What's Troubling Toby?

I’m waiting to hear back about Toby’s blood draw, (we ordered a complete work up, including T4, free T4, T3, free T3, TgAA, CBC, Differential, & Chemistries), which was sent to HEMOPET, and if you’ve been following my blog - you already know I've been busy scouring the internet.

As of yesterday, I was convinced that Toby had a brain tumor.

Why?

He's over seven years old, (a common diagnostic age for the disease), and besides his bizarre behaviors last Wednesday and Saturday, he also developed a weird nighttime whining/pacing routine right before the holidays that I have not yet been able to solve. Additionally, Toby seems to be tiring from play more easily and sleeping more often as of late. I’ve also noticed a few incidents where I suspected that he was dragging his foot while running around the yard, because I discovered dirt on the upper side of his paw. I actually witnessed his leg buckle out from under him on one occasion, and saw him fall up the stairs on another.

All of those symptoms are signs of a brain tumor.

Plus, Toby has been literally aging before my eyes; he is graying around the muzzle and at the tip of his tail, and his immune system seems down. It took months for him to battle his latest ear infection.

Although my vet never mentioned the letters M, R, and I -  I was already searching my bank accounts for the funds. Several family members and close friends at this point told me I was nuts.

One good friend, (a fellow worrier who knows who she is), agreed with me.

Well, you’ll be happy to know that as of tonight, I have decided Toby actually has Hypothyroidism instead.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism that Toby shares:

High cholesterol (diagnosed on a previous blood test) Apparently, high cholesterol in dogs is uncommon – however – approximately  80% of dogs with hypothyroidism have it.

Darkening pigmentation on the skin. Yup – Toby has this in his groin area, a common place for it to occur.

Dark spots on the skin. Toby has some of those too, even had the vet look at them back in November, when I thought he had skin cancer.

Allergies. Toby has more of these than I can count. (Beef, wheat, dairy, barley – you name it – and he probably can’t eat it.)

Other curiously familiar signs of Hypothyroidism: Tiring easily. Sleeping more often. Persistent ear infections. Behavioral changes.

And, it’s common in Labrador Retrievers.

Hmmmm…..

Oh, and that miss-stepping on his foot action that I described above – well it’s called “Knuckling” – and it’s also a symptom of Hypothyroidism.

Anyway, Toby has been acting ‘normal’ since Saturday, and I’ll probably find out in the next day or two that there is actually nothing wrong with him at all – but in the meantime, at least I’m feeling better about my newest and more easily treatable hypochondria, I mean, diagnosis.

REMINDER: Kirek is still missing. Please keep looking.