Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
French bulldog puppy with congenital hypothyroidism and brain changes
By González, Katia Sánchez et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2024·Northwest Veterinary Specialists, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a French bulldog puppy with genetically confirmed congenital hypothyroidism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-month-old male French bulldog was brought to the vet because he was acting strangely and had trouble walking. The vet found that he had a dome-shaped head and other neurological issues, which were confirmed by an MRI showing brain swelling and thyroid problems. Blood tests showed very low thyroid hormone levels, leading to a diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism (a genetic condition affecting thyroid function). After starting treatment with thyroid hormone supplements, the puppy's symptoms improved quickly.
People also search for: French bulldog puppy abnormal gait · congenital hypothyroidism treatment · puppy thyroid hormone deficiency
Abstract
A 7-month-old male French bulldog was referred for abnormal mentation and gait. Physical examination revealed a dome shaped calvarium and persistent bregmatic fontanelle. Neurological examination revealed proprioceptive ataxia, pelvic limb paraparesis and strabismus with moderate ventriculomegaly, thinning of the cerebral parenchyma, and widened cerebral sulci on magnetic resonance imaging. Masses were identified in the region of the thyroid, which appeared heterogeneous and hyperintense in T1-weighted and T2-weighted compared with the adjacent muscle signal masses were identified. Radiological diagnosis was hydrocephalus "ex vacuo" and goiter. Blood test revealed abnormally low total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (FT4), and normal thyrotropin concentration. A diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism was confirmed by positive genetic test for thyroid peroxidase mutation. Thyroxine supplementation treatment rapidly improved clinical signs.
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 on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38532265/