I am thinking I should even go so far as to do an echocardiogram before her surgery if the thyroid is not the problem. Do not want the first sign of a heart problem to be the last sign. Thanks. I will try and get her an appt. Wed or Friday.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Hey Lil-

It sounds like you've got a good plan for the bloods (you may also want to bring a mid-stream first morning urine sample) and yes, fasting (no food for 8-10 hours) is a great idea.

Personally I would not use a thyroid hormone supplement based on t4 alone. A full thyroid panel is a good idea.
what could make a dog's thyroid fizzle out so young---vaccines?
Yes. Vaccines are a common trigger tho there are many other environmental and genetic factors that lead to increased susceptibility and production of the antibodies that can destroy the thyroid acinar cells.

 

LilF

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Hey Lil-

It sounds like you've got a good plan for the bloods (you may also want to bring a mid-stream first morning urine sample) and yes, fasting (no food for 8-10 hours) is a great idea.

Personally I would not use a thyroid hormone supplement based on t4 alone. A full thyroid panel is a good idea.

Yes. Vaccines are a common trigger tho there are many other environmental and genetic factors that lead to increased susceptibility and production of the antibodies that can destroy the thyroid acinar cells.

Some surprising facts in this article that hypothyroidism is most common in dogs as young as 4. She is not spayed and it is more common in unspayed dogs according to the article and I do not yet know her lineage but her breed is not one listed. They also say hypothyroid may cause dogs to miss their estrus cycles. She just had hers in December. I have not found glandulars to help hypothyroid dogs but I will just ask for the full thyroid panel as you say because it is a lifelong decison. I wonder if she gets enough iodine. I do feed her salmon and sardines. I was giving her a capsule of broccoli sprout powder at times but I stopped that since broccoli is a goitrogen. Well I will just wait and see what I am dealing with. Maybe homeopathy could bring her thyroid into balance if need be???? Or if the gland is destroyed maybe it would not work. Poor Blossom, she still likes to go out for a walk but feel she is struggling as she turns around to walk back when she has had enough.Thank you for the article and guidance.
 

Dr. Jeff

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Maybe homeopathy could bring her thyroid into balance if need be????
Yes! Starting now with an experienced vet homeopath like Drs. Judy, Adriana or Todd would be a great idea!

I'd be very, very surprised if her thyroid was completely destroyed. She can certainly overcome this but there's one big (but surmountable IMHO) obstacle.

You actually wrote it in your own words (which reflect the energy of your thoughts).

She is NOT "Poor Blossom". She's a happy, joyful, vital creature of the earth who can regenerate (even her thyroid cells) like all of nature.
 

LilF

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Thank you for the correction, Dr. Jeff, on the energy. Yikes, I had not even considered that. Will be more mindful of my thoughts. You would really have a field day with my friend whose dog is having the ACL surgery today. She brought a casket with her in case the dog dies. She says she is a "realist". Now even I saw the bad energy in that one. Just thought I would share what the OTHER side of the continuum looks like.... I was stunned.
 

Dr. Christina

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OH, how sad for your friend. We all have so much learning to do in so many areas. Maybe you can introduce her to some of the webinars on the you tube.
Dr. Christina
 

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