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terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007

I would have thought that it would be pretty obvious - people with thyroid problems can exhibit the same symptoms as those with bipolar disorder so I expected it to cause behaviour changes within dogs.

Excuse the spelling... I'm having a brain block and everything I've typed looks wrong

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unfortunately, many vets ignore behavior changes & insist dogs must be over 4-YO or have classic symptoms -
thinning hair patterns, greasy flakes laying on the skin, muscle loss, weight gain, etc - by which time,
the poor dog can be in really-bad shape. behavioral changes are often early-warning, and the dog may be
only borderline low -- which some vets don't want to treat, since it's not a definitive diagnosis.

dogs as young as 15 to 18-MO can have low to borderline thyroid values -
unfortunately, middle-age is not a prerequisite.

* the test should be a 5-way: free & bound T3 & T4, plus TSH
* it should be read by Michigan State Univ vet-lab - who have the world's biggest breed-specific
database for thyroid values - or by DVM Dodds lab.
* if the results are borderline, talk to the vet about a test period -
perhaps 3-weeks of low-dose thyroid supplements. If that helps the behavior, there's the answer.

__________________
terry pride, APDT-Aus, apdt#1827, CVA, TDF
*wolves R wolves, dogs R dogs, + primates R us.*
tmp, sept-2007