Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Boxer dog with hair loss and tiredness from thyroid and adrenal
By Kooistra, H S et al.·Published in The veterinary quarterly·1995·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Polyglandular deficiency syndrome in a boxer dog: thyroid hormone and glucocorticoid deficiency.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old spayed female boxer was brought to the vet because she was losing hair, feeling very tired, and seemed sensitive to cold temperatures. Tests showed she had low thyroid hormone levels and a partial deficiency in adrenal hormones. The vet started her on oral thyroid hormone replacement, which helped improve her condition for about nine months. Unfortunately, she later passed away due to unrelated health issues. An autopsy revealed damage to her thyroid and adrenal glands, confirming a rare autoimmune condition similar to one seen in humans.
People also search for: boxer dog hair loss · dog lethargy cold intolerance · hypothyroidism treatment in dogs
Abstract
Primary hypothyroidism and partial primary adrenocortical deficiency (isolated glucocorticoid deficiency) were diagnosed in an 8-year-old spayed female boxer dog, presented because of progressive symmetrical truncal alopecia, lethargy, and intolerance to cold. The diagnosis was based upon the combination of low, non-TSH-responsive concentrations of plasma thyroxine and low urinary excretion of corticoids together with high plasma concentrations of ACTH. Normal suppressibility of ACTH concentrations by a low dose of dexamethasone indicated an intact feedback system. Plasma growth hormone levels were elevated, most probably because somatostatin release was depressed by the glucocorticoid deficiency. The dog improved during oral replacement therapy with thyroxine until death ensued after 9 months as a result of intercurrent disease. Autopsy revealed thyroid atrophy and lymphocytic adrenalitis with complete destruction of the zona fasciculata and zona reticularis of the adrenal cortex. The combination of primary hypothyroidism and primary adrenocortical deficiency in this dog is identical to the entity known as type II polyglandular autoimmunity or Schmidt's syndrome in humans. The adrenocortical insufficiency remained confined to glucocorticoid deficiency during the observation period; on no occasion did electrolyte concentrations in the plasma reach values suggestive of mineralocorticoid deficiency.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7571281/