Hi There,

NOT ALL ANIMALS ARE THE SAME

Young animals are still growing and adolescents are maturing -- optimal thyroid levels are expected to be in the upper half of the reference ranges. for geriatric animals, basal metabolism Is usually slowing down and optimal thyroid levels are likely to be closer to midrange or even slightly lower. 

Puppies have higher basal thyroid levels than adults

• Geriatrics have lower basal thyroid levels than adults
• Small and toy dog breeds have higher levels
• Large and giant dog breeds have lower levels
• Sighthound breeds have lower levels

Did you know?

• Thyroid hormone is given apart from foods containing calcium or soy, to ensure absorption
• Half-life of thyroxine in dogs is short; give total dose divided morning and night
• T4 alone is not accurate for thyroid assessment; minimum needs are T4 and Free T4
• Even those 2 assays fail to detect heritable thyroiditis; thyroid antibody (TgAA) needed
• cTSH is a poor predictor of thyroid dysfunction in dogs with 30$ discordancy
• cTSH is helpful in diagnosis and follow up monitoring of hyperthyroid cats
• Thyroid glandular and other support insufficient to correct true thyroid dysfunction
• To facilitate diagnosis of thyroid disorders, veterinarians need to routinely employ more complete thyroid profiles, and there is a need to balance affordability with accuracy.