Thyroxine In Dogs

About Thyroxine In Dogs

Top Questions and Answers

Can Benadryl be used in dogs with Thyroid issues? I need to know if Benadryl can be used in dogs on Thyroxine for a thyroid problem. Thanks

sasadadayaya replied: "yes"

Feisty replied: "You should NEVER give any medicines to your dog, OTC or otherwise, without consulting your vet."

cool d replied: "yes"

pryncesscydney replied: "I do know that dogs can take benadryl. But they have to have the lowest dose. And depending on the weight. Just call your vet, but they will prob say that you need to bring it in."

Mr kenkoy replied: "What dose of thyroxine is the dog on? and why does the dog need benadryl? need more info."

♫♪ Nekkid Bootie ♪♫ replied: "You should talk to your vet before giving ANY medication to your dog, regardless of the thyroid problem. As you can see you already got one person saying "yes" and one saying "no".. who is right? Talk to your vet for a valid answer."

Daynalees M replied: "Um.You shouldny use benadryl.You should use DOG products FOR dogs.If you use human medicine it might cause something."

Dances With Woofs! replied: "Yes.I had a dog with thyroid problems,and epilepsy,and she would need the occasional Benadryl for allergies.It's safe.The dosage is one mg. per lb. of body weight every 8 hours. My cousin's Golden also had thyroid problems and terrible allergies,and she took Thyroxine and Benedryl every day in the summer.But ask your vet just to be sure. "

Chihuahua Addict R.I.P. Gigi! replied: "That is something, you should be asking your vet about! You never want to give any dog human medication of any kind, unless directed by your vet to do so! Your dog is on other medication for his Thyroid Problem. What do you think will happen if you go ahead and give him the Benedryl, and give him the wrong dose for his size. The fact that you are mixing Benedryl with the Thyroxine, not knowing if there are any side effects, of if the two drugs should even be taken together, is taking an unnecessary, possibly harmful risk, with your dog! Please call a vet and ask them. It doesn't cost you a dime!"

Poor reaction to L-Thyroxine in an overweight dog? My parents dog, a 6 year old male Golden Retriever, was recently diagnosed with a level 1 thyroid problem. Which I believe means it just is not working well, he has been overweight for a while, he's about 110 lbs, and has been on a diet for over a year or so and lost nothing, which is what prompted the thyroid test. He was within the last week prescribed a .8mg dosage of the drug L-Thyroxine, and didn't have problems at first, but my Mother said this morning he would not move. He was very lethargic and unwilling to move what-so-ever, my Mom eventually managed to get him up and to the vet, who did some tests, but could not find anything particularly wrong. My Mom is concerned this may be a negative reaction to the medication,however; I could not find anything related to lethargic behavior as a side-effect to this medication. He is no on any other medications, does anyone else give their dog/pet this medication and have experienced similar effects? Or have any ideas other than if it happens again to take him back to the vet? She's rather distraught about all of this, and I would like to help more if I could, but she lives in Florida, and I'm in Ohio, so the best I can do is post this for her, thanks for any help.

ALM replied: "your mom needs to call the vet and let them know what is going on. Hypothyroidism is a really common disease in dogs, and i have never heard of them reacting to the medication like your parent's dog. There may be something else going on with him. OOps sorry-missed the part about already asking the vet. It is still abnormal--i would get a SECOND opnion"

stlbluesgirl7 replied: "My golden is on the same medication for low thyroid. When a dog has low thyroid they are generally lethargic. It normally takes about a month for the dog to become active because the thyroid affects their activity level. They also drink a lot more water and shed more. If the vet didn't seem to think the meds are a problem give it a couple days. If the dog doesn't get better call the vet and ask again about the meds."

ainawgsd replied: "Thyroid medication is very safe and has very few side-effects. According to the Veterinary Drug Handbook there are NO adverse effects when used at an appropriate dose. There can be a danger of overdosing which will cause symptoms of hyperthyroidism (excitability, excessive panting, increased drinking and urination, rapid heart rate, increased appetite without increased weight gain, high blood pressure) but it takes a lot to overdose and most vets will start out at a dose that needs to be increased based on the result of follow-up thyroid tests. It's not so much a drug, like a pain killer or antibiotic, but really more of a supplement, like a vitamin or glucosamine. In hypothyroidism the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone so hypothyroid dogs need to have the hormone supplemented through daily thyroid medication."

Jeni replied: "Hi, I have a 4 year old black lab mix...and he was diagnosed with hypothyroidism after the following things happened...weight gain (127 lbs), hair loss (classic rat tail syndrome), somewhat lethargic (but he loved to go romping so much he really pushed himself), drank water excessively and after a check up and blood work (enzyme level was at 76), he was put on the same medication....8mg/#120 l-thyroxine...his activity level qradrupled within a week, but he stopped eating, and water intake dropped immensly. He had diahrria for 3 days and so we went back to the vet 3 weeks into his treatment, which was two days ago. When they did the bloodwork to check his liver function, one of the enzyme levels was at 776...(normal to high is 70 - 100), lost about 12 lbs, and had a temp of 103*,...they kept him and immediatly put him on iv therapy to avoid dehydration, and antibiotics...so today, his level was still elevating, and he was kept another day...with still no known reason as to why this is happening. Today they took him off the thyroxine to see if that is what is causing all this...if we would have waited too much longer, Bear could have suffered kidney failure...anyone out there have similiar experience? My answer to you is to have another blood test run, check his liver and kidney function."

advice on exercise for losing weight with a balanced diet? I am under treatment for thyroide problem which with out 100 ml of thyroxine per day would mean I put on dramatic weight. I have just had my thyroide test done and it came back ok. But I have put weight on and am strugling to lose it. I am on a diet by the doctor of 1200 cal per day no starch ie, bread, cakes sugar etc. But althought I do not meet my target of 1200 per day I am strugling. I exercise with my job I am an amitor Jockey and walk a lot with my job and my dogs. I have just invested in a peddle bike I dont mind building muscle up but I want to lose the extra weight in fat. I also mesure me but my clothes are my best guide.

gruffalo replied: "Best tip I can give you is don't make the mistake that lots of people make - and think by doing a lot of aerobic exercise, you will automatically lose weight. Aerobic exercise (eg running, an aerobic class, swimming etc etc) is great - but you need to balance this with weight resistant exercises, eg press ups, sit ups etc. By building up muscle, your body's capacity for burning fat is greatly increased (though don't be alarmed if you don't shift weight - muscle weighs more than fat!) A recommended amount of exercise to begin with is to start off with three sets of 45 mins per week, plus try to be active at every opportunity - walk when you can, rather than taking the car, get up to change TV channels rather than use the remote etc (you'd be amazed how this adds up!) Experiment with different aerobic and cardio vascular activities, discover what you enjoy doing. There is no point trying to persevere with activities you don't enjoy, you'll just lose motivation. Listen to music or something while exercising! Set yourself realistic targets for each week. If you are heavily overweight, then aiming for 4lbs a week is realistic. If you just need to lose a bit, then aim lower. Good luck!"

slee d replied: "Walking is the best exercise for losing fat and ensure that your diet does not include any high calorie foods. Formulate your own weight loss plan and you will lose weight faster. More details available at"

My dog's Thyroid medicine is crumbling in the plastic container.? I used to keep it on the counter by the sink, but the vet's assistant said that it must be moisture causing this, so I now keep it in the pantry with some silica gel packets they gave me. It still crumbles. I have measured the humidity in my house and it's usually about 50% which is normal. He takes L-Thyroxine. Any ideas??

K9Nurse replied: "That's odd - I've never heard that problem before. How long has this been going on? I wonder if other people are having problem with the same batch. Possibly put it in the refrigerator, or even the freezer? Another possibility is to have your veterinarian who dispensed the meds contact the manufacturer to see if they have any insight into the matter."

IndyVetTech replied: "Unfortunately, thyroxine is one of those pills that does easily crumble. My suggestions would be: 1. If the dose requires that you give a 1/2 pill, break them as you use them, don't have the vet cut them in 1/2 for you. 2. Buy fewer pills at a time. You will have to refill more often, but will have fewer crumbs. 3. Put them in a dish that has a larger surface on the bottom so there are fewer pills on top of one another to smash the ones on the bottom. An old (clean) butterdish or tupperware container would work. Make sure to store it out of reach to avoid having your child or dog get into it. Good Luck!"

Meghann replied: "hmm this is weird.i'm a vet tech and we use this medication all the time but i've never heard of anyone having this problem..all i can think of is maybe when you take it out just take out the 1 pill (or however many you need) rather than pouring a bunch into your hand and putting them back, if you do that. otherwise maybe check the expiration date, or ask your vet to double check the bottle if they didnt give you the whole bottle and ask for newer ones if they are near the expiration date?"

pets4lifelady replied: "I assume this has been ongoing problem and not just this specific batch of meds? If just this batch then would question if bad batch and toss/replace. Have not had this problem with mine. Might add a few uncooked rice to bottle to help absorb moisture (commonly added to salt shakers to keep salt from getting moist. Switch meds to a ziplock baggie to see if helps?"

My Jack Russell Terrier has been diagnosed with borderline thyroid deficiency. How do I deal with this? I took my Jack Russell Terrier, named Gypsy Rose, to the vet and she has been diagnosed with borderline thyroid deficiency. Her thyroid, according to the vet, is in the gray zone. She was tested with a 1.4 and a normal dog is 1.5 to 3.5 (this according to him). She is the long-legged version of the dog and I got her from the local Humane Society 2 years ago. I love her to so much and she is such a wonderful and obedient dog. However, I'm concerned because her weight came in at 35.10 lbs. I read she should be between 18 and 23 lbs. She doesn't overeat and I keep her on Pedigree dry dog food. The vet gave me Thyroxine for her to take to try and decrease her weight. What are some of the do's and don't's with this diagnosis and what should I do now? Professional or answers from those with dogs with thyroid problems would be greatly appreciated!

ms manners replied: "In my experience, this is not a big problem - I had a dog with thyroid insufficiency, and all I had to do was give him a pill once a day. The vet gave me beef flavored thyroid pills, so it wasnt even hard to get him to take them. If she has weight issues, I would put her on a better food, though. I feed my chubby dogs Flint River Lamb and Millet - no fillers, no corn, and lower in calories."

mapmad1 replied: "Hey there! I'm a vet tech so hopefully I can help with some of your questions. The Normal range for healthy adult dogs is between 0.9 and 3.5 depending on age and breed. Your dog is slightly Boarder line with the infomation you've provided. Most vets ask to run a second confirmation test if it is this close. If your vet has not done so I recommend asking for just the in depth Thyroid test. It is a little pricey but well worth the money as many dogs, my own included have come back as false postivies on the first test. The next normal step is to decide wether to medicate or regulate through diet. Vets in my experience prefer to begin with diet regualtion, the food you are feeding your dog is not bad but could be improved upon greatly, conisder a brand that does not contain fillers, such as Hills scince diet, the R/D is recommeded for very overweight pets. If you cant afford one of these then a brand such as Iams weight control, or Nutro weight control is a much better choice than Pedigree. Although I do not like to interfer with your vets decision about medication, I would be very careful aboput keeping your dog on these meds long term as they can cause kidney and liver issues, personally I would take the change in food and limit it to 1.5 cups a day and add an extra walk each day and absolutely NO treats! I know it is hard as a doggy parent to say no, but it is for the best. I hope this helps with your question, good luck!"

thyroid medication for my greyhound? i have a 5 year old greyhound who is on .6mg of thyroxine, twice a day, but if i give it to him he gets groggy, wont move and has stomach problems, the vet tell me to keep giving it to him any ways, but he is no working on it, i only give him half a pill once a day, it that ok for him? what are the side affects if he stops taking it all together? and my vet wont help me (i would get a new one but he was assigned to me from the rescue) because he did not take it for like 4 days and he was a happy dog, what do i do?

iluvtorofl replied: "Would the vet give you a script for Armour Thyroid instead? It is more expensive, but a much better alternative. You can get vet scripts filled at a local pharmacy in this state, not sure about other areas. The worst that would happen without meds would be that the thyroid would continue to enlarge or possibly become cancerous, the dog would loose hair, gain weight, sleep, etc. ------------------------------------- Edit-- Look into walking lady's answer. I did not know that. There are very few greyhounds in this area. I bet your vet didn't know that either especially if it is a cheap "rent-a-vet" from a shelter. They aren't that great. He answer is brilliant."

dampyre replied: "I would talk to the rescue you adopted from and let them know the issue and the vet is not providing you with well enough answers, and you would like to seek a second opinion."

Chelsey Ann replied: "thyroid problems are usually ones you want to treat, sometimes this medication can cause drowsiness, keep the dog on the directed dose and request a thyroid blood test or a T4 to check the levels and to make sure its at the right dose, the animal must be on the medicine at the directed dose for a certain period of time inorder to get accurate results. trust your doctor the side affects may actually pass the longer the dog is on the meds. but be sure to ask for a T4 when the time comes to make sure its the right dose..."

tbjumper0514 replied: "I would get another vet opinion. Rescue assigned or not, this vet is not helping you figure out how to improve your dog's life, and your dog deserves to be happy. Maybe his dosage needs to be changed or he may need a different type of medication...there are definitely options. He may need to be on an antacid or other stomach soothing med in addition the the thyroid meds to soothe his stomach. Call another vet, what can the rescue do to you for seeking better treatment for YOUR dog? Thyroid issues can be serious and need to be kept on top of so your dog stays healthy. Good luck."

walkinglady replied: "My first question would be "does your vet know greyhounds?" Greyhounds thyroid values are lower than other breeds and if the vet doesn't know that, he's going to tell you your dog needs thyroid medication, when in fact, he might be normal for a greyhound. I know that happened to me with my previous vet. I didn't believe him, and checked into it further to find that his thyroid is just fine for a greyhound. If he does in fact need the meds, it sounds like it definitely needs to be adjusted. A dog can't live with constant grogginess or stomach problems. I'd be finding a different vet."

HELP! My dog has just consumed my tablets!? I had toast on a plate and laid 150microgram of thyroxine next to it to take after I had eaten. I ate my toast and went downstairs to get a drink (leaving my plate on my bed), thinking the dog was still outside. When I got upstairs I found my dog on my bed and he tablets gone. HELP!

jahalberstadt replied: "1 maybe 2 caps of peroxide. It worked with my in-laws cat when it ate rat Poison it will cause a mild reaction in stomach which will make them throw up."

Helicreature replied: "Call the Vet! Why on Earth are you asking us rather than phoning a Vet?"

Spicey replied: "Call the vet emergency, poison control, or even the hospital emergency room. QUICK"

Jack H replied: "GET TO THE VETS NOW. ok seriously they mightharm your dog and i honestly cant stand it when animals are harmed in any way possible."

MamaBas replied: "Phone your vet and ask ...... do not try anything until you have taken their advice!! He may advise activated charcoal. But ask.... a professional. Add - don't panic either - and make sure the tablet isn't still in your bed somewhere.... if your dog was tramping across your bet, he might simply have dislodged the tablet. Unless it had a sugar coating (?) it's not totally likely he'd eat it in any case."

krazegurl_ds replied: "Well i'm guessing your taking thyroxine for an underactive thyroid correct? If a normal healthy dog takes thyroixne odds are it will make him Hyperthyroid for a short amount of time"which can cause heart palpitations, heat intolerance,sleeplessness ect..". I would call poison control they can usually help "even with animals" and tell you if you should take him in. My dog ate a silica packet out of some shoes i bought and i called Poison control and they were very helpful and i didn't have to take my dog to the vet and he didnt even get sick, just dehydrated. I take thyroxine regularly too for my thyroid but my dog has never got a hold of it. Just call a vet or poison control and see what they say."

Beastie replied: "Hello? Anyone in? Vet first, stupid internet forum second for stuff like this."

Goldenly Addicted replied: "Dogs overdosing on human thyroid pills can be dangerous as it can shut down the thyroid & heart. My GR is taking human thyroid pills everyday & she takes 100micrograms per day as prescribed by the Vet & I have to be very careful to not accidentally overdose her on it because it can destroy her vital organs. Please bring your dog to the Vet immediately to get flushed. The usual symptoms that dogs have when they 1st take thyroid pills is restlessness & heavy panting caused by their heart pumping very fast thus making the dog active & feeling hot on the inside. So quickly get your dog flushed before the dog starts showing these symptoms or worse."

Somalia replied: "thyroxine is used to treat an overreactive or under reactive thyroid gland. id say that it wouldnt pose much harm to a normal person but in the case of a dog it could overdose and send its hormonal balance all out of wack. id suggest the vets still just to be safe."

skyhigh2440 replied: "omg what r u doing online ???? call vet !!!"

Mischa replied: "First rule of dog ownership, never leave anything edible near them ever! I would be petrified of this happeneing to my dogs! Please call a vet immediately, or put your dog in the car and head straight to your vets - you need medical help asap!"

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