Thyroid & Hair Loss - Page 2

Hodie - interesting - she shows some signs, however she is only 2 and this is a disease older dogs get. But it could be a possibility...she has been drinking a ton of water, has those skin symptoms, loss of hair and increase appetite and potbelly appearance.

GSDLVR, any chance you are close to Cornell University in NY?

No, Blitzen - I am in the southeast.

Too bad, one of the best vet dermatologists in the country is there. Well, I hope you find something that helps, the synthroid sure can't hurt. Good luck!

Cushings is really easy to test for, it is expensive though, around $150 up here. I work for a vet and the youngest dog I have seen diagnosed with Cushings was three, I would definatly have her checked. Good luck with her, keep us posted!

GSDLVR, the drinking of lots of water, and eating more are probably related to the steroid I think you said she was on. If not, then it is still very likely that something is really out of whack with hormones. Giving thyroid medication IF that is not the problem could be the wrong thing to do. If you do it, be sure you have a vet who understands the endocrine system. A specialist would be a best bet to straighten this out. This may be one of the health problems which, if misdiagnosed and treated, end up having a treatment which is absolutely counter to what should be done. Keep us posted.

Nobody here has suggested the possibility of a flea (saliva) allergy. Our GSDs can be terribly allergic to flea bites. The flea has a protein in their saliva which assists the flea somehow.. I think by delaying coagulation of blood, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I've seen what fleas can do to some dogs and it's not pretty. I'm in S. California and the S.E. US would have similar heat and humidity. I think that this has been especially bad this summer in most places, but I know we had record heat here. If your dog does have a flea allergy, it will take the bite of only one or two fleas to unleash a full-blown allergic reaction, complete with self-mutilation and chewing. The only solution is to absolutely prevent flea exposure. This requires treating your own property extensively with sprays, foggers and washing of bedding in hot soapy water. You don't have to see any fleas! For every flea that you DO see, there may be two hundred that you don't. Or, your dog could get bitten by one flea at the dog park, and you are hosed. One trick that I liked to do was to have one particular dog (without flea allergy problems) running free all around the property every day, and to have that dog always treated with Spotton (Fenthion) or some other brand of systemic topical insecticide. One treated dog like that can keep your whole place free of fleas. And remember that roaming cats can bring in fleas, also! So, having a loose dog might help keep the cats out of your yard. As far as treating the allergic dog, it will take about two weeks after the last exposure to see the itching abate, without giving Prednisone (should be a last resort). But you can accelerate things by giving a debriding shampoo, usually a good dandruff shampoo, to help remove the dead skin flakes. I used to do real well with the original Head and Shoulders, or a real Selenium Sulfide shampoo (shake extremely well before using). You can spot treat the areas that are real bad, and use a regular shampoo for the areas that have healthy haircoat. When the dog is still slightly damp, you can use pure olive oil to moisturize and protect the skin from drying out too much. The whole idea is to keep the dead skin from crusting over on healthy skin. This only provides a habitat for overgrown colonies of Staphylococcus Aureus, etc. You can also help your dog a lot by putting maybe two tablespoons to a quarter cup of fresh corn oil (cooking oil, not rancid or old) in the food. This corn oil has a LOT of lineoleic acid in it, which is extremely good for the development of healthy skin and coat. If you do all these things and are patient, you may have a healthy dog with new coat growing in in three weeks. And the hyperpigmentation may be just a reaction of the skin to sun exposure. I've seen dogs like that get healthy coats again with just the steps I've outlined here. By the way.. A lot of our dogs don't do well as indoor dogs. Living outdoors seems to help promote good skin / coat metabolism. And if you decide that the problem IS flea-allergy related, you should consider to place the dog in an arid and / or cold climate.

Are you close enough to Gainesville Florida - University of Florida there has an excellent small animal teching group.Just a thought...

Frankly, I'd be looking for a vet dermatologist if you aren't already using one. There are too many citical things going on with this dog to leave the diagnosis to a GP vet. Try a vet school or vet group that has a dermatoglist on staff. All the scratching and your description of her overall appearance seems to indicate an very profound allergic reaction. Dogs that can't cope with allergens are immune cripples, so you might need to find a way to boost her immune system before you will see any results. Many times these problem are more than skin deep, no pun intended. Been there, done that, am speaking from experience. Seek out a specialist. Good luck, keep us posted.

GSDLVR-- Is the dog on prednisone or any steroid now (even in topical form such as an ointment)? And, if not---what was she on, and for how long? If she has Cushings, it's very possible the disease is a direct result of the steroid. It's just a continual cycle as suggested by hodie. All the allergies are a direct result of the immune deficiency. Yes, it could be the thyroid. You need an answer---but if I were you, I'd get her on a high dose of antibiotic treatment for an extended amount of time. After you have started the treatment (at least a week), I'd give a dose of Frontline. After another few days, I'd give Interceptor. (When administering Frontline and Interceptor I'd also give 25mg capsule of Benadryl). Also, I'd boost that immune system--give daily 1000mg ester c, 200mg vitamin E, 250mg colostrum, and 1 raw egg. No vaccinations.--At least until she has somewhat recovered. This is an ongoing problem---it is manageable, but you have to be on top of it. The steroids (in ANY form) are killing her. It's like pouring scalding water on a burn. You're going to have to find a topical treatment (without steroids) to help relieve the itch. I sound like a broken record already, but I feel for the dog. She desperately needs a boost--I would get antibiotics. After a course of treatment, you develop a management plan. I read in your initial post that you tried other strategies--but, if they were in conjunction with pred or steroids, failure was inevitable. Whatever your plan of action, I hope you succeed.