Thyroid test

dyan

.  Well for me I must say that I don't think that Gibbys feet licking had anything to do with thyroid because they are healed.  He only did it in the fall and they are fine now... his vet said he is acting like allergies from fall growth.

  Sorry; I misread your post and thought you were linking his paw licking to thyroid trouble. Ragweed and mold used to really give Jessie problems in the fall (lots of ear infections) before she started allergy shots.

dyan

that is why I am going here...and his test in the fall  was just a little " iffy" if you remember.....and that is why I should have gone to Dr. Dodds to begin with..let her test it for the Great Dane breed.

  It's going to be interesting to see what she thinks. And I agree that it's a good idea. You'll love dealing with her; she's really nice.

dyan

Believe me...I can really kick myself for not pressing the issue and getting that thryroid tested for Bubby again....why did I listen to that vet?  Perhaps....we could have saved Bubby. It shows that the vets don't know all about some of these illnesses and including thyroid problems.

 (((Dyan))) This developed so quickly and you had so much to deal with. You can ask the holistic vet, but it doesn't seem likely that supplementing her thyroid (if she was hypothyroid) would have helped. Please don't beat yourself up about it.

Thanks Janice!   

You know.... Gibbys paw licking in the fall started me with this thyroid thinking, but I really did/do believe its a fall allergy because of talking to so many others.  But it was that and the yeasty ears and all that took me to The Great Dane Ladys sight...which is reallly what got me thinking about thyroid.  I had to take him in for his paws and decided to get his thyroid checked then....but then all you guys ( some of you guys. LOL ) told me I should have had the test sent to Dr. Dodds.  

Gibby is weird and licks a lot of everything.....not even just himself.  So thats probably an emotional thing OR just his personality....being bored or stressed or what. I do know if you tell him to stop licking he gets pretty neurotic about it a lot of times.  

I really am not sure if I will be dealing with Dr. Dodds or the holistic vet will....but I have gotten an email from her way back with Bubblegum. She is VERY nice!  Your sure right!

I know...I can't blame my self for Bubby...and I sure don't know if we would have checked her thyroid  early enough if it would have made any difference or not..... BUT I still am so mad at myself....I always knew that if anything ever went wrong with her that I needed to get her thyroid checked since she was borderline.  TO find out afterwards that thyroid plays such a big part in those ugly illnesses...just makes me sick that I thought about it too late and listened to the vet to begin with.  BUT...your right...everything went down so fast and so ugly....I couldn't even read the MegaE forum that I eventually learned so much from.

The results are in, Hemopet emailed them to me and to the vet. He is pretty normal and nothing is needed except a suggestion to get it tested next year.

I will watch him, and probably not get him tested until he shows symptoms that could be related to thyroid issues.  While I know it could be a " quick fix " to some issues...just as happy to know that he doesn't need to be on any medication. And I know now...that if I fool with food to see if it is causing a problem or not.......that it won't be in vain.  For now I am going to do nothing...he is doing very well on his Canidea Beef and Fish....     You know he used to vomit bile occasionally.... not often but still once in a while, and he has not at all since he has been on this food. So I'm sticking to it. If he has problems in spring or fall with licking his feet, I'll work on that one.

Wanted to thank everyone for the input though. Nice to have so many informed friends.

Woohoo!!!!  I have been anxious to hear about the tests.  So glad he is doing well with his food.  Give him big hugs for me!

Dyan at least now you KNOW and it levels the playing field.  Now you *can* do more with confidence!

shadowsgin

Give him big hugs for me!

Gave him a couple...

Your right Callie...... it was not wasted money for me.

That's a great rule-out result. Yeah! And, now you have really good baseline data to use down the road.

FrisbyPI

That's a great rule-out result. Yeah! And, now you have really good baseline data to use down the road.

I agree!  Thank you!

 Glad to hear that all is well. Nothing the matter with ruling out things. Now you know and can feel better about things.

 That's very good news and gives you some piece of mind.

ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THYROID IN DOGS---THE SYMPTOMS ARE ABOUT AS PREDICTABLE AS THIS TEXAS WEATHER!   bUCK AND sCOOTER WERE FULL BROTHERS (GOLDEN RETRIEVERS) , BUT DIFFERENT LITTERS, SCOOTER BEING THE OLDER.

WHEN HE TURNED 4 HE BALLOONED UP, HIS FUR STARTED GETTING THIN AND COARSE, HE DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE MUCH ENERGY AND HE TOOK A DISLIKE TO THE BOYS NEXT DOOR (WELL, ACTUALLY HE WASN'T ALONE THERE, LOL).  TESTED, LOW THYROID, PUT ON SOLOXINE AND DIET DOG FOOD, AND IN ABOUT 3 MONTHS, HE WA HIS OLD SELF AGAIN (AND EVEN "RELIKED" THE LITTLE BOYS NEXT DOOR).  FUR WAS THICK AND NICE AGAIN, PLENTY OF ENERGY FOR RETIRVING DUCKS WHEN SEASON OPNED, ETC.

 FAST FORWARD SEVERAL YEARS.  BUCK WAS RIGHT AT 10 AND I TOOK HIMIN FOR DENTAL.  AS ALWAYS I HAVE A FULL PANEL DONE BEFORE ANY SURGERY, DENTAL, ETC.  MY VET WAS ASTONDED TO FIND HIS THYROID WAS VERY LOW, EVEN MUCH LOWER THAN HIS BROTHERS HAD BEEN ALL THODE YEARS AGO.  BUCK DIDN'T HAVE A SINGLE SYMPTOM.  HIS FUR WAS THICK AND SOFT, HE ALWAYS TROTTED RATHER THAN WALKING, PLENTY OF ENERGY, NO CHANGE IN WEIGHT, NO CHANGE IN TEMPERMENT.  HE DOSAGE OF THE SOLOXINE WAS 1 1/2 TIMES THAT OF SCOOTER.

SO I LEARNED THAT THEY CAN SHOW MAY, JUST A FEW, OR NO SYMPTOMS AT ALL.  AND EVER SINCE I HAVE THEM TESTED YEARLY...JUST TO BE ON SAFE SIDE.   ALSO I NOW THAT LOW NORMLA IN A GOLDEN RETRIEVER AND A FEW OTHER REEDS IS ACTUALLY LOW FOR THEM AND THEY DO NEED A LOW DOSE OF MEDS.  THIS IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE ON ALL THEGOLDEN RETRIEVER FORUMS.

DYAN, I WOULD AGREE THAT THE LICKING IS ONLY SOME TIMES SO PROBABLY NOT A FOOD ALLERGY AT ALL.  MY KAYCEE WAS ALLERGY TOBERMUDA GRASS, MOLD SPORES, LIVE OAK AND PINE POLLEN, AND FLEAS, AND PROBABLY OTHER STUFF.  SO THAT POOR GIRLS ALLERGIES SEEM TO RUN ALL YEAR AS ONE OR ANOTHER OF THOSE THINGS WERE ALWAYS AROUND.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FUR BABY.

sandra_slayton

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FUR BABY.

Thank you Sandra.  I will be watching for that season feet licking thing for sure and have a few ideas for it if it comes back. Collected a few ideas the last time.  One thing....now that I know to watch him...I will try to get control before it gets bad.  If I can that is.   And I will be checking out his thyroid from time to time...maybe not next year...depends.