Vet help re hypo-thyroid
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Tia's Mommy
Vet help re hypo-thyroid
My 10 year old toy poodle was recently diagnosed with hypothyroid. She was originally prescribed 0.1 mg Levothyroxine Sodium. After a retest 3 weeks later her dosage was increased to 0.15 mg. It is now 4 weeks since the new dosage and she is still very slow and not an inkly of a weight gain (she gained 2 lbs in about 6 mos - originally weighting 7.5lbs). When should I take her to be retested again - or should I? Also, are there any side effects to the medication. She seems to be leaking urine or something (not really smelly) and I don't know if it is connected to the med's or just an age thing. Thanks in advance!
Re: Vet help re hypo-thyroid
I don't have any experience with hypothyroid dogs, but from what I know about thyroid disorders, I believe it can take a while for things to get back to normal. The leaking urine might be related to the condition since insufficient thryroid hormones can affect muscle tone. If it were my dog, I'd get a recheck on the medication level as well as a urinalysis to rule out any infection. It could be related to the thryoid condition, an infection, or simply an age-related thing as you mentioned. Without getting the testing done, there is no way to be sure. With such a tiny dog, I'm sure the vet is taking it very slow with the Rx amount to make sure she doesn't get too much.
I'm a little confused about her weight. Did she gain weight before the diagnosis or lose it? I'm going to assume you meant that she gained the 2 lbs before her diagnosis and hasn't lost it yet (the usual situation with hypothyroid conditions). The weight may not come off on it's own. Unfortunately, older dogs, like older people, may have difficulty losing weight without decreasing caloric intake. However, if she is still sluggish due to inadequate meds, the weight should come off once the medication is properly regulated and she becomes more active.
Good luck
I'm a little confused about her weight. Did she gain weight before the diagnosis or lose it? I'm going to assume you meant that she gained the 2 lbs before her diagnosis and hasn't lost it yet (the usual situation with hypothyroid conditions). The weight may not come off on it's own. Unfortunately, older dogs, like older people, may have difficulty losing weight without decreasing caloric intake. However, if she is still sluggish due to inadequate meds, the weight should come off once the medication is properly regulated and she becomes more active.
Good luck
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." ~ Josh Billings.
Re: Vet help re hypo-thyroid
agree with k9Karen and I also wonder about the weight, usually hypo-T dogs are overweight and slowly get back to a normal weight when a good level of replacement thyroxine is attained.
Side effects of overdosing to watch for : our dog Roxy was Hypo-T and she was dosed at too high a level at one time. She became hyper active, developed insomnia and was very anxious until we got her meds adjusted down to a proper level. As k9Karen says, the positive effects of thyroid replacement therapy can take quite awhile...some conditions can take up to six months before any real improvement is noticed.
Side effects of overdosing to watch for : our dog Roxy was Hypo-T and she was dosed at too high a level at one time. She became hyper active, developed insomnia and was very anxious until we got her meds adjusted down to a proper level. As k9Karen says, the positive effects of thyroid replacement therapy can take quite awhile...some conditions can take up to six months before any real improvement is noticed.