Thyroid Levels to high or too low?

[boydogs]

Here is what's going on with my 9 year old Lab (113 lbs).

My Lab has been on medication for Hypothyroidism (Levothyroxine Sodium, USP - 1 tablet 0.08 mg twice a day). for several years and off & on has always had skin & weight problems.

In the last couple of weeks he had the following problems which increased to the point of severe:

- inflamed patches of skin all over his body
- oozing sores that resembled "hot spots"
- excessive hair loss in patches
- scabby crusted areas in several places on his belly

(all of this went from just "his normal" skin irratations to bad really fast.)

I took him to the vet and he had staph infection on the sores. They gave him a shot & antibiotics and also had me increase his Thyroid medication to 1-1/2 tablets twice a day. They also ran test on his Thyroid to check his levels.

Last week the vet called me to say the thyroid tests were in and they were very high and told me to decrease his thyroid medication to 1 tablet per day. (sorry I don't know exactly what the levels were.)

This is confusing because, my thinking is; if he had to much thyroid medication than he should have shown symptoms of thirst, hyper activity, ect. Which he didn't show ANY of those symptoms. Instead he showed symptoms that are more indicative of having extremely low levels of thyroid.

Note: I didn't even think to tell the vet about a suppliment that I had been giving him. In July, after worrying about his off & on skin problems (periods of dry, itchy skin & frequent ear infections & excessive hair shedding,) I read about a natural ingredient supplement that was suppose to give him better skin & coat conditions and I ordered it. (Dinovite).

This is what is listed about the supplement:
Our natural dog supplement is made from top-notch natural ingredients to give your dog a healthy meal. With our supplement he gets the digestive enzymes, beneficial bacteria, vitamins, minerals, and delicate nutrients that he so desperately needs - ones he can't get from his dog food. Once in your dog's system, the digestive enzymes, "good bacteria", and delicate nutrients and vitamins will help your dog heal naturally - giving him relief from allergies, itching, scratching, shedding, gas, joint issues and so many other common dog health problems!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - healthy shiny coat
Antioxidants - cell structure
Trace Minerals - many body functions
Digestive Enzymes - help digestion
Direct Fed Microbials - good for digestion too

Zinc - helps dull coat, scaly skin and improves immune system

Our all natural ingredients: Ground flax, kelp meal (Ascophyllum nodosum), yeast culture, ground grain sorghum, diatomaceous earth, zinc methionine, montmorillonite clay, yucca schidigera, alfalfa meal, ascorbic acid , Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product dehydrated, Lactobacillus casei fermentation product dehydrated, Bifido bacterium bifidium fermentation product dehydrated, Streptococcus faecium fermentation product dehydrated, Aspergillus oryzae fermentation product dehydrated.


About 4 days before I took him to the vet I had stopped giving him the supplement. So my question to you is:

1. Is there anything in the supplement that could have caused a negative reaction with his Thyroid medication resulting in the sores & hair loss?

2. Is there anything in the supplement that mixed with Levothyroxine Sodium could cause a false reading his Thyroid test results (making them appear to be higher than they really are)?

I will also ask the vet next week, but when I took him I didn't even think to tell the vet that he had been taking this.

Please advise, as my only concern is in seeing that my dog gets the right treatment and I may be confused as to what a dog is suppose to act like when his levels are too high. Just like with humans, even natural ingredients can mix adversely with dog prescription medications.

Any help out there would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

[hazelrunpack]

My understanding of thyroid levels in dogs is that canines clear excess thyroid hormone from the body very quickly and therefore don't exhibit many, if any, symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

, I'm not sure if the supplement could have interfered with the meds or have caused your dog's symptoms.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Originally Posted by boydogs

Here is what's going on with my 9 year old Lab (113 lbs).

My Lab has been on medication for Hypothyroidism (Levothyroxine Sodium, USP - 1 tablet 0.08 mg twice a day). for several years and off & on has always had skin & weight problems.

In the last couple of weeks he had the following problems which increased to the point of severe:

- inflamed patches of skin all over his body
- oozing sores that resembled "hot spots"
- excessive hair loss in patches
- scabby crusted areas in several places on his belly

(all of this went from just "his normal" skin irratations to bad really fast.)

I took him to the vet and he had staph infection on the sores. They gave him a shot & antibiotics and also had me increase his Thyroid medication to 1-1/2 tablets twice a day. They also ran test on his Thyroid to check his levels.

Last week the vet called me to say the thyroid tests were in and they were very high and told me to decrease his thyroid medication to 1 tablet per day. (sorry I don't know exactly what the levels were.)

These are all classic signs of low thyroid levels in dogs
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body...hyroidism.html

http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/hyperthyroidism.html
Hyperthyroidism most commonly occurs in middle to old age cats, and more recently, dogs. {Though still rare.} There is no sex or breed predilection, though some dog breeds have had more case files than others. Hyperthyroidism is a slowly progressive disease which effects many organ systems. The most common clinical features of hyperthyroidism are elevated heart rate, weight loss, increased appetite, nervousness, increased water intake and urination, and increased activity. Less commonly seen are decreased appetite, decreased activity, weakness and labored breathing.

http://www.orangevillavet.com/articl...hyroidism2.htm
Hyperthyroidism occurs when too much thyroid hormone is created and released from the thyroid glands. It can also be caused from too much oral thyroid replacement hormone for hypothyroid patients. The reason that the gland secretes more hormones is because the gland enlarges and becomes over active. Generally, this is from benign (non-cancerous) growth. Although not a cancer, this overactive thyroid gland tissue can cause life-threatening problems, which will be discussed later. This overgrowth can be from 1 gland, both glands, or from a piece of abnormal thyroid tissue elsewhere in the body. This thyroid tissue in an abnormal location is called ectopic thyroid tissue. About 20% of cats with hyperthyroidism have disease in only one gland. At this point, it is not well understood why the thyroid tissue becomes abnormal. In humans there are special antibodies that stimulate the thyroid gland, which is called Grave’s Disease. These antibodies are absent in cats. It could be genetics, viral, or environmental (such as dietary). We just don’t know. In very rare cases, the thyroid glands can become cancerous (less than 5% in cats). Generally these cancers are not functional (don’t increase thyroid hormone production) but they can. Cancer is the main cause of hyperthyroidism in dogs (other than over treatment of hypothyroidism).

The best person to ask about conflicts with the meds is your vet, you can call the office & ask the reception to have the vet call you when they are doing their call backs for the day.

[boydogs]

Thanks for the responses and I will give him a call tomorrow.

Again Thanks

[Dr Lee]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

My understanding of thyroid levels in dogs is that canines clear excess thyroid hormone from the body very quickly and therefore don't exhibit many, if any, symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

You are absolutely right on this one!

-different in cats though