Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Hyperthyroidism in dogs from eating thyroid-contaminated head meat
By Zeugswetter, F K et al.·Published in Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2013·Clinical Department for Small Animals and Horses·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hyperthyroidism in dogs caused by consumption of thyroid-containing head meat.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two female spayed dogs were brought to the vet because they were showing signs of hyperthyroidism, which is when the thyroid gland produces too much hormone. Tests revealed that their thyroid glands were small, and it turned out they had been eating head meat that contained thyroid tissue, leading to their condition. After the owner switched their diet away from this head meat, the dogs' hormone levels returned to normal, and they no longer showed any symptoms.
People also search for: dog hyperthyroidism symptoms · dog diet causing thyroid problems · treatment for dog thyroid issues
Abstract
Two female spayed dogs belonging to the same owner were admitted for further examinations because of clinical signs and laboratory values compatible with hyperthyroidism. Sonography of the ventral aspect of the neck revealed small thyroid glands in both dogs. The hypothesis that the dogs suffered from alimentary hyperthyroidism caused by feeding head meat containing thyroid gland tissue was confirmed by consultation of the slaughtering plant, determination of iodine concentrations in deep-frozen samples and hormone measurements in 5 other dogs receiving head meat from the same supplier. After changing the diet, thyroxine concentrations declined and clinical signs were no longer observed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23385074/