Some good news- Bird's thyroid meds are working!

catsallover

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I took her to the vet for a recheck on her hyperthyroidism, and she is in the normal range
! And she's gained back about 5 oz. in 3 weeks!
I do have a question, though, that I forgot to ask (will ask later, but would like your experience
)- How often does she need to get it checked? They told me to come back in a month, (and another $90 on top of the $35 per month for meds
).
I really am going to have to plan if I have to get her tested every month!
 

cloud_shade

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I would say if can learn to recognize some of the symptoms of hyper and hypo thyroidism, you can pare it down to testing every 4 to 6 months, or as you see symptoms. I wouldn't go longer than 6 months between tests.

With Spot, I could often use his ears as a guide. I brought him in once because his ears were really cold. I told my vet about some of his other behaviors (like chasing Willow) and she thought the test would come back high, but I had a gut feeling that it would be low and it was. Later, when his thyroid was super high, his ears were burning to the touch. It's not the best guide in the world, but it helps along with watching how much they eat, how heavy or light they feel, if they're drinking a lot, and how active they are.

I would still suggest going in for this next appointment, just to be certain that everything stays stable after a month, but you could space them out after that.
 
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catsallover

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Thanks so much! I will keep the hot ear/cold ear thing in mind (and start checking hers while I know it's right
), and see if it works for her too. I can handle every 4 -6 months- Whew!
Thanks again!
It's so hard to tell with her coat if she is gaining or losing weight- in the winter, it is so thick that it just about sticks straight out- my shorthaired puffball
!- and that was the only outward sign I saw
. Maybe I should get my dog checked, too- even her trainer said something about her hot ears, but they are always hot, and thyroid problems aren't uncommon in her breed. Hmmm
, I'll have to ask next time at the vet.
 
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