Pete the Vet: Could your dog have thyroid disease?

Whether too much or too little hormone is in your pet’s bloodstream, the good news about thyroid problems in pets is that they can be successfully treated and effectively cured

Pete the Vet: Hypothyroidism typically develops in older dogs, and medium to large breeds are more likely to be affected, like Irish Setters.

Thyroid hormones are an important part of the mammalian metabolism, shared by humans, dogs and cats alike. The hormones are produced by the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped structure with a pair of bean-like nodules, one on the left and one on the right on either side of the upper part of the windpipe. Thyroid hormones regulate the speed of the metabolism, similar to the accelerator pedal in a car.

In most humans, and most animals, precisely the correct amount of thyroid hormone is produced. Most people and pets motor along at around the right speed, neither stuttering and stalling with inadequate quantity of hormone, nor speeding wildly along with excessive hormone in our systems.