Hypothyroidism

Moki has officially been diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. A common disorder in dogs, where their thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones to regulate their bodies. In Moki's case it came on fast. His last Vet check was Nov 2010, weight was 10lbs and he was happy & healthy. Around February, my Mom pointed out that he looked bigger, seemed sluggish and couldn't out run Tate anymore. I blamed myself for over feeding and treating. I cut back on the treats and put them both on diet dog food. 3 Months later Moki had lost some weight, but just wasn't himself. His coat started to look ratty, his nose dried out, and he was super sleepy. Some mornings he would sleep until noon if I let him. He all but quit using the bathroom and that's when I got really worried. I called and got him a Vet appointment right away. At this point he weighed in at 12.5 pounds, a 25% increase in weight in under 6 months! They took blood and told me lets hope for a thyroid problem or else this dog might be really sick. That one little comment made ME sick to my stomach. I tried hard to hold it together until we got in the car. As the door closed, I burst into tears. It was a long 5 days until we got final results. They explained that thyroid highs are around 40, lows are at 10... Moki came in at less than 2. He has been put on a thyroid hormone replacement drug. He will need to take it twice a day for the rest of his life. He has only been on the meds 3 days and I am already starting to see glimpses of my old happy pup coming back!