Dilly Dog is six years old, which makes her middle-aged. She loves to nap in a sunny spot on the couch every afternoon.
Three weeks after her annual visit to the vet in early September, we noticed that the fur on her tail and hindquarters was getting sparse. So back to the vet we went. Of course I read everything beforehand that I could find online about fur loss in dogs. I was afraid the vet would blame food allergies and that we'd be in for a long period of trial and error. Instead, the vet immediately ordered a pricy blood test. Verdict: low thyroid! You would expect to get such a diagnosis if you owned an expensive dog with a persnickety pedigree. But surely not with a sturdy mutt of uncertain parentage such as Dilly. We paid an Amish farmer $20 for her. He owned her mother, but said he had no idea who her daddy was.
Fortunately low thyroid is easy to treat and not too expensive. She takes a pill twice a day. Her tail still looks rat-like, and her fur loss is now apparent all over her body. She might have been suffering from low thyroid for some months before we first noticed the problem. It may take awhile for her fur to grow back.
I am so glad to hear it is is the low thyroid, i have that myself and it is treatable. so many of our sweet pets are getting sick these days, and this disease is one of the better ones and not deadly. hope the fur grows quickly and the meds work fast. she looks so sweet in the sunshine. I love your nativity in the back ground
ReplyDeleteHopefully she is not in discomfort and it doesn't seem so.
ReplyDeleteGlad the fur loss was something that is easily treated. She looks quite comfortable on that couch. She is the same age as Gibbs.
ReplyDeleteHair loss is indicative of low thyroid in humans. Or, as my doctor said, after the blood test my insurance paid for, "Your thyroid has crapped out."
ReplyDeletePoor Dilly Dog! You might have to knit her a sweater until her fur grows back.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear it was not a major illness. I mean, that is, but it's not as bad as some issues I've heard of. I hope all the fur grows back quickly.
ReplyDeletePoor dog Dilly.
ReplyDeleteHopefully it will grow back quickly.
I am glad it is a pretty easy fix! Does she take pills easily? Our dog does not... so I grind them in a mortar and pestile an dissolve in chicken bullion and use a syringe (no needle of course) to dribble medicine down the back of her throat so she has to swallow.
ReplyDeletePipeTobacco
So far, no problem, as long as we coat the pill with a dab of peanut butter.
DeleteI also have that difficulty (hypothryoidism); the pill for it has been such a blessing for me although the generic does not work for me - have to take the brand name. This may be a silly question or comment, but if your dog was put on the generic, it may be the brand name version is indicated. Your vet should be able to give guidance on this. This is one med that the generic doesn't seem to work for every human. Dogs may be the same way. Just a suggestion.
ReplyDeleteThe vet wants to repeat the blood test in January to see if the pill is working.
ReplyDeleteI am confident that with time her hair grows back as it was. It take some time for the thyroid to normalize with medication. Then after it does, the hair will likely grow back. Since she is my second favorite dog even though she has an unusually small head, I am looking forward to her recovery. She seems like her spirit is intact, and I already think she looks to be improving. Love her!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear this. I look forward to Dilly-dee recovering! What a silly and fun dog.
ReplyDeletethis geelong seafood blog is great. geelong seafood
ReplyDelete