Stormy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Just wondering if anyone else has or had a dog with this? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 A friend of mine has had this issue with her Whippet. She had surgery and had most of it removed I would think around two years ago now and is still going well, but they know it will come back in time and they have ahd more time with her than they thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory the Doted One Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Yes. Dory had one of her thyroid glands become cancerous, it was removed three to four years ago. It was incapsulated and appeared to have all been excised. Lab result said low grade, unlikely to spread but to keep checking her as it was still a possibility. I've had her thyroid levels checked, and they appeared normal (although time for another check I think). I did note some minor behavioural changes after it was removed. Dory is about 8 or 9-ish now, she was pretty young to have had this type of cancer from what I was told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thanks OsoSwift and Dory, that's very encouraging. Penny, our whippet, is 13 and had to have both thyroids removed last week. They both tested positive to carcinoma. I was told that it was aggressive but they were both still encapsulated and they believe they removed all/most of it. It was a tough call re surgery at her age but seeing as she was still very much enjoying life bar the masses in her neck, I couldn't bring myself to euthanasia her. Mind you this last week has been a really tough week for her and I've had moments wondering if I've done the right thing. So happy to hear two positive stories, thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thanks OsoSwift and Dory, that's very encouraging. Penny, our whippet, is 13 and had to have both thyroids removed last week. They both tested positive to carcinoma. I was told that it was aggressive but they were both still encapsulated and they believe they removed all/most of it. It was a tough call re surgery at her age but seeing as she was still very much enjoying life bar the masses in her neck, I couldn't bring myself to euthanasia her. Mind you this last week has been a really tough week for her and I've had moments wondering if I've done the right thing. So happy to hear two positive stories, thanks :) it will be tough for a while as the correct thyroxine dosage is determined for your dog.. persevere. It is the same for people... my best friend had part of her thyroid removed due to cancer.. many years ago. I hope the doses are being split into am and pm.. H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thyroid cancer was what my older greyhound girl (almost 11 years old) had and in her case, it was very aggressive and had already spread by the time the lump was visible. She had no obvious symptoms besides that small lump. In our case, it spread into the nearby veins/arteries and that was what made the removal impossible- she bled very badly during just the biopsy- and as I understand it, she would have had a decent chance otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 (edited) dogbesotted - Pen's not yet started the thyroxine but I'm told she'll start shortly. The calcium and calcitrol /vit D are ever 12 hours (for life I believe). Five days after surgery Pen had vestibular episode which has also exacerbated things. The upside is that she's starting to look better/brighter and has been taking a few small meals now throughout the day, though she still walks like a drunk after a night on the turps. Maddy - Sorry to hear about your girl They tried to do a fine needle biopsy first but all the got were syringes of blood and it increased the swelling in her neck during the following days to the point that she started choking on her food. They wanted to do surgery for a bigger biopsy but I didn't want her to undergo two generals, so opted for removal straight up (if it was possible - they didn't really know until they went in). They did a chest X-ray and abdominal ultrasound the day after the FNB and both were clear - which helped make my decision too. Edited February 28, 2015 by Stormy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 just pointing out that hypothyroid conditions ( and this will happen after a thyroidectomy)are implicated in vestibular episodes. III.MISCELLANEOUS CAUSES OF VERTIGO There are multiple metabolic derangements that have been implicated as causative factors in inner ear disease According to Rubin117 there are five major organ systems responsible for inner ear homeostasis. These include the adrenal and pituitary glands, the hormonal and immune systems and the hypothalamus.117 The most frequent laboratory abnormality associated with vestibular dysfunction in hyperglycemia. Frequently dietary manipulation will lead to a beneficial response.118,119 Spencer120 reported on 1,400 patients with hearing loss and vertigo who were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia. Hypothyroidism has also been implied as a potential cause of neuro-otologic dysfunction.118 http://www.michiganear.com/ear-disorders-vertigo.html H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormy Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Thanks dogbesotted - We're seeing the vet again tomorrow so I will ask about checking her thyroid levels / thyroxine. I was told by one of the vets that her thyroid levels wouldn't drop for about a month after surgery. It's all been a bit confusing as there are three different vet practices involved, the one that did the surgery, the Emergency vet hospital (when the operating vets couldn't manage the drop in her PCV's and calcium) and then our normal vets (who are now treating her post-op). Penny's eyes have now stopped "ticking" so I'm taking that as a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now