Dog has Low thyroid - serious answers only please?

Question

My father's dog has a mild Low Thyroid condition. He has not put her on medication, as per the vets request. What is Low Thyroid and how dangerous is it?

My father is not giving her the meds because he says that she won't take them - she spits them out and he don't want to force her. He's tried hiding them in food, but that don't work either. If it were my dog, one way or the other, I'd get 'em down!

She is a Shepherd/Husky X and is 12 years old.

SORRY TO ALL! My mistake...I should have been more clear...the vet DID recommend meds, but my dad isn't giving them to her.

Answer 1

I once had a dog that a had very low thyroid but she had to take medication. for it twice daily. This was years ago, so I don't remember what the actual reading was. I found out because my dog's fur started thinning out. It did grow back once she was on medication, which I do recall being fairly inexpensive.

I Evidently, the vet doesn't think that the dog's reading is low enough to warrant medication, so I would trust his judgment. I Did the vet suggest that the dog get his thyroid tested yearly?

Alternatively, you can always get a second opinion from another vet. I'm sure that the vet took a blood test and he wouldn't have any problem forwarding the test results if you or your father do decide to get a second opinion.

Tell your father that I said good luck with his doggy. . I'm sure he will be fine :-)

EDIT TO ADD:

Oops. I just read the additions to your question. I was under the presumption that the dog was not on medication because the vet didn't prescribe it and not because the dog won't take it. If the vet did prescribe it, and the dog reuses to take it, it is VERY IMPORTANT that he gets it. I know that Petco sells these little things called "pill pockets" or something similar, that you can hide a dog's pill in. I believe they are meat flavored. I'll checkfor the link and add it later.

If the dog still won't take the pills, you you or your father are going to have to force them down the dogs throat. It's not really hard. You just open the dog's mouth, and shove the pill down the back his throat , and quickly close his mouth and rub his neck until he swallows. It's not as hard as it sounds.

EDIT #2

I'm adding the link for the pill pockets for you, as well as a link to detailed written and visual instructions for giving a dog a pill.

Good luck once again. It really isn't as hard as it looks. I do it all the time with a diffferent pill that my dog needs.

Answer 2

It's difficult to tell parents that you don't agree with their choices, but they may be missing the severity of the issue for whatever reason. I have a head-strong daughter and I appreciate when she offers a valid viewpoint even if it differs from mine. Hopefully your parents will be willing to be open minded. At this ripe old age of 15 coupled with stiffness, screaming, labored and/or erratic breathing - it's not trivial whatever it may be. The SOONER the dog is seen by his vet, the better. I would really make a case for your parent to call the vet TODAY, describe the symptoms and heed what they say. That gets you off the hook of trying to "convince" them and puts the parent in the position of hearing "from the horses mouth" what should be done with the dog. Some parents need that sort of authority to spur some action. I do hope everything will turn out well. (caps were used for emphasis only)

Answer 3

My dog had that he loved the medicine because it was always wrapped in cheese. Vet recommended. The low thyroid can make you tired all the time.
BELOW are several good links to understand how the dog feels without the medicine and the harm your dad is doing to the dog.
*********************************************
....DISREGARD ANY INFORMATION...
.......THAT IT DOESN'T NEED ......
...................MEDICATION
Educate yourself and your dad to the hazards
http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/ThyroidDisease.htm
Canine Autoimmune Thyroid Disease can
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cause seizures in dogs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.cslabs.co.uk/canine%20thyroid%20page.htm
VETERINARY HANDBOOK

Canine Hypothyroidism
There are a great many factors affecting thyroid hormone levels
****************************************
http://www.iwclubofamerica.org/thyroid.htm

Answer 4

the dog would be happier and healthier with the medicine. you need to keep the vet advised. by telling him that the dog is not getting the medicine.

Answer 5

I'd recommend he give her the medication, too. Tell him to try this. It always worked with our very stubborn dachshund years ago.

Tell your dad to buy some liver sausage. Take two small pieces and hide the pill in the first piece. Take the piece with the pill in it in one hand and offer it to her while you hold the other piece in the other hand right where she can see it. Give her the second piece immediately after the first. Our dachshund used to be in such a hurry to get to the second piece, he didn't even know he'd gobbled down the pill in the first piece.

I hope this helps, and he feels better about giving her the medication. I know it will make a difference in the long run for her to receive it on a regular basis. Sometimes people have difficulty realizing that having to "pill" a dog is not cruel, just because the dog may not like it. Unfortunately, we can't reason with dogs and tell them it's for their own good, so we have to do what's necessary to keep them healthy. Hopefully, his dog will feel better and it will be motivation for him to see how much she really needs it. Be sure to tell him not to give the liver sausage as a treat any other time. This way she'll have something to look forward to. Good luck!

Answer 6

I belive it is very sercios and itt can kill her or him tell you dad he should put her on it

Answer 7

not dangerous,,,,,,the vet will keep monitoring,,, causees lethargy, and weight gain and sometimes skin issues..... not deadly,,, you can relax

Answer 8

Hypothyroidism is a common problem in dogs, but rarely occurs in cats. The thyroid gland has a number of different functions, but it is most well known for its role in regulating metabolism. Hypothyroidism is the condition that occurs when not enough thyroid hormone is produced. Hypothyroidism causes a wide variety of symptoms, but is often suspected in dogs that have trouble with weight gain or obesity and suffer from hair loss and skin problems. Hypothyroidism is easy to diagnose with a blood test that checks the level of various thyroid hormones including T3 and T4. Most hypothyroid dogs respond readily to treatment with synthetic thyroid medication such as Soloxine. Many dogs suffer from a low thyroid hormone level for years without treatment. If your dog has chronic recurrent skin problems, she may be suffering from hypothyroidism.
What causes hypothyroidism?

Hypothyroidism results from the impaired production and secretion of thyroid hormone. The production of thyroid hormone is influenced by the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, and the thyroid gland. Although dysfunction anywhere in the complicated hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid pathway can result in hypothyroidism, more than 95% of all cases occur as a result of destruction of the thyroid gland. About half of the causes of thyroid gland destruction are suspected to be caused by the dog's own immune system killing the cells of the thyroid gland. The other half is caused by atrophy of the thyroid tissue and resultant infiltration of the tissue by fat. The cause for this form of the disease is unknown.

Who gets hypothyroidism?

Although the onset of clinical signs is variable, hypothyroidism most commonly develops in middle-aged dogs between the ages of 4 to 10 years. The disorder usually affects mid to large size breeds of dogs, and is rare in toy and miniature breeds of dogs. Breeds that appear to be predisposed to developing the condition include the Golden Retriever, Doberman Pinscher, Irish Setter, Miniature Schnauzer, Dachshund, Cocker Spaniel, and Airedale Terrier. German Shepherds and mixed breeds appear to be at a reduced risk of contracting the disease. There does not appear to be a sex predilection but spayed females appear to develop it more often than intact females.

What are the symptoms?

Thyroid hormone is needed for normal cellular metabolic function. A deficiency of thyroid hormone affects the metabolic function of all organ systems. As a result, the symptoms are usually variable and non-specific. There is not a specific symptom that is diagnostic for hypothyroidism. There are, however, several symptoms that when combined together make the veterinarian more suspicious of the likelihood of the animal having the disease. A study on hypothyroid dogs revealed the following information on the variety and frequency of symptoms seen with the disease:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1597&articleid=449

Why would your father not get the meds his dog needs?