Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dietary hyperthyroidism in dogs.
- Journal:
- The Journal of small animal practice
- Year:
- 2012
- Authors:
- Köhler, B et al.
- Affiliation:
- Small Animal Clinic Hofheim · Germany
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at dogs that had high levels of a hormone called thyroxine, which can indicate hyperthyroidism, and were being fed a raw food diet. Over a period from 2006 to 2011, twelve dogs, mostly around five years old, were evaluated. Some of these dogs showed symptoms like weight loss, increased heart rate, and restlessness, while others did not show any signs at all. After changing their diet, eight of the dogs were rechecked, and all of them had normal thyroxine levels and their symptoms went away. This suggests that feeding a raw diet can lead to high thyroxine levels in dogs, and if your dog has elevated thyroxine, it's important to discuss their diet with your veterinarian.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of dogs with elevated plasma thyroxine concentration fed raw food before and after changing the diet. METHOD: Between 2006 and 2011 all dogs presented with an elevated plasma thyroxine concentration and a dietary history of feeding raw food were included. Thyroxine (reference interval: 19·3 to 51·5 nmol/L) and in many cases also thyroid-stimulating hormone concentrations (reference interval: <0·30 ng/mL) were measured initially and after changing the diet. RESULTS: Twelve dogs were presented with a median age of five years. The median plasma thyroxine concentration was 156·1 (range of 79·7 to 391·9) nmol/L; in six dogs, thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration was measured and was <0·03 ng/mL in five dogs and 0·05 ng/mL in one dog. Six dogs showed clinical signs such as weight loss, aggressiveness, tachycardia, panting and restlessness while six dogs had no clinical signs. After changing the diet eight dogs were examined: thyroxine concentration normalised in all dogs and clinical signs resolved. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dietary hyperthyroidism can be seen in dogs on a raw meat diet or fed fresh or dried gullets. Increased plasma thyroxine concentration in a dog, either with or without signs of hyperthyroidism, should prompt the veterinarian to obtain a thorough dietary history.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22931400/