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Thyroid protocol

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • What is it? What does it mean?

    My furry friend has the possibility of it being an issue, bloodwork pending.
    If he does need it, what is it? A pill, a shot, a food supliment? And how often, once a day, twice, 5 times? I seem to recall my mother, human, of course, having thyroid issues that were taken care of by pills and still are ( I'd have to ask to be sure) for many years. Is it the same for our Basenji friends? I'm just concerned and want to know.

  • @BART:

    What is it? What does it mean?

    My furry friend has the possibility of it being an issue, bloodwork pending.
    If he does need it, what is it? A pill, a shot, a food supliment? And how often, once a day, twice, 5 times? I seem to recall my mother, human, of course, having thyroid issues that were taken care of by pills and still are ( I'd have to ask to be sure) for many years. Is it the same for our Basenji friends? I'm just concerned and want to know.

    It's a small pill taken 2x daily at the same time each day. The dosage is dependent on what his panel shows. Where did you have the panel done? A regular vets test usually won't be through enough.

  • @nobarkus:

    It's a small pill taken 2x daily at the same time each day. The dosage is dependent on what his panel shows. Where did you have the panel done? A regular vets test usually won't be through enough.

    Well, it's Doctor Tracy Leonard. I trust her. She's sort of familiar with Basenjis. :)

  • Soloxine is the brand name. I have found over the years that the generic version doesn't work as well as the "real" stuff. I am sure that Dr. Tracy will agree

  • Very simple, as Dan said, small pill(s) twice a day, inexpensive, can make a huge difference in dog's life. But a missed dose is not "life or death" so a hypothyroid dog is easy to medicate and care for!

  • Well, the Fuzz Face has been taking the Thyroid med for 12 days. Call me crazy, but it seems to be working! That black spot where he lost his hair, it's not so black anymore. More a tan, and I think the hair is coming back, but it is hard to tell as it is a thin, short hair area. Anyway, He's still my favorite and only boy and he will always have the best care I can give. "Nuff said.

  • Excellent, having the right amount of thyroid hormone in the system is a good thing! Hopefully it will resolve his fur issues, and I imagine he will feel better too.

  • Usually with thyroid problems the turn around is just about immediate…. it is pretty amazing... so no surprise that you are seeing a change already

  • You know, he's always seemed kinda 'laid-back' compared to my previous B-boy, but he was 5 when I got him. I just thought, knowing a bit of his background (he was previously in a home with a special needs child), that he was just that way. Maybe he has had this thyroid issue for a longer time than it took to manifest itself, physically.

    BTW, the backstory I heard for him involved a neighbor teen that was, supposedly, tortuous to the dog, ultimately leading to a bite. The dog and special needs child were best of friends. all of this could be 'horse hockey'….but even the vet has said he has a great personality.

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    in this order ug/dL ng/dL ng/dL and pg/mL
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    @Abaihya think you need a new Vet, no way should the Thyroid blood test be that price.... They draw the blood and it is sent out....
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    I e-mailed Dr. Dodds a few years ago with Eddie's results (lab recommended no treatment) but she recommended a low dose of soloxine. My vet doesn't have a big ego about it and wrote me the perscription, I think Eddie's disposition evened out and his energy rose, weight dropped a bit too. I send results after every test and she has kept the same dose, never mentioned any fee. And from everything I have ever read, "low normal" results usually mean treatment for a basenji. Dr. Dodds gave me a full explanation of her reasoning, which I showed my vet.
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    Right, but "not uncommon" is kind of evasive wording, if that's the official stance on the problem. Kind of like "It has been known to occur…" But Shiba breeders, by and large, aren't registering thyroid information with OFA, unless there's some mistake with the chart of statistics sorted by breed. MSU does have numbers which suggest that it's not common with Shibas, which I think makes it a low priority for Shiba breeders. But just from what I'm gathering anecdotally, it's definitely something worth looking into, especially for shibas with allergies, which a LOT of them are plagued with. I'm not a member of any breed clubs, so I can't say with authority if the stance on thyroids is changing. I think it's generally of low concern, at the moment, compared to hip dysplasia, patellar luxation, eyes -- which good breeders ARE testing for.
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    Thanks once again Tanza ;). Again I will have to wait for this test to be done… Khani's, our dogs first birthday pressie was info on how to be a good doggie, and follow all the rules Mummy has laid down for them ;););)... I cant believe that they wont follow the manual...
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    OFA is a canine health database registery. Hips and other osteo problems were the first thing they started with…but now they do all kinds of other testing. Our Fanconi test is done through OFA. go here and check it out www.offa.org It is a wonderful resouce for all dog owners, not just breeders. If you are considering buying a basenji puppy, you should be checking here to confirm that the parents (at least one, preferably both) have been tested for Fanconi Syndrome/