Hypothyroidism In Dogs?

My dog has Hypothyroidism. He is otherwise completely healthy aside from some hair loss. Throughout his life he has had illnesses related to immune deficiency. We feed him well (Natural Balance Limited Ingredients Sweet Potato and Duck). I just want to know if there is any way that we can treat his condition without hormone treatment? Is there anything I can give him to support his immune system?

You can feed him a good quality food with a sprinkle of iodized salt on it or other iodine supplement. But he will still probably need hormone support for his thyroid.

NO. the only effective way to treat hypothyroidism is via hormone replacement therapy. not treating it can cause a multitude of problems for your dog.

Although a 1/4 tsp. of iodized salt in your dog's food daily will help to keep his thyroid level up, it is not the best solution. I have used this successfully when I was temporarily out of prescribed medication for my dog. It is still a much better solution to use Thyroxine or Synthroid tablets prescribed by your Vet and monitored regularly. The thyroid gland in used to regulate energy production, body temperature, breathing, and muscle tone, and the manufacture and breakdown of body tissue. If the thyroxine level drops too low (hypothyroidism) the dog sleeps more often, loses muscle control, loses hair, and often acts disoriented as if he is on another planet. If the level drops severely low, the dog will die. So, this is not really something to self-medicate and should be carefully monitored and treated. Some dogs do well on the generic (synthroid) while others do much better on the brand name thyroxine. The actual balance of the amount of supplement given and the dog' response is fairly critical. Not enough is not good nor is too much, so it may take a little time to get the dosage correct. I must also say that there are some dogs who do not do well on any of the supplements as I found out by personal experience and as a result I felt inclined to do what was best for my friend and return him to his creator. I hope you will find this helpful and wish you success in your situation.

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