Hypothyroidism in dogs – prevalence, risk factors and neurological implications

Abstract

Hypothyroidism is an endocrine pathology frequently encountered in dogs, whose diagnosis involves a series of difficulties due to the insidious onset of the disease and the non-specific clinical manifestations, which can mimic other diseases (metabolic, dermatological, neuromuscular, etc.). However, the development of modern diagnostic techniques and the widespread availability of specific determinations, such as total canine T4, free canine T4 and TSH, have led to an increase in diagnostic accuracy and the possibility of differentiating hypothyroidism from other diseases with similar manifestations. In recent years, numerous articles have investigated the etiology of the disease, however in our country there are few data regarding the prevalence and risk factors of this condition in the canine population. This article was carried out on 18 dogs diagnosed with hypothyroidism at the Emergency University Veterinary Hospital “Prof. Dr. Alin Bîrţoiu” between 2021 and 2022. All patients included in the study presented neurological manifestations. The diagnostic protocol included anamnesis, analysis of signalment, complete clinical examination, neurological examination and confirmation by serological investigations, the data obtained being compared with those provided by other similar studies.