The most common endocrine diseases that we see in veterinary practice are associated with the Thyroid gland. The thyroid gland runs our metabolism, for both people and animals, so if thyroid levels are too low we are slow and sluggish and if they are too high we are revved up and running on overdrive.

This is one example where dogs and cats are completely different in how they are affected. Dogs generally suffer from hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels) which causes them to be fat and lazy and cats generally suffer from hyperthyroidism (high thyroid hormone levels) which causes them to be skinny and crazy!

Diagnosis of thyroid disease involves running blood tests, which we do as part of regular wellness testing every six months. Monitoring the weight of our pets is also another good way to get an early warning of thyroid disease.

Dogs that have gained weight unexpectedly should all be checked for thyroid disease, and cats that are ravenously hungry (to the point of vocalising excessively and craving food) should also be checked for thyroid disease.

Thyroid disease is both dogs and cats can be managed very successfully with long term medication – it is wonderful to see these patients get their metabolism back on track. The key is early diagnosis – so make sure you have regular weight checks and blood tests to detect problems early.