Underactive thyroid, lc, raw food, in a dog

[Brunneria]

Hi All,

Weird query, and i'm throwing it into the LC forum but please, if any mod would like it elsewhere, have at it!

So, i have a (nearly) 3 year old dog, and like many castrated males he is showing a tendency to gain weight. He was born the runt of the litter, is very small for the breed, but is extremely healthy.

However, I am wondering if he is showing some signs of hypothyroidism (low appetite, feels the cold, sleeps a lot).
He is due at vets in a couple of months for his annual checkup and jabs and I intend to ask the vet to check for hypothyroidism and ask about other hormone possibilities then.

My question to you all is:

Do the symptoms of hypothyroidism (in humans) improve with low carb + weight loss and increased fitness? Or does hypothyroidism always require medication?

He is a little chunky but has never been fat, and i have been trying to shave him down slowly. Poor lad. No matter how little i feed him, the shrinkage is agonisingly slow!
He is already on a low carb, raw prey model diet (and thrives on it)
He walks every day, an appropriate amount for the breed, sometimes more. He sleeps most of the rest of the time, although there is daily wrestling and playtime, including tug of war with myself, the b&w in the pic, and Mr B.

I suppose i am rather reluctant to inflict this strict food reduction on him now, if it would/will get 10x easier if he gets medication for hypothyroidism...

Here he is (most of what you are seeing is fluff. He really is only slightly overweight.)
He is the blond. The black and white female is a typically sized for this breed - males are usually bigger that this!

 

[Neohdiver]

I haven't completed my research yet - but my understanding is that a low carb/high fat diet can actually be detrimental to management of hypothyroidism. It was an early tidbit I ran across (sorry, no link). I found it interesting at the time because (1) I have both and (2) it is fairly common to have both. I decided to work on diabetes management first (since I considered it the most significant concern), and complete my research later. The research was not blatant or

In people, at least certain kinds of hypothyroidism are closely linked to vitamin D deficiencies - and can go into remission from resolving the vitamin D deficiency, alone.

 

[carol43]

My under-active thyroid medication was reduced when I started LCHF. I was taking 150mcg now down to 100 but haven't had another test since April last year.

 

[Johndotcom]

You should always have fairly frequent blood tests for under active thyroid, at minimum once a year.
It can change drastically, common effects that you need more drugs is putting on unexplained weight, tiredness, lack of motivation, the list goes on, but if in any doubt a blood test can be done at GP surgeries (UK) or have it added to review when you have your HbA1c done. Don't leave it as can be dangerous, you are on drugs for life for under active, although you may get the dose down.

 

[Totto]

Hi and thanks for the tag. Unfortunately I don't know much about dogs but I think I've read somewhere hypothyroidism is fairly common. Get him tested, both for his sake and for you peace of mind. A good diet will surely help but if his thyroid gland has given up diet can only take you so far.

 

[Brunneria]

Thank you all

Will carry on as currently and check with vet.

One thing I should also have mentioned in my original post is that he seems v sensitive to carbs/grains (one reason he is on this way of eating).

Normal dog biscuits seem to trigger fluid retention and carb cravings - astonishing to watch, actually. Ever seen a food obsessed Labrador? Just like that. So whatever happens we will be sticking with the low carb raw. I wouldn't wish a life of carb craving misery on anyone - especially a much beloved dog!