[MyFairLacy]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

thanks for the answers. I thought about the thyroid but also read that it is very rare in toy breeds. I will ask my vet though and if he thinks it is a possibility I will do it. I think its easy to say to get all the rest of the tests, but frankly I dont have the money to just let them guess as to what may be wrong. I take good care of my dogs but with only one income...I have to make choices. If they are sick , they go to the vet, I find a way to pay...but its hard to justify spending money without at least some direction to go on which is why I asked for some ideas.
I am thankful for vet care but I also know there are times I have been ripped off...for instance 2 weeks ago my 11 yr old Maltese had a second bout of diarrhea and vomiting in 3 weeks. The first time they gave her fluids, meds, and charged $75, which I was glad to pay. The second time they did the same things, but also added expensive xrays and special blood tests. (a total bill of $250) If theY had taken a more cautious approach and even waited till the next day, she was completely better and didnt need those tests. I am getting more and more cautious about running to the vet. I want to save the limited money I have for when I really need it, in a emergency . thanks for all the suggestions. i am making an appointment for next week.

Hypothyroidism is very common in dogs period. There are certain breeds that are even more prone to it, but it's not uncommon in toy breeds. In fact I have a friend whose 3 year old yorkie was just diagnosed this past summer..he didn't really even have many symptoms other than hair loss and it not growing well. His vet decided to test his thyroid just in case and it did come back low. I can't tell you for sure without a test but I really think hypothyroidism is a good posibility and a feasible place to start. A thyroid test shouldn't cost too much..it will take a couple days to get results. And if it is hypothyroidism, fortunately it's inexpensive to treat (although it's a treatment for life).