Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Autoantibodies to triiodothyronine and thyroxine in a golden retriever.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association
- Year:
- 1996
- Authors:
- Kemppainen, R J et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology · United States
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A golden retriever was showing signs of hypothyroidism, which is when the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones. Tests revealed that the dog had autoantibodies, which are proteins that mistakenly attack the body's own thyroid hormones, causing misleadingly high hormone levels in some tests. However, a more accurate test showed that the actual level of free T4, a key thyroid hormone, was very low. After starting treatment with L-thyroxine, a synthetic thyroid hormone, the dog's health improved significantly, and the free T4 levels returned to normal. Overall, the treatment was successful.
Abstract
A golden retriever presented with signs of hypothyroidism occurring in conjunction with autoantibodies to both triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). The autoantibodies caused the apparent concentrations of total T3, total T4, and free T4 by analog assay to be high. However, free T4 concentration was nondetectable when measured using a dialysis assay. The dog's clinical condition markedly improved in response to L-thyroxine therapy, and the free T4 concentration by dialysis assay increased into the normal range. Thyroid hormone autoantibodies can confuse the diagnostic evaluation for suspected hypothyroidism. In dogs with autoantibodies to T4, measurement of free T4 by dialysis assay is useful for both diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring purposes.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8731132/