Hi, Readers,
This blog post goes out to the animal-friends out there after an emergency vet-visit the day after the previous post was made.
It was due mostly to that too-dark urine of Tony's lately that just wasn't getting any better.
After his elevated BP was taken, the way-too-low heart rate noted and the array of blood tests and scans were completed, the likely root of the urine problem, (as well as his thinning tail fur and yes, the big changes in his chi and confidence over the last year), was clear: hypothyroidism.
Our dear beasty has been on canine-thyroxine now for a week and already I'm seeing more of a spring in his step.
More steps too.
In a month we'll do another dip stick to see if the dosage is optimal.
I recently learned of the link between Addison's Disease, (aka autoimmune adrenal insufficiency, which has been thankfully well controlled since almost killing Tony back in '07), and hypothyroidism and I am most underwhelmed by the vet's lack of dot-connecting on the two--especially considering the notable tail fur loss for so long now.
In humans, (more women than men), this "fur loss" often manifests as thinning hair on the top/front of the head--which I actually knew about thanks to a hairdresser sharing that trade secret like--10 years ago and dammit.
Onward.
Ironic high-fives to my own medical conditions as if it weren't for them and all I've gleaned since diagnosis, this discovery may not have been made in time.
My research-i-tis has also revealed that untreated hypothyroidism can often negatively affect the kidneys, so here's to the ole T-Pee straightening out by the next vet visit.
A visit that will surely include one hairy-eyeballed Q&A session on how he managed to not see those big, flapping hypothyroid red flags, especially in relation to the Addison's--and for over a year now.
Helluva price for an English-speaking vet, I'd say.
Regarding T's overly-golden showering, it might have just been the morning light, but I swear from what I saw on our walk today, his urine has already improved.
In closing, I hope that this post was of use, as the many seemingly unrelated symptoms of so many autoimmune conditions are often hiding under rugs due to their sporadic nature over such lengthy periods of time.
It is so important to be the grabbers of our own bull horns.
+++vibes
J
This blog post goes out to the animal-friends out there after an emergency vet-visit the day after the previous post was made.
It was due mostly to that too-dark urine of Tony's lately that just wasn't getting any better.
After his elevated BP was taken, the way-too-low heart rate noted and the array of blood tests and scans were completed, the likely root of the urine problem, (as well as his thinning tail fur and yes, the big changes in his chi and confidence over the last year), was clear: hypothyroidism.
Our dear beasty has been on canine-thyroxine now for a week and already I'm seeing more of a spring in his step.
More steps too.
In a month we'll do another dip stick to see if the dosage is optimal.
In humans, (more women than men), this "fur loss" often manifests as thinning hair on the top/front of the head--which I actually knew about thanks to a hairdresser sharing that trade secret like--10 years ago and dammit.
Onward.
Ironic high-fives to my own medical conditions as if it weren't for them and all I've gleaned since diagnosis, this discovery may not have been made in time.
My research-i-tis has also revealed that untreated hypothyroidism can often negatively affect the kidneys, so here's to the ole T-Pee straightening out by the next vet visit.
A visit that will surely include one hairy-eyeballed Q&A session on how he managed to not see those big, flapping hypothyroid red flags, especially in relation to the Addison's--and for over a year now.
Helluva price for an English-speaking vet, I'd say.
Regarding T's overly-golden showering, it might have just been the morning light, but I swear from what I saw on our walk today, his urine has already improved.
In closing, I hope that this post was of use, as the many seemingly unrelated symptoms of so many autoimmune conditions are often hiding under rugs due to their sporadic nature over such lengthy periods of time.
It is so important to be the grabbers of our own bull horns.
+++vibes
J
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