Dog Hypothyroidism Hair Regrowth
The remaining hair is dry and sheds easily.
Dog hypothyroidism hair regrowth. This can cause many systemic changes including weight gain hair loss lethargy and susceptibility to infections most noticeably of the skin and ears. Hair loss may develop slowly with hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. While it is usually treatable learning that your dog has a thyroid condition is understandably concerning. If your dog has been extremely tired lately or has been having issues with their skin or hair they could have hypothyroidism.
It s a common disease in dogs it affects all breeds but it is often found in golden retrievers doberman pinschers irish setters dachshunds boxers and cocker spaniels. It is common in medium to large sized dogs with some being more. The thyroid gland is in the neck. While the exact cause of thyroid dysfunction in our canine companions isn t clear we do know how hypothyroidism affects dogs and how to treat it.
And those are the signs your conventional vet looks for too. But it s not always that obvious. The symptoms of low iron also mimic the symptoms of hypothyroidism because ferritin is required for proper thyroid conversion and function. For these reasons iron is almost more important than your thyroid hormone when evaluating hair loss.
The thyroid gland is an essential gland in the body producing a number of hormones including t3 liothyronine and t4 levothyroxine both of which are required for normal metabolism in the body. Hypothyroidism is an abnormality of the thyroid gland leading to a reduction in the dog s metabolic state. Diagnosis is made by a series of blood tests. Thankfully thyroid problems in dogs are easy to diagnose and manage.
With hypothyroidism the gland doesn t make enough of that hormone. The hair loss occurs primarily over the body sparing the head and legs. Treatment is oral thyroid hormone replacement and is lifelong. The hair loss occurs primarily over the body sparing the head and legs and is usually not accompanied by itching or redness of the skin.
So your vet may never include thyroid testing in your dog s blood work. It makes a hormone called thyroxine that controls metabolism the process of turning food into fuel. Hair loss from hypothyroidism and now hair loss from low iron caused by low thyroid function. A classic symptom of dog hypothyroidism is hair loss which is bilateral and symmetrical.
Hypothyroidism is a clinical condition resulting from a lowered production and release of t4 and t3 hormones by the thyroid gland. Thyroid disease is a relatively common problem in dogs. Would you know if your dog had hypothyroidism. You might consider getting him tested if you saw some better known symptoms.
Instead your hair may seem thinner all over. So it may involve the two sides of the dog s body the front of the neck down to the chest or the top of the tail.