Yorkie's hypothyroid???

[tuffy1]

I have posted several times about my 8 year old yorkie that hais progressive hair loss. The vet sent a specimen to Univ of Michigan for a thyroid panel and it showed several values were low, but the tsh was normal. They have put him on 0.75 mg synthroid twice a day. We still do not know if this is his only problem, but they suggested treating it first. I was under the impression that yorkies dont really have thryoid problems, at least that is what the vets here say. Just curious how many other thyroid babies there are out there, and if anyone has any comments about hypothyroidism.

[Meggie]

Not one of my Yorkies, but one of my Cairns had thyroid problems.
She was losing her hair & the vet found it was that by the fact that the hair loss was symmetrical on both sides of her body.
She was put on thyroid pills, suppose they were similar to the ones I take as I have it too. Her problem righted itself after a few weeks & she was able to come off the pills.
She lived a further six years, to 15, without needing further treatment for it.

Doesn't seem to work like that for people!

[Yorkiedaze]

When my Zada kept gaining weight even with only 1/4 cup of food twice a day, I took her in for a check up and blood test. She also has hypothyroidism and was put on leventa thyroid solution.

[bchgirl]

A friend's yorkie was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. There's a more detailed test available than just the panel and it can also determine whether or not the thyroid condition is genetic or not.

[Yorkiedaze]

Originally Posted by bchgirl

A friend's yorkie was recently diagnosed with hypothyroidism. There's a more detailed test available than just the panel and it can also determine whether or not the thyroid condition is genetic or not.

The recommended blood test for screening purposes is the total T4. This test is indicated for dogs that have findings suggestive of hypothyroidism on physical examination. A normal T4 is fairly conclusive evidence that the dog does not have hypothyroidism. However, a low-normal or below normal level does not mean the dog is hypothyroid, because concentrations below normal are common for many reasons other than hypothyroidism.
To avoid overdiagnosing and overtreating the disease, it is important to confirm the significance of a low T4 using a more accurate thyroid function test, such as the FT4, by equilibrium dialysis. Other blood tests also are available for diagnosing hypothyroidism. One is an assay for thyroglobulin autoantibodies; these autoantibodies are present in about 50 percent of cases of autoimmune thyroiditis. This test must be sent to a special laboratory for analysis.

[bjh]

Here is a great article on hypothyroidism.
http://www.dirt-dog.com/vet/thyroid.html

There are some that think hypothyroidism is linked to over-vaccination.

[SophieRose]

Originally Posted by tuffy1

I have posted several times about my 8 year old yorkie that hais progressive hair loss. The vet sent a specimen to Univ of Michigan for a thyroid panel and it showed several values were low, but the tsh was normal. They have put him on 0.75 mg synthroid twice a day. We still do not know if this is his only problem, but they suggested treating it first. I was under the impression that yorkies dont really have thryoid problems, at least that is what the vets here say. Just curious how many other thyroid babies there are out there, and if anyone has any comments about hypothyroidism.

Charlie is 11 and has thyroid deficiency. Just before I adopted him, I had my vet run a full panel and his T4 was -0-. The little pink pill has helped his coat improve and skin looks healthy. His T4 hadn't been checked in almost a year, and his coat was becoming thin again. A full panel on empty stomach showed his T4 was low, so we boosted the Soloxine. So, far he has had two draws and will follow up with another in 4-6 weeks.

I believe your vet is mistaken to say Yorkies don't have thyroid problems. Many times they are treated for allergies, when they have thyroid problems.

There are some excellent articles on the web about this condition. Good luck. Deborah

[Matthew]

My vet said that thyroid problems are fairly common with Yorkies. Stanford also had hair loss, so she did the full panel on him...and it all came back normal. Now his hair is slowly growing back in.
So yes, at least according to my vet, Yorkies do have this problem.