Once your veterinarian has determined a stable dose, your dog will most likely need to have his thyroid levels retested once or twice a year and continue the stable dose of medication, for the rest of his life. Your veterinarian may need to adjust your dog’s dosage over time, and you should expect to see results after one to two months. The dosage will vary depending on your dog’s weight and thyroid levels. Your veterinarian will probably give your dog a prescription for thyroxine, a replacement hormone compound, to offset your dog’s low thyroid function. This is a good initial screening test for hypothyroidism, however, your veterinarian may recommend running further tests to get a definitive result. One of these tests will probably be a test of your dog’s T4 concentration. This will probably require several blood tests to determine if your dog exhibits any of the abnormalities commonly associated with the disease, and regular monitoring of your dog’s thyroid levels. Your veterinarian will diagnose your dog based on clinical signs and careful diagnostic testing. This can make diagnosing a thyroid condition tricky, so be patient as you work with your veterinarian to get to the root of your dog’s symptoms. Other diseases also affect the thyroid levels, but are not hypothyroidism. Some conditions or clinical signs even improve with thyroid medication. This is because many diseases mimic hypothyroidism. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that hypothyroidism is one of the most over-diagnosed diseases in dogs. Medium-to- large-size breeds are more likely to develop the disease than toy and miniature breeds, and the Cocker Spaniel, Miniature Schnauzer, Dachshund, Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, Airedale Terrier, and Irish Setter appear to be predisposed to developing the condition. Some breeds do appear to be at greater risk of developing hypothyroidism than others.
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