thyroid

[karen Clanin <kclanin@fix.net>]

I haven't read all of the posts on the subject of thyroid but wanted to
relate a part of my experience with it.

Last year it was my decision to euthanize my nearly 27 year old gelding due
to repeated foundering, he had reached the point where nothing we, vet or
farrier could do was keeping him comfortable.

The original foundering was treated by one vet who never thought to test
him for thyroid.  During the interim we changed vets and the next time, due
to Bub's age it was the first 'reason' the new vet suggested we check and
sure enough he was low. He was put on thyroxin which is a small pill (not
bad tasting at all) and retested 3 months later to see if the dosage was
correct.   (BTW, personally I prefer the pill as  then I know they got the
full dosage, to me it's kind of 'iffy' with the powder which can be blown
out of the feed bucket or stick to the sides of the bucket, just an opinion.)

The new vet's one fault in the whole mess was not to tell me originally
that we needed to retest him every 9 to 12 months.  He again foundered,
again tested and found to again be low (provide supplemental thyroid and
the body says, well, ok i don't need to produce even the little bit i have
been anymore).   It was this episode that he never really came out of and
resulted in my decision to euthanize him.

I was extremely angry about not being informed that we needed to test on a
routine schedule and for all the subsequent pain my friend of 25 years had
to go through.

Regarding the genetic aspect of it, I have only anedotal information.
Bub's half brother, same age, was tested when he was 26 as he developed a
crest and suddenly became much more of an easy keeper than he already was
and found to be low and was put on thyroxin.  This could of been genetic or
it could simply been old age...he was euthanized last year also.

Karen Clanin
California