hypothyroid

I heard back from the vet about Thirteen's tests. She does have a UTI, a pretty bad one apparently. They want to put her on an antibiotic.

Her blood test also showed signs of hypothyroid. They want to run another test called TSH to be sure before prescribing medication for her thyroid. I'm guessing this means the thyroid medication is either a) expensive, b) hard on the dog's system or c) both.

I looked up canine hypothyroid online and found a page which listed these symptoms:

• Lethargic behavior such as a lack of interest in play, frequent napping, tiring out on long walks
• Weight gain, sometimes without an apparent gain in appetite
• Bacterial infections of the skin
• Dry skin
• Hair loss, especially on the trunk or tail ("rat's tail")
• Discoloration or thickening of the skin where hair loss has occurred
• Cold intolerance/seeking out warm places to lie down
• Slow heart rate
• Chronic ear infections
• Severe behavioral changes such as unprovoked aggression, head tilt, seizures, anxiety and/or compulsivity
• Depression

That sounds a lot like Thirteen: the lethargy, the cold intolerance, and all the symptoms relating to the skin & hair. I hope that treating her thyroid will help her be more comfortable and happier.

That is if, course, we can get Thirteen eating again. Unfortunately they said the thyroid problem probably isn't related to loss of appetite. So fixing her thyroid won't make her want to eat. (On the contrary, it looks like correcting a thyroid imbalance often causes weight loss.)

Which means that, though this is very painful to write, the whole issue may be moot soon. I considered telling St. Francis to hold off on the TSH test for a few days, but decided that would show a level of cautiousness, even lack of hope, that isn't helpful. I'd rather act on the assumption that Thirteen is going to be with us long enough that treating her thyroid will do her some good.