Wow - that was FAST

June 12, 2011 16:35 by Donna

Dr. Dodds already responded to my email from yesterday, and she also responded to a second one I sent asking that she clarify a few items from the first. After reviewing Toby’s more detailed health history, she replied that if my vet and I agreed there was good enough reason, we could start treating Toby with a low dosage trial of thyroxine, however, based on her answers to some of my other questions, I think it is prudent to follow her original advice and wait.

As I suspected, the guidelines for optimal thyroid levels have changed since Leah was tested in 2006. HEMOPET began using newer, patented technology in 2009. Additionally, instead of just using an Optimal Adult Range, the lab now takes into account the dog's age and breed before issuing a very individualized report.

Although Leah was 7 years old when she was tested and Toby is 7 ½ now, they certainly aren’t the same breed of dog. Leah has quite the mishmash of German and Japanese genes in her, but none from Canada as far as I can tell.

I asked if Toby might have had borderline thyroid levels his entire life, and if those may have contributed to some of his past issues, such as food allergies and Pyschogenic Polydipsia, but Dr. Dodds responded that Hypothyrodism is generally more of a progressive disease. So that answer right there is a good enough reason to wait, since I can compare his results in six months and see if his numbers have dropped.

The second reason it is probably prudent to wait is because when I explained that Toby’s leg was recently treated with Deramaxx, Dr. Dodds informed me that the drug is a sulfonamide - which can suppress thyroid function. Her thoughts are that it may be capable of doing this for about six weeks, and she advised against using the medication for Toby at all. She also went to the trouble of attaching an informative article about the pros and cons of using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and what side effects to watch out for.

So, based on those two reasons, I will hold off on the hormone trial, (and the Deramaxx), and have the same blood panel run again when Toby goes for his annual exam at the end of November – unless he gets worse. In the meantime, I’ll continue to log any other 'suspect' behaviors as per my vet’s instructions, and hope that the notebook stays fairly blank.

In closing, I would highly recommend HEMOPET for any in depth blood testing anyone else may need. Although I’ve used them in the past, this was the first time I had questions about the results, and I was extremely surprised to find an email in my inbox this morning from Dr. Dodds herself – and on a Sunday to boot!