Gun Dog Forum

We had a thyroid panel done on our 5 year old English last Monday after he showed some very uncharacteristic aggression. We also had noticed his coat was different and he was shedding considerably and had put on some weight. It came back low so he’s now been on meds for a week tomorrow. When should we expect to see a change? He got aggressive today while our 2 year old is home and it made it all too real. I guess I’m looking for someone who has gone through thyroid issues with a dog and wondering could the aggression really be “fixed” by the thyroid meds? We are also going back to strict rules that we had gotten a little lax on. Just looking for some guidance.

Thanks

It may depend on the cause of the low thyroid function. If it’s simple sluggishness you might see response fairly quickly but if it’s a case of something Hashi’s, where there are anti- thyroid antibodies floating around, might take several momths.

Here is a link to an article by Dr. Jean Dodds, who is a canine thyroid guru.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-ang ... havior.htm

Good luck with your dog, I hope he turns around for you soon. Remember that the nastiness isn’t his fault right now - his brain isn’t able to work correctly. Good on you for taking care of his problem.

shags wrote:It may depend on the cause of the low thyroid function. If it’s simple sluggishness you might see response fairly quickly but if it’s a case of something Hashi’s, where there are anti- thyroid antibodies floating around, might take several momths.

Here is a link to an article by Dr. Jean Dodds, who is a canine thyroid guru.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-ang ... havior.htm

Good luck with your dog, I hope he turns around for you soon. Remember that the nastiness isn’t his fault right now - his brain isn’t able to work correctly. Good on you for taking care of his problem.

Yup, thanks, Shags!
Thyroid issues, depending on why they are and just how low can take weeks to months to even out. Outright aggression can happen with thyroid, but is not necessarily common. Has your vet thoroughly examined him for other issues such as pain? That very commonly can turn a perfectly happy dog into a grumpy pants.

Fozzie's Mom wrote:

shags wrote:It may depend on the cause of the low thyroid function. If it’s simple sluggishness you might see response fairly quickly but if it’s a case of something Hashi’s, where there are anti- thyroid antibodies floating around, might take several momths.

Here is a link to an article by Dr. Jean Dodds, who is a canine thyroid guru.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-ang ... havior.htm

Good luck with your dog, I hope he turns around for you soon. Remember that the nastiness isn’t his fault right now - his brain isn’t able to work correctly. Good on you for taking care of his problem.

Has your vet thoroughly examined him for other issues such as pain? That very commonly can turn a perfectly happy dog into a grumpy pants.

Definitely a lot more common than aggression caused by low thyroid, imho.