Disease Description: A swelling of the thyroid gland.

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Disease Symptom: Symptoms of a goiter to watch for include: Difficulty swallowing; Shortness of breath at rest; Shortness of breath during activities; Wheezing sounds when breathing ;Refusing to eat ;Sudden and dramatic weight loss.

Disease Cause: The pituitary gland within the brain works with the thyroid gland to ensure that the right amount of hormones are being released and circulated throughout your dog’s body. If your dog’s brain determines that the thyroid gland is not producing enough or is producing too much of the thyroid hormones it signals the thyroid to produce more or less of the hormones. The constant signaling of the thyroid gland by the pituitary gland and brain can cause the cells within the thyroid to multiply. This results in an enlarged thyroid gland. This enlargement or swelling of the thyroid gland is diagnosed as a goiter.

Disease Diagnose: Your veterinarian will begin by palpating the area that is swelling. They will then do a complete physical examination, checking your dog’s heart, lungs, temperature and doing palpations throughout the body to ensure that the swelling is localized to the thyroid gland. A complete blood count, biochemistry panel and urinalysis will be conducted. Your veterinarian will test your dog’s thyroid function. Dogs that are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism are at a greater risk of developing a goiter. A complete medical history will also need to be given to aid in proper diagnosis. Thyroid imaging and scanning can be done to help locate thyroid tissue and determine the size of the goiter. These tests will confirm a diagnosis and help your veterinarian determine which treatments will work best for your dog. A biopsy of the thyroid may be necessary.

Treat Method: In cases where the goiter is relatively small, they will eventually resolve on their own once the thyroid condition has been treated. Your veterinarian will closely monitor your dog’s progress throughout treatments to ensure that the goiter is receding. There are some dogs that have a goiter that is too large to recede without intervention. In these cases, surgical removal of the goiter is necessary.

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