My 10 month golden retriever has hypothyroid? And now she is very stiff on her back legs.?

Question

She has had hair loss but no loss of energy. She is also very touchy if you try to stroke her on her back or near her hind legs.

We were told by our vet that she is showing signs of anxiety and to work her harder which we have and the poor dog can hardly move now. He is now saying she could have arthiritis or hip dysplacia. Her mother and fathers hips were good. This is our second vet opinion, The first one reckon she picked up a mite from the woods. Has anyone had any similar problems with their retreiver?

Answer 1

Wow your girl is very young to have thyroid problems. First is she on meds for this?? I hope so. They are very inexpensive and they do work to regulate the thyroid.
I would not attach her thyroid problems with her hips at all. It does sound like she has the beginning of hip dysplacia.

Mites will not cause this unless it is Lyme disease. I would have your vet double check her thyroid levels again they may need to-be adjusted and get her a Lyme test too. It is done by a blood draw.

I'm so sorry your girl is having all these problems. thyroid is inherited and I always had my golden's screened and cleared for this. It is too bad your breeder didn't. Hips are supposed to be OFA scored to be absolutely sure they are good enough to breed a dog.

Please speak to your vet again and have them check for what I have mentioned. Then If nothing comes of it I'd find a good University Veterinary college and have your girl evaluated there.

All my very best to you and your Golden girl!

Answer 2

The thyroid conditon can cause issues with the dogs behavior/mental health and can also cause hair loss as well as other symptoms.
Is the dog on medication for the thyroid condition? If she is and it hasn't been that long it will take a while for the medicine to start working and then the vet will have to do blood tests to make sure the dog is getting the correct amount of medicine. It will take some time to get the right amount so they will have to do regular blood tests. Even when they get the levels stabilized they still usually check the levels every month to make sure it is in the range it needs to be.
The dogs hips need to be x-ray to be checked for hip dysplasia. She is really really young to be having all of these problems.
I hope that thing will work out well for her.

Answer 3

So,did the vet put her on thyroid replacement pills? This will help ,but it will take a few weeks for the hair to start growing back.Also,did they give her anything for the stiffness ( Rimadyl,Deramaxx).Two good supplements for her would be Cosequin DS and Salmon oil.They are both great for joint problems,and the salmon oil will help her coat as well.I would try them if I were you,but you might want to have the dog tested for Lyme disease.If you live near the woods,the dog may have been bitten by a deer tick,and stiffness in the joints is a symptom.The dog will need to be treated with antibiotics if she does have Lyme disease.Good luck in finding out what's wrong.

Answer 4

If she is touchy on her back and rear legs when stroking, it could be a spinal issue or some other musculo-skeletal thing. You may want to get a third opinion. If you live near a veterinary school you might take your dog there to be evaluated.

I also have a Golden pup almost 10-months and I think she is showing signs of hip dysplasia (some bunny hopping when running or playing, occasionally rear right leg falls out from under her on slippery surfaces, occassionally hopping when she walks a lot of stairs, rear right leg seems to be stiff and the gait is not quite normal). Her parents did not have issues either. I will have my vet see her soon. Luckily we live near Philadelphia and Univ. of Pennsylvania has a great vet school that is known for orthopedics.

As for the hair loss, it could be mites, ringworm, mange, allergies or a lot of other things.

Answer 5

Has she had x-rays done of her back and hips?? That would tell for certain if it was her hips. Sometimes the meds can cause muscle pain too. Or maybe she's just sore from working a lot. Was she tested for lymes disease? And just because her parents were negative for hip problems, doesn't mean she's ok. I've sceen it skip a few generations. If she's that sensitive when your pet her back, there could be nerve damage that could stem from anywhere. Lymes disease, fibromyalgia. I hope she feels better soon.

Answer 6

We often see hypothyroid symptoms totally reversed when commits to a plan that supports balance through nutrition and daily self-care. Learn here https://tr.im/Cy1Q9

Consume foods naturally high in B vitamins, such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds, and iodine (fish, seaweed, vegetables and root vegetables).
Exercise daily, at least 30–60 minutes per day, 4–5 times a week.
Practice deep breathing and other techniques that trigger the “relaxation response” – such as meditation and guided visualization.

Answer 7

sounds more probable about the mite in the woods. hypothyroidism should make them fat and lazy and also there may be some hairloss. seek a specialist for that and monitor her diet closely. try to go on long walks or let her exercise as much as she can. the thing about her legs sounds like something else. good luck.

Answer 8

I would get a new one and start over... seriously. We had a puppy that was VERY timid, afraid of strangers, and as it grew it began to snap and actually run up and bite the heels and legs of people. We took it to the pound.. they probably killed it, and we got a new puppy that was just WONDERFUL.. we have had the new dog two years and he is so great with everybody.

Sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and start over...