How to train a dog: Buddy has a thyroidrelated problem?

Providing poor nutrition, overvaccinating, and neutering or spaying a puppy too early can cause a disease called hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism refers to an underactive thyroid gland, which causes physical as well as behavioral abnormalities.
It’s difficult to successfully train a dog who has hypothyroidism. When a dog has hypothyroidism, his ability to learn and retain information is severely curtailed. This lack of learning ability is frustrating for both dog and handler. Very few veterinarians have that much knowledge about this disease, which is perhaps the most common disease in dogs.

Rarely seen until the 1970s, this condition has become more prevalent because the way of managing dogs has changed in the last 50 years. More than 50 percent of young dogs today show some signs of hypothyroidism. As the dog ages, the percentage increases.

  The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine gland system. This system not only controls many of the hormones in the body, but it also controls the brain’s ability to deal with stress. It certainly affects his behavior. In a study done at the University of Southampton in England, it was found that more than 50 percent of dogs turned over to a humane society because of aggression problems were suffering from hypothyroidism.

The physical manifestations of hypothyroidism can show from as young as 5 months of age onward. This disease is most commonly diagnosed at around 4 years of age, but dogs 8 years and older also have hypothyroidism, which correlates to the aging process. Dogs with this disease may show the following signs:

 ✓ Heart disorders

 ✓ Lack of control over body temperature — the dog is either too cold or too hot under otherwise normal conditions

 ✓ Oily, smelly, scaly skin and blackened skin on the belly and under the arms

 ✓ Some kinds of paralysis

✓ Seizures

 ✓ Thinning of the hair on each side of the body, usually around the rib cage and on the tail and inside the back legs (see Figure 4-4)

 ✓ Unexplained weight gain

Behavioral manifestations of hypothyroidism may include

✓ Unexplained aggression toward people or other dogs

 ✓ Being picked on by other dogs

 ✓ Difficulty learning

 ✓ Fear and anxiety, including separation anxiety and fear of thunderstorms

 ✓ Lick granulomas, where the dog licks constantly at one spot, usually on a leg, and goes down to the bone

 ✓ Obsessive-compulsive behavior, such as spinning and extreme hyperactivity

 ✓ Overreaction to stressful situations

 ✓ Self-mutilation

The preceding behaviors were reported in a 1997 English study, and nearly all the abnormal behaviors disappeared when thyroid medication was administered.

How can you tell if Buddy has a thyroidrelated problem? If he’s exhibiting any of the physical signs or behaviors listed in this section, make an appointment with your vet as soon as possible. This condition often is overlooked by veterinarians as was the case in the photograph shown in Figure 4-4. If you want to reassure yourself that Buddy doesn’t have hypothyroidism, ask your vet to do a blood test and ask for a complete thyroid panel. The results can tell you whether Buddy needs medication. All laboratory reports indicate a low and high normal reading for each test done. High readings are uncommon in adult dogs. Low normal readings need to be supplemented.

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