The canine thyroid epidemic

Problems with your dog? It may be his thyroid! If your dog is lethargic, losing his hair, gaining weight or suddenly becomes aggressive, perhaps the last thing you (or your vet!) would think about is his thyroid. Unfortunately, however, thyroid disorders can cause literally dozens of health and behavioral problems in dogs and frequently go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. And the real tragedy is that most thyroid problems are treatable with the right medical care and a well-informed owner can often minimize the chance of a thyroid disorder occurring in the first place.
Noted veterinarian Jean Dodds and co-author Diana Laverdure have done the dog owning public and their vets a great service by writing The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. The book is written in such a way to inform both the average dog owner and animal health care professionals about the ways in which thyroid disorders occur, can be prevented and treated.
You will learn about:
• The role of the thyroid and why it is essential to a dog’s health.
• How to identify the clinical signs and symptoms of thyroid disorders.
• The lab tests needed to identify thyroid problems and how to administer the proper medicines.
• How an increasingly toxic environment can impact your dog’s health.
What experts are saying about The Canine Thyroid Epidemic
There’s probably no one in the dog world who garners as much respect from all quarters as Dr. Jean Dodds. Her latest work alarms and alerts us to an epidemic of thyroid disease of staggering proportions. It alarms us as we witness the early age at which the disorder now commonly appears, and alerts us to how commonly we aggravate the problem through breeding, vaccination and feeding practices. Steve Marsden, DVM, Canadian Vet. Med. Assoc. Small Animal Clinician of the Year, 2009
Dr. W. Jean Dodds has raised the awareness that canine hypothyroidism is not only about low thyroid hormone levels, but in fact, it’s a continuum of disease that often begins with the immune destruction of the thyroid gland (autoimmune thyroiditis) and progresses over time to end-stage disease (hypothyroidism). Not only is this book a great “eye opener” for pet lovers but also should serve as a reference for veterinarians whether they are in veterinary school or have many years experience in private or university practice. Rhett Nichols, DVM, ACVIM, endocrinologist