Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog with hypothyroidism and atrial fibrillation improved
By Chow, B & French, A·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2014·College of Veterinary Medicine, United States·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Conversion of atrial fibrillation after levothyroxine in a dog with hypothyroidism and arterial thromboembolism.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-year-old female mixed-breed dog was brought to the vet after experiencing lameness and weakness in her back legs for three weeks, along with a heart rhythm problem for one week. She was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, and a blood clot. After starting treatment with levothyroxine (a medication for thyroid issues), her heart rhythm returned to normal after two weeks, and her heart function improved over time. This case shows that levothyroxine can effectively treat both thyroid problems and associated heart issues in dogs.
People also search for: dog heart arrhythmia treatment · hypothyroidism in dogs · dog lameness and weakness · levothyroxine for dogs · dog blood clot symptoms
Abstract
A six-year-old female spayed mixed-breed dog was referred following a 3-week history of lameness and progressive neurological deficits in both hindlimbs, and a 1-week history of a cardiac arrhythmia. The dog was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, atrial fibrillation, myocardial dysfunction and arterial thromboembolism. Cardioversion occurred after 2 weeks of levothyroxine supplementation, with improved systolic function over time. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case reported in the veterinary or human literature documenting hypothyroidism with persistent atrial fibrillation being converted to sinus rhythm with levothyroxine as sole therapy.
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/24521196/