Hypothyroid Remedies for Dogs, Pets

The symptoms of hypothyroidism are so similar to other problems in dogs that I feel as if it very often goes undiagnosed.

So I felt the need to go back and find this website and hopefully help someone else that may be going through the same thing I was going through not too long ago.

So let's start with Bear's symptoms:

Chronic yeast/bacterial ear infections

He would get these round bumps that would break open with a small discharge of fluid which then would make the area loose hair and look red and aggravated later looking like a dry patch of skin. (Looks almost like the ring worm circles)

Yeast under his arm pits, belly, paws, and under his neck (which made him smell terrible) I was giving him medicated baths two to three times a week which isn't exactly easy when your dog weighs over 170 lbs and just wants to lie in the bottom of a small bathtub.

His eyes would always have like I guess gunk in them and I would have to constantly clean them

He was constantly scratching, all day all night it was terrible trying to make him stop so he didn't open any sores

Was always lethargic (I know big dogs aren't exactly the most energetic and playful but Bear didn't want to do anything)

Was gaining weight, although was barely eating

I was even told by one vet that Bear had MRSEE? (Dog strain of MRSA) This scared the hell out of me.

And finally two months before he was diagnosed he started losing all of his hair under his neck/chest area, arms, belly, and his tail.

If I even tried try to explain every single thing I tried to help him I would have a 50 page book.

Just to give you an idea I tried the apple cider vinegar (which helped dry out those bumps but that was it), vitamins, changing food brands, yogurt, antibiotic shampoos (ex: malaseb, ketachlor ect) all different kinds of ear antibiotics, cephalexin, steroids, oh my god so many other kinds of antibiotics that now I just feel as if all the vets we went to was basically throwing anything at me and saying let's try this. After the first year and half and none of the medications he had to take orally were working I stopped doing because of everything I was reading about how it could do more harm than good. I then tried natural home remedies for his skin but I continued the medicated shampoo and the ear medicine.

So fast forward to December 8^th 2011 (yes I will remember this date for the rest of my life lol) I go to his primary vet that has been Bears vet since he was a puppy just to get more medication for his ear and more medicated shampoo like I usually did every couple of months. We walk in and his vet was with another customer finishing up at the desk and she sees Bear and sees that now he has no hair on his tail neck ect.. And yells out WE MUST test him for hypothyroidism. She finishes up with the customer and we go into the examination room and she explains to me that she wants to test for it because one of the most common signs is hair loss on the tail and chest and that if he does have it, it will explain everything that was going on with him and that the treatment is fairly inexpensive. I was hesitant, here I was, another vet throwing out at me ANOTHER test proclaiming that they think he has this we should test for it and there goes another months worth of pay to another test that won't give me answers. But I gave in to the idea of having a healthy happy dog again. I sit here now and I thank god I did that one last final test on him. And it was actually very INEXPENSIVE. I think I only paid $150 or less for the actual test. So two days later the vet calls me and says all excitedly that Bear has hypothyroidism. I'm not going to lie and think what you want but I broke down in tears, happy tears, but mind you I'm at work and my co workers thought someone just died or something lol). So we go back to the vet and she explains to me that he will have this for the rest of his life but it is treatable by giving him 1 pill twice daily. She gives me a month's supply of Soloxine which only costs $20.00 from the vets office and literally one week later of being on this medication Bear started growing his hair back, was more energetic and started losing weight. Within one month those sores he had were gone and so was the yeasty smell!!! And his ears were finally clearing up. It has been 3 months now, Bear has all of his hair back, his ears are cleared up, and he is on a strict diet of grain free food only, takes his pill twice daily, and he has never been happier and either have I.

Don't give up hope, you never know, that one test could have all the answers you were looking for and a cure.

Then she slipped on a uncarpeted area under the table and since she has had horrid problems getting up. And only walks a couple steps before sitting back down. I am sure she has arthritis as well. But she is happy perky etc. But wants to go and just cant. I help her everytime she wants outside or in. She has a great appetite too.

I give her some pain meds from vet 1/2 dermax per day, but like natural better. I found promaxol which is all natural and helps a great deal. Well now I see blackstrap mollasses may be good. Does anyone know what ingredients are in it? I bought it today but there were 2 kinds. One said it was (unsulfered) PLease let me know if you can. I bought one that appears to have l think 70 mil. Iron in it.. As well as other stuff. I'll keep checking back. Thank you kindly! Nan

I stumbled across this website when researching cysts (he has those now and I found a natural remedy to try for that). I read about iodine, mag., sea salt, and humic acid, Vit A as options. Sam gets Kelp which contains Iodine, and he gets mag daily and has been on these for a few years now. Sam is fed high quality dog food (dry with some canned to hide herb taste) and he gets a mulitude of supplements daily and he is an active 9 1/2 year old dog. He is not overweight like many dogs with hypothyroidism. Again he is not been dx yet, but he has two thin fur spots and started being dog aggressive. I will be surprised if his thyroid isn't off. I was wondering what is the recommended amt of each of these supplements and where do you get humic acid? (what is it?). Thank you from Debbie and her dog Sam

You don't mention if your dog is hyper or hypo, but the weight gain suggests hypothyroid so please take a peek here: http://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/11014981-holistic-treatment-of-hypothyroidism-in-dogs

Grain based diets appear to be a major factor so a switch to RAW or meat based may do wonders.

While I do not normally send folks off site, there is too much info in the article to share here. Please read up and report back.

Thanks!

It is terrible what you and your dog had to go through. I am not going to elaborate again about vaccinations but only want to tell you that this is the most single devastating procedure you can submit your pet (or by the way also any humans) too. I have written so many replies on this website that I don't do this anymore since I hardly get any feedback and don't know if the message is understood. Please, go to the following website as a start and start researching vaccine damages:

http://mythicaldanes.com/healthtraining/vaccsCO.html

and also check out the pages on earthclinics section on vaccination damages. This should open your eyes. If you don't stop vaccinating your dog he will never ever get well!!!

Since he got so many different meds already I don't know if it will work. But you can try the homoeopathic remedy for vaccination damages called Thuja C30 1 time 1 tablet or 5 globuli or better yet find yourself a homoeopathic vet. They can really help and are a lot cheaper (and less dangerous) than any vet. Your dog has to be detoxicated from all those "legal" poisons he has gotten into his system.

Good luck and if you want more info just write.

Marianne

Please read up about hypothyroidism in dogs:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2097&aid=449

Taken from the above source:

"The thyroid gland is a small gland that is situated close to the larynx (voice box) in the neck. It is regulated by the small pituitary gland that is located at the base of the brain. Normally, the pituitary gland produces a hormone called TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone). This hormone tells the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone. The amount of TSH produced is dependent on the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood. The pituitary gland responds to the blood level of thyroid hormone by producing more TSH if the thyroid hormone level is low, and less TSH if the thyroid hormone level is high.

Hypothyroidism results from the impaired production and secretion of thyroid hormones. More than 95% of all cases occur as a result of destruction of the thyroid gland. Most hypothyroidism is due to thyroid gland destruction that is suspected to be caused by the dog's own immune system killing the cells of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism may also be a result of atrophy of the thyroid tissue and resultant infiltration of the tissue by fat, or by a cancer. Hypothyroidism can also be associated with the presence of other diseases and the use of certain medications. Rare cases of congenital hypothyroidism have been diagnosed, as well."

Have you had an actual diagnosis of hypothyroid from your vet via blood test? This condition in your dog is very likely NOT caused by iodine deficiency, so while boosting iodine may help, in the long run you may simple be spinning your wheels and delaying proper treatment to your dog, which certainly cannot feel good for your dog. This condition responds very well to the synthetic T4 used to treat it, and if you tried this medication and got poor results you might consider seeing your vet once again and have the dose you administered adjusted.

You might try upping the exercise to help burn off the extra weight. Even if you have addressed the thyroid and increased the metabolic rate, the weight won't shed without a bit of extra help via increased exercise - no running, just extra walking to get the weight back to where it should be. It may also help to cut the caloric intake - which can be challenging for some dogs. Cut back on the portion size to reduce calories and add back in cooked green beans for bulk so your dog feels full after a meal. This trick has helped a few hypothyroid dogs that I know.

If you have increased the exercise and cut back on the calories and the weight still won't melt off, check with your vet to see if the medication dose needs to be adjusted.

Does anyone Know the correct dosage of Iodine, for a 90 lb, 9 year old dog. ( or an alternative for treating hypothyroidism/skin issues). Except for the recent addition of Proin, for slight "leaks", he is in great shape. Also just switched to a lamb protein based dogfood. Can you give Iodine w/soloxine? He already gets ACV, as do I every day. (1-2 caps). Any help would be wonderful. Many thanks for the best site on the internet, and the most "giving" bunch of folks, especially Ted. Happy new year to all,
Frank

I got my humic acid from bioag.com pet section. Thank you Ted, you are awesome.

My beloved husky has been on the Lthyroxin drug for years. At times the medicine was reduced because he became weak on it - it was having a reverse reaction, then increased because he needed it.

Recently he has developed incontinence and anemia. I took him off the drug for a week and things cleared up, although I know his thyroid was low. Once I gave him the drug again, within 30 min his gums went greish white, his eyes drooped and he appeared low on energy, he also started being incontinent almost immediately.

I have been giving him a very small amount of sea kelp and something from Pet Alive called Thyyro Pet - but I don't believe the levels I am giving are correct. I have just started this for the obvious alergic reaction to the drug. So I know I need to give things a bit of time. I tried him last night on L-tyrosine at the appropriate dose and again this am but it does not have a good effect on him, he seems lethargic.

Yesterday morning we took him to the vets to have a full blood panel done - this includes vitamin levels - B12 for Folic Acid Anemia, glucose levels, phosphate and a ton of other levels to see what is going on.

I have had to cook for him naturally now for many years. When he started on the drug I had tried all sorts of dog foods - read up on the crap especially the preservatives and animal biproducts and realized I needed to cook for him. I have tried to keep it as balanced as possible but the poor guy is allergic to several things that make it a challenge. For one, he can't eat beef or any type of poultry, we tried him on other meats but the only thing that works is Haddock and eggs. I have hens now so that I can make sure they don't eat things he is allergic to (thus passing down allergens through food). He has several other types of allergies which if I listed would make too much of a story here.

I need to share with your readers that it is critical to get an allergy panel done on their pets - food allergies cause skin, ear and other health issues. It's also critical to know blood levels for so many different things - liver, kidney, calcium, protein, I could go on.

I am having to ad vitamins and have researched a tremendous amount on nutrition. In my research I found that certain vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to if not cause hypothryoid - those are Zinc, Folic Acid (also deficiency causes folic acid anemia) and Selenium. There are others of course and I am not a professional, but the first two were very alarming - since I had to keep my boy off red meats and other known allergens, he may not have been getting the proper nutrition needed.

I am constantly trying to find solutions to a perfect balanced diet, the trouble is, there's too much information out there which conflicts. After taking information from several areas I have to draw my own conclusions on what might help.

The vets were a joke and I took him to several. One didn't believe dogs were allergic to anything, another tried to sell me on their canned and bagged foods, even though I specifically said he has known allergies to them, another tried to prescrible his thyroid drug - ten times his dosage - I think he wanted my boy to get very sick so that he could make more money - sick bastard.

I have had to go this alone. Basically requesting a vet draw blood and asking for the tests I think he needs, I am planning on checking anything that is elevated through additional tests once I can control whatever the issue is with diet and nutritional supplements.

If you can offer any help on something that will help his thyroid, please write back to me asap. thanks in advance.

For the home diet preparers... avoid feeding raw goitrogenic vegetables.

And, as always, NO GRAINS!

I needed to provide information that may help other pet owners cope with hypothyroid - I was going to write a book because I have much to share but feel selfish withholding if I can help anyone's pet.

I have taken my pup off Lthyroxin. The last pill I gave him, his head started to pulse within 30 min of the pill. The vet suggested he's allergic to the meds. He weighs 70 lbs - the following may help your pet. I came up with everything from extensive research and trial and error but I think I have it down.

He is now on 4 drops of Ashwagandha twice per day (Nature's Answer) Alcohol free. Try and space 8 hours apart. Ashwagandha can lower blood pressure (make sure you check with a vet and observe when trying out anything suggested here). Also be sure to only try one thing at a time - wait a day - if no allergies, add a 2nd and so on. The vitamins are critical - especially B complex with C - I wouldn't wait on those.

The same time I give him six drops of Thyropet - also twice per day (PetAlive) - liquid kelp with Nettle (I put both in his food - discussed below).

I give 500 mg of vitamin C two to three times per day (Ascorbic acid - no fillers or other crap).

I also give 50 mg of B complex - (do not purchase with Benzoic Acid - preservative that is toxic to cats and most likely to dogs).

I add the following herbs - 1/4 teaspoon of Olive Leaf (natural antibiotic - also helps thyroid). 1/4 teaspoon of Tumeric - good for arthritis, iron, liver cleanser, etc. 1/4 tsp of Terramin (California Earth Minerals) - includes calcium, iron, magnesium, chronium, selenium, manganese, copper, phosporus, zinc, potassium. If your dog eats dirt - the mineral might be the answer - it's also excellent to put on wounds or tumors. I also give 500 mg of Glucosamin Chondroidan - all human grade - with no fillers or other crap - be aware of vets who sell anything with Sodium Benzoate - a known carcinogen - especially around vitamin C.

I add 3 to six teaspoons of olive oil in his food and every now and then a squeeze of lemon juice.

To help with regular bowl movement in the early am - I give about 1/4 cup of organic apple sauce with a sprinkle of cinnamon (helps balance sugar).

Food - I cook organic oats for am - I add either 1 organic egg or a few ounces of salmon. I give him three meals a day - so lunch may end up being carrots or some fruit -blended pinneaple, apple sauce, peach or banana. Dinner - I cook brown rice - generally with a few ounces of salmon - squash and zuchini, green beans, etc. - try usually to mix it up a little bit.

Snacks - an important one which he craves - I give dates - excellent iron source - don't get the real dry ones (press one between your fingers - if it's squiggy, then it's good).

He still can have days where he's a bit slower, but at 14 he's doing wonderful. He developed a liver/kidney inbalance and he's now on Milk Thistle each day (just 1 capsule).

Other than the thyroid specific above (Ashwagandha and Liquid Kelp) I have four more dogs that eat the same thing - they get used to the different herbs and love their food.

If you have questions or would like to know more, please feel free to email me at safeharbor(at)forthehorses.com

I wanted to reply to Rachel in Nova Scotia with a dog that has red meat & poultry allergy.

Continuing: my large mixed breed went out and in 5 minutes of walk brought in 2 ticks on his face, very small and reddish, midwest. In just 2 to 3 hours, we saw his eye swell almost closed, and one half of his muzzle huge and stiff with swelling (opposite the 2 ticks, strange enough). I pulled them out, and in another hour the whole muzzle was huge...lugol's iodine nipped it one day , he is on day 3 now, 2 drops of 5% in his water. Third day I am giving him 1/2 a human's potassium, magnesium, selenium and zinc to make sure it doesnt zap all his minerals.

Lugols is great stuff for this. I don't know what they have here that he was not already exposed to on west coast, perhaps the rocky mountain bunch from ticks, but whatever it is he is 100% better now and we'll stay on it a week to make sure its completely wiped out. His owner has lyme for many years and quite familiar with its stealth capacities.