Bacca is suddenly a new dog!!!!!

I'm glad for you that Bacca is finally feeling well again.

But, its really not so strange, sometimes, medication can take several weeks for it to work. I take thyroid medication myself and I know when I need to go to see my Endocrinologist because of how I feel mentally(yes, thyroid imbalance can cause, depression amongst other things) and when he ups the medication, I feel better.
 
Glad to hear Bacca is doing good.

Interestingly Cadbury goes through a very similar phase of lethargy in the summer, along with dandruffy dry skin and then the winter comes and, bang, he is like a 2-year-old dog again.

My trainer and I still have our suspicions about his hormone levels. Though nothing ever came up on his thyroid tests, certainly he has a lot of the external symptoms.

Either that or he is acutely sensitive to changing weather.

In any case I am very glad Bacca is on the mend and I hope it is permanent and not just seasonal.
 
labgirl said:
Glad to hear Bacca is doing good.

Interestingly Cadbury goes through a very similar phase of lethargy in the summer, along with dandruffy dry skin and then the winter comes and, bang, he is like a 2-year-old dog again.

My trainer and I still have our suspicions about his hormone levels. Though nothing ever came up on his thyroid tests, certainly he has a lot of the external symptoms.

Either that or he is acutely sensitive to changing weather.

In any case I am very glad Bacca is on the mend and I hope it is permanent and not just seasonal.
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To get a full reading on thyroid, you need the full Welleness test, or the Thyroid 5 - T3, T4, Free T4, TsH, Tgaa. It sounds like Cadbury is due for the full test. Without the full test, it cannot be fully diagnosed. What I discovered is that many dogs carry the disease for year without treatment because they don't really show overt symptoms. For example, it would be easy to explain away lethargy in the summer because of heat. Simple yes? But combine that with a hypo dog....and that what I had with Bacca thisa summer.
 
The timing of the meds is a big issue for me. It just not work with a normal person's working life!!!!

They have to be fed 12 hours apart and ideally either 1 hour before eating and 3 hours after eating.

Well try to schedule that into a normal person's day. The evening med's ok, now that I figured that out.


Morning meds are still an issue. I would have to get up at 5 a.m. to feed the dogs in order to give Bacca his med at 8 a.m. before I go to work. That's just not going to ever happen

So I do now have about 1.5 hour between feeding his morning meal and his meds....and voila! A perky pup again!

I just hope that his bloodwork that I'll get on Monday confirms this new dog of mine!
 
To get a full reading on thyroid, you need the full Welleness test, or the Thyroid 5 - T3, T4, Free T4, TsH, Tgaa. It sounds like Cadbury is due for the full test. Without the full test, it cannot be fully diagnosed. What I discovered is that many dogs carry the disease for year without treatment because they don't really show overt symptoms. For example, it would be easy to explain away lethargy in the summer because of heat. Simple yes? But combine that with a hypo dog....and that what I had with Bacca thisa summer.
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My vet was not convinced it was worth pursuing, but I have a feeling as Cadbury ages something will appear. My mum calls him 'the dog with ME' because he can sleep 23 out of 24 hours.

Then there is the bladder issues, which again he had all manner of tests for and again came back clear.

His skin is very dandruffy, but it improves with supplements and regular flea treatments. But my trainer was always concerned that he appeared to have a very sparse top-coat along his flanks. This may explain why his coat is so dull, he does not 'shine' like most labs.

But I just don't know and as he is acting like a fit and healthy dog (albeit one that likes his sleep) I feel foolish pushing for more and more expensive tests. I start to feel like I am just a worry-wart or I am trying to find a reason for Cadbury being just Cadbury.
 
Sophie,

I'm not surprised that Cadbury is dandruffy....I find it really common in shorter hair breeds, labs in particular. I used a rinse on Bacca last week that really worked wonders on his coat and skin.

http://www.petdiscounters.com/Tropiclean-Oxy-Med-Medicated-Oatmeal-Rinse_p_16613.html

His skin was so raw for awhile I was hesitant to shampoo him again. I don't know if the rinse made the difference or whether or not its just that Bacca's med's stabilized, but suddenly his skin is clear again and no more oily flakes.

I supplement with Salmon oil now....another recent development, and perhaps another reason why Bacca's coat is getting better. Coicidence????

How old is Cadbury now....I think about 6 or so, yes? This is about the age where hypo starts to manifest.

How is his appetite? Has he gone off certain foods or treats lately? Besides being lazy, are there any other behavioural changes....either a little more aggressiveness with other dogs, or a general dullness (i.e. like his brain is just not there sometimes? e.g. Bacca would scratch to come indoors and then just look at me when I opened the door, like he forgot why he was standing there! :sadsmile:) Those can be signs.

You are asking a tough question. What is normal? But more specifically, what is normal for your dog? Only you can answer that question.

If you feel strongly about it, then do it. If your vet doesn't comply, then find another vet. You can also contact Dr. Jean Dodds for advice. I've never done so, but it is my understanding that she is very responsive.

Good luck to you!
 
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