Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Thyroid problems in dogs ?

So I just had my German short hair in for yearly shots and he has gained 12 lbs from last year so the vet took blood work and apparently he has a thyroid issue . So now he has to be on meds for the rest of his life. So my question is , is this a common thing because I've never heard of it.

I see it mostly in larger dogs like goldens and labs. Very rarely in smaller ones. Often times in older dogs.

Not "common" but not rare either, My waterfowl partner has a lab with it she is on meds and a special diet to keep the weight off but she still gets pretty porky in the off season, in fact one of her nick names is The Flab. But she is still the goingest dog in the group and retrieves literally 100s of geese in a season. It's not the end of the world by any means.

Good luck
FG

Good friend got a choc lab about 6 years ago. Dog didnt want to do anything a lab should do. Wouldnt get in the pool, fetch, be around people, or do anything physical. A couple of years ago the vet tested her, thyroid problem. They put her on some kind of meds, totally different dog. Swims, fetches, constantly glued to every hip in the house, energy like crazy.

Relatively common, especially in labs, cause they are poster children for genetic disorders....but as mentioned, it is pretty easily handled with medication. No big thing.

The meds are fairly cheap. Ask your vet for a prescription. Once the levels get stabilized, you probably won't have to test again unless there is a problem. I am glad that the problem was discovered and things are good now.

My brother's GSP had the same condition. He got her on meds and she went back to hunting as before.

We live in northern alberta so winters are harsh on my old boy but the vet said that the meds should straighten him out a little and give him a little more resistance to our cold weather. He's big for a GSP and always has been but I actually didn't even notice the extra 13lbs he put on. But then again I hardly noticed the extra 25lbs the wife put on the last couple of years!!! Haha

our lab had an issue, she was loosing hair really really bad, looked like mange. meds cleared that up along with her lack of energy.

My golden years ago had the same issue. Lost a bunch of hair. Once I had her med adjusted all was well. She lived to be 13 and was on meds for well over half of her life. She was a great duck hunter.