Dog Community

Posted : 12/11/2007 1:43:48 AM

GraniasBard
Finally got the thyroid results back as well. She's a little bit low, but the doc wants to do some research because she says greyhounds naturally run a little low and isn't sure whether IGs are the same or not--plus dogs that have been ill can have low levels as well. Either way, she agreed it's best to wait until the drugs have cleared her system before running more tests and/or starting any treatment.

Dr. Jean Dodds (Hemopet - a non-profit) is a thyroid expert and researcher. She is someone that your vet should consider consulting. If faxed the results of a full thyroid panel, Dr. Dodds will give recommendations. She used to do this at no charge, but that may have changed. Hemopet's thyroid panels are evaluated by Dr. Dodds.
www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

GraniasBard
At least the tests seem to have negated the concerns re: diabetes, Cushings, etc....

If tests ever do indicate Cushings, I would want the Endocrine-Immune blood test done before treatment. One of the last things you want to do is treat for Cushings based on a false positive. Get Dr. Plechner's book for a complete explanation.

Related site & book: http://www.drplechner.com

Plechner, Alfred J. , Pets at Risk: From Allergies to Cancer, Remedies for an Unsuspected Epidemic, 9/2003
http://tinyurl.com/4bhje

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/11/2007 11:31:57 PM

Pred skews thyroid results -- Janet is right -- ask your vet to send it to Dr. Dodds OR to Michigan State. MS just did a HUGE study last summer about the effect of pred (and steroids generally) on thyroid. Essentially it's going to make the results read HIGH not low. So if it's showing low it's likely to be REALLY low.

But honestly -- ask the vet to send it to Dr. Dodds (who will talk to your vet on the phone or via email -- she is MARVELOUS about that) or to MState.

GraniasBard

Posted : 12/23/2007 5:37:56 PM

Ems had her last cyclosporine yesterday morning! She went from 70 mg a day to 10 mg every other day over the course of nearly five months. She's still on the pred--2.5 mg every other day--but they'll probably start reducing that again after a couple weeks.

Her vet is out of town but has been doing some research on sighthounds and thyroid levels. I'm going to talk to her when she gets back and see what she found out. They'll probably re-test--there are some tests that give more accurate readings for greyhounds, etc., since their blood levels tend to be a little different--and look into getting some advice reading/dealing with the results. Her regular vet and I both want her off as many of the meds as possible (she'll finish the antibiotic she's on for the UTI tomorrow night) before beginning anything else so that if she reacts we'll know that it's to the new meds and not the reduction in the old ones....

Anyway, just an update. And it's weird...her hair seems thicker on her spine, where it was thinning. Maybe she rubbed some of it off, or it was a reaction to the cyclo (we dropped from 25 to 10 several weeks ago), or something. Doesn't mean there's not a problem with the thyroid...but it would be interesting if the symptom that led them to do the tests is actually unconnected (still, I'll take what I can get so far as early warnings are concerned).

calliecritturs

Posted : 12/23/2007 7:25:16 PM

It was the cyclosporine -- Billy's did the SAME thing (got thin in a strip down his back) and THAT resolved with one of the drops in cyclosporine.

I think you'll find, if your vet can handle the input, that Michigan state has ALREADY done that research, and between that and the already=breed specific protocols of Dr. Dodds and Michigan State you'll find you get a TON of help from them and a far far FAR more accurate reading.

GraniasBard

Posted : 1/5/2008 4:35:26 PM

Emma's latest test yesterday showed that her red blood cell count is 54 and change. I asked Dr. Paben about it because I'd thought it would have dropped as her meds dropped. I told her that I'd had a complete wellness exam done in May, with bloodwork and everything, and she pulled the file. Turns out that her PCV in May was...hold onto your hats...57! I have no idea why, but hers is apparently just normally really high.

The doc cut her pred dosage in half again and told me either to give her half a 2.5 mg pill every other day, or a 2.5 mg pill every fourth day, and that it didn't matter which way I did it. She says we'll do that for about four weeks and then probably take her off the pred entirely! Once she's free of the meds they'll retest her thyroid to try to get a clear reading. It's weird that it's always been normal until that one test; hopefully we'll get accurate levels and can go from there (I'll give her Dr. Dodd's info as well).