Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low blood protein linked to thyroid changes in dogs
By Lecomte, Antoine et al.·Published in Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)·2026·LabOniris - Department of Biology, France·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Hypoalbuminemia and altered thyroid parameters in dogs with chronic diarrhoea: Is protein loss driving TSH elevation?
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 5-year-old mixed-breed dog was brought in for chronic diarrhea and was found to have low protein levels in the blood. The vet ran tests and discovered that the dog's thyroid hormone levels were also affected, with some signs suggesting potential thyroid issues. The dog had significantly lower levels of important proteins and thyroid hormones, which could indicate that the diarrhea was causing changes in how the thyroid was functioning rather than a primary thyroid problem. After careful evaluation, the vet advised that further testing might be needed to rule out other conditions, but the dog's symptoms were linked to the ongoing gastrointestinal issues.
People also search for: dog chronic diarrhea thyroid problems · why is my dog losing protein · dog low albumin levels treatment
Abstract
Systemic effects of chronic gastrointestinal disease can complicate the interpretation of endocrine tests in dogs. In this study, thyroid function was evaluated in 70 dogs with chronic diarrhoea to investigate its association with serum albumin and digestive biomarkers. Dogs were classified according to albumin concentration: ≥ 28 g/L (Group A, normal albuminaemia, N = 24), 20-27 g/L (Group B, moderate hypoalbuminaemia, N = 25), and < 20 g/L (Group C, severe hypoalbuminaemia, N = 21). Total thyroxine (TT4), free thyroxine (FT4), canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (cTSH), TT4/FT4 ratio, albumin, total proteins, cobalamin, folate, and canine trypsin-like immunoreactivity (cTLI) were measured. Thyroid hormones, cobalamin, cTLI, and total protein were significantly lower in hypoalbuminaemic dogs (Groups B and C), while cTSH was higher in Group C. Albumin correlated positively with TT4 and FT4, and negatively with cTSH. Nine dogs (12.9 %) had elevated cTSH (≥0.5 µg/L), including six in Group C (28.5 %), and showed significantly lower albumin, globulin, cobalamin, TT4, FT4, and TT4/FT4 ratio compared to dogs with cTSH< 0.5 µg/L). On multivariate analysis, a decreased TT4/FT4 ratio and lower globulin concentration were independently associated with elevated cTSH. These findings suggest that alterations in thyroid parameters are common in dogs with chronic diarrhoea and hypoalbuminaemia, particularly in severe cases. Low TT4, FT4, and TT4/FT4 ratios, together with elevated cTSH, may reflect thyroid hormone binding protein loss and altered binding dynamics rather than primary hypothyroidism; however, complementary tests, such as antithyroglobulin antibody assessment and/or TSH stimulation tests, were not performed, so subclinical primary hypothyroidism cannot be definitively ruled out. Such results highlight the risk of misdiagnosing hypothyroidism and underscore the need for cautious interpretation of thyroid tests in dogs with gastrointestinal disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41308863/