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Canine Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA & IMHA) - Why do outside testing of Thyroid?
| I know Patrice and several others are adament about having thyroid not done inhouse. Why is this? My other dog, Jake is on thyroid meds and he has sores on his back they are about 90% healed but not going any further, plus his ahir is not growing back. Did the inhouse thyroid test where you give the meds and 6 hours later test. It came back in the middle range. So I think I want to send his bloodworki out to have it done, and want to tell my vet why. Thank you Laurie |
| Laurie CA |
| Hi Laurie, I just found a comment on thyroid from Dr. Becker, she has a web forum: Diagnosis and Treatment There are a number of ways to measure the thyroid health of your pup through blood tests with ‘T’ names like free T3, free T4, T3, T4, AAT3, AAT4 and TSH. If your dog is diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis -- confirmed by elevated AAT3 and AAT4 levels -- unfortunately, in most cases you’ll need to start your pet on a synthetic thyroid pill and she’ll be on it for the rest of her life. Usually by the time your pet has enough auto-antibodies to be measured on a blood test there has been irreparable thyroid damage and synthetic hormone replacement is almost always inevitable. However, if there’s no autoimmune disorder present, my recommendation is to try stimulating remaining thyroid tissue to begin working again. If your dog’s thyroid glands have taken early retirement -- confirmed by low thyroid levels on blood work -- it’s possible the thyroid can be regenerated using a more natural form of thyroid replacement. For years I sent my patients’ thyroid panels to Michigan State University for analysis. However, in 2001, after learning about Dr. Jean Dodds’ extensive databank of breed reference ranges, I began using Hemopet to analyze my thyroid panels. Dr. Dodds believes a neutered year-old Yorkie will have different baseline results than an intact 11-year-old female Lab that’s had three litters. Dr. Dodds performs the same tests as MSU, but then compares the results to other dogs of the same breed, sex and age. End of quote. I am pretty sure your vet can not test all the different factors of the thyroid, the way MSU or Dr. Dodds can. so needless to say i would recommend to send the blood to either one of these labs. I think it could make a big difference in how Jake is medicated. I hope this helps, Best wishes, Brigitte & the poodle boys |
| Brigitte BC Canada |
| Laurie, Quite simply, Dr. Dodds maintains a database, that approaches 25 years, of thyroid results of tests from all different breeds. She has developed, over time, the ability to interpret the results of these tests based on variables like breed, sex, age, weight, symptoms and contra-lateral disease conditions. It is not the test results that are different for the most part, although Dr. Dodds has added a new method of testing thyroid. It is her interpretation that is based on clinical experience that is different. Remember that in many cases hypothyroidism is an inherited condition and thus runs in lines of pure bred dogs. For instance many many adult Giant Schnauzers come in tested at low normal. Most local vets would not treat for that. However, symptomatically and clinically, these dogs, because of their breed and size, respond spectacularly to thyroid supplementation. And that dosage varies according to age and sex. So a low normal can be "not normal" depending on the particulars of a dog. She is always evaluating and adjusting these recommended doses. It is important that there be routine testing to make sure that the dose continues to be correct. my best patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Patrice, While we are at it about thyroid testing, I have a question. Enzo is almost 10 months now and shows absolutely no symptoms of hypothyroidism. (Just like Kahlu at this age)Dr. Dodds recommended to have him tested at one year, when I asked her what I could do to prevent AIHA (besides food, immunizations and waiting with neutering) Do you think this is to have a baseline? Better safe than sorry? I plan on having him neutered at about 14-16 months, could it be done at that time or would you do it sooner? Thanks for your opinion, Best wishes, Brigitte & the poodle boys |
| Brigitte BC Canada |
| Brigette, I can only tell you that I wish I had tested Chance when he was young. I didn't know enough. I have had Cassie tested while she is in good health so I will have that baseline. At the seminar I attended that Dr. Dodds held for vaccinations and hypothyroidism, she talked about the physiology of the destruction of the thyroid gland. She showed slides of microscopic cellular changes that occur as the immune system destroys the thyroid gland. She explained that by the time blood tests show some change in the thyroid, most of the gland as been altered. The point of early supplementation is to stop the further destruction of the gland. When the body senses that there is not enough thyroid hormone circulating, it will secret more stimulating hormones to urge the thyroid to make more. If the immune system is actively destroying the thyroid, this stimulation of the thyroid will increase the destruction. Her approach is to begin supplementing so there is a steady state of thyroid hormone in the blood stream. This decreases the stimulation of the thyroid to make more hormone and thus slows the destruction. See the microscopic slides showing destruction in this article: http://www.vet.uga.edu/VPP/clerk/bell/index.php patrice |
| Patrice NYS |
| Thanks so much Patrice, that helps. I know what to do now and I am glad I religiously put some money into "Enzo's account" every month. Insurance would certainly not pay for that. Thanks for your time, Brigitte |
| Brigitte BC Canada |
| Thank your for all of your words of wisdom, very interesting, Jake is a purebred lab, we have had him tested over the years for thyriod because of his sluggishnes, weight gain, etc and he always tested negative. He only test positive last year, I do not know the where his original values were. I am going have my vet send his bloodwork to Hemopet. And thanks for the heads up on fasting. Laurie |
| Laurie CA |
This thread was discussed between 18/11/2010 and 19/11/2010
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