Hypothyroidism & Diet: Nutritional Support for Dogs with an Underactive Thyroid
Hypothyroidism is one of the most common endocrine disorders in dogs — and one of the most under-recognised by owners. If your dog is gaining weight despite normal food intake, seems chronically lethargic, keeps getting skin or coat problems, or feels cold all the time, an underactive thyroid may be the cause. Diet won’t cure hypothyroidism, but it plays a meaningful supporting role alongside the medication that will. What is hypothyroidism? The thyroid gland, a small structure in the neck, produces two hormones — thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) — that regulate the metabolic rate of virtually every cell in the body. When the thyroid underproduces these hormones, metabolism slows across the board. ...