Hypothyroidism is the most common endocrine disease of the dog.
Confusion remains, however, over which diagnostic tests are the most specific and sensitive for identifying thyroid dysfunction especially in its early stages. Accurate diagnosis of the early compensatory stages of canine hypothyroidism and autoimmune thyroiditis affords important clinical consequences for early therapeutic intervention and case management. Additionally, the heritable nature of autoimmune thyroiditis in dogs has significant genetic implications for those breeds. Because of the variety of individual tests available today, with their inherent strengths and weaknesses, it is often difficult to make a definitive diagnosis. For the above reasons, use of more comprehensive thyroid panels is strongly recommended.