Thyroid
Disease
Is Fido
acting strange?
It could be his thyroid
By
Dana Cox
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What
is thyroiditis and who gets it?
Known as Hashimoto’s Disease in
humans, thyroiditis is basically an inflammation
of the thyroid gland that runs in families.
According to Dr. Dodds, if not treated,
the condition almost always leads to clinically
expressed hypothyroidism. In dogs, the
symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight
gain, poor skin and coat, and loss of
energy.
Before this stage, however, the dog goes
through a period Dr. Dodds refers to as
the inflammatory “storm”,
which can produce symptoms completely
opposite to those of clinical hypothyroidism.
“At the early stages of the disease,
we’re seeing behavior problems such
as biting, attention deficit disorder,
moodiness, more separation anxiety or
obsessive bonding with one family member.
Or a dog that never barked at the mail
carrier before suddenly can’t stand
him anymore.”
Dr. Dodds’ research shows that some
breeds are more genetically predisposed
to the disease than others. Those with
a relatively high prevalence include the
English setter, golden retriever, Shetland
sheepdog, American cocker spaniel, boxer,
Doberman pinscher, Labrador retriever,
German shepherd, akita, Irish setter,
old English sheepdog, English pointer,
German wirehaired pointer, Maltese, Kuvasz,
Skye terrier, petit basset griffon vendeen,
and the collie. However, all breeds, including
mixed ones (particularly those made up
of the breeds above), are affected to
some extent.
What
triggers the disease?
While genes determine which dogs may develop
thyroiditis, like all autoimmune diseases
it remains dormant until triggered. Triggers
can be varied. “There’s an
event,” explains Dr. Dodds, “either
a chemical exposure, a stress, a hormonal
change, another dog coming into the household
or someone becoming ill. Vaccines are
clearly an obvious trigger. They’re
probably more associated with thyroiditis
than some other chemicals because more
animals are vaccinated than are exposed
to substances like household insecticides.”
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Published
in the April/May 2004 issue of Animal
Wellness
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