Overweight Dogs
I want to post this quick story about my dog Molly in the chance that it may help other dogs and their owners. Molly has always had a weight problem. Except for the time during her allergy problem a few years ago, that I explained in another post, she has steadily gained weight.
I would always mention it to the two veterinarians I was taking her to on every visit, and they would tell me to feed her less, walk her more, or change her food. When I would tell them I have done all of that, they would say that golden retrievers are prone to gain weight.
Her other problem was her ears being infected constantly. No matter how much I cleaned them they got infected. They told me that this is common in golden retrievers because of the ears hanging. It does not allow air to get in, and that causes infection.
I would also always mention that her coat seemed thin for a golden retriever. Both veterinarian offices told me it was not uncommon for dogs to lose their coats, and it might be a skin condition.
Recently Molly was due for a few vaccinations, and I decided it was time for a new veterinarian. When we went for our first visit, the doctor commented on how heavy Molly was. He weighed her and she was 130 pounds. He said she should be about 75.
I told him she gets two cups of dry food a day, no table scraps, a biscuit or two, and I walk her everyday. I also told him I don’t know what else to do, she just keeps gaining weight.
He looked her over and said it may not be her fault. He noticed her ears were infected, and she was losing a lot of her coat.
He told me that the weight gain, infected ears, and hair loss, are all signs of hypothyroidism. He said a simple blood test could confirm it, and if that was the cause, an inexpensive pill a day would give me a new dog. Those were his exact words.
Well he knew what he was talking about, because that was the problem. I give Molly one 0.8mg tablet of L-thyroxine a day. It has been eight weeks now and she has lost over twelve pounds, without changing anything else.
She also has unlimited energy. When I used to walk her around the block, I often didn’t think she was going to make it. Now she drags me. Her hair is also all growing back. It’s almost hard to believe this one little pill could solve everything.
When the veterinarian told me that one little pill could give me a new dog, if she had hypothyroidism, I didn’t put a lot of faith in his statement, but it really is like a magic wand was waved over my dog. If your dog has any of the symptoms mentioned here, have them checked. You may be as surprised as I still am.
If this article finds it’s way into one home with a sick dog, and helps, it will be worth it. It is also not my intent to make veterinarians look bad, because most of them do a very good job, but if something doesn’t seem right, get another opinion.
