Top Veterinary Articles of the Week: Hypothyroidism, Nosebleeds, and more ...

What To Do To Help A Dog Hit By A Car

Dr. Andy Roark/Cone of Shame



If your dog gets hit by a car, see a vet. Period. It doesn't matter they they seem fine. Much damage can have happened internally which you won't see until it might be too late. Of course, the best treatment is prevention. Dr. Roark has a fantastic list of tips and advice of what to do should this ever happen to your dog.

The Tissue -Pathies of Hypothyroidism and the Controversy

Dr. Jean Dodds/Dr. Jean Dodds' Pet Health Resource Blog

I admit the title is as creative as it it confusing. It took my a while to figure it out. Since I honor the original titles of the articles I feature, I am not going to change it but I feel it begs for explanation.

In my series on veterinary prefixes and suffixes, I also defined -pathy.

As in neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, myelopathy ... the suffix indicates disease. It doesn't really identify it any further. So neuropathy is a nerve disease, myopathy is a disease of muscle(s), myelopathy is a disease of the spinal cord ...

In her article Dr. Dodds explains disease of the thyroid and related diseases. Because of the important function of the thyroid hormones, in her article Dr. Dodds explains how other tissues can get diseased as a result. I know what dysfunctional thyroid did to Jasmine's body. When Cookie started having her musculoskeletal problems, thyroid was one of the things the function of which I wanted to test. I'd also want to test thyroid function if my dog had skin issues and a number of other problems.

The thyroid hormones regulate cellular metabolism - conversion of oxygen and calories to energy. Every cell in the body is like a tiny factory. Can a factory function without energy? Nope. And if individual cells cannot do their job, the organ cannot do its job. And if the organs cannot do their job, the body cannot function properly.

The main take away is to remember that your dog has thyroid glands with an important job. If you're dealing with medical issues described in Dr. Dodds' article, don't forget to have the thyroid checked.

Nosebleeds in Dogs & Cats – What Do They Mean?!

Dr. Christopher Byers/CriticalCareDVM

Nosebleeds in dogs are often often scary news and not just because they can get very messy.

Dogs don't get nose bleeds as easily as people do. One thing to understand that just like vomiting or diarrhea, nose bleed is not a disease in itself. It is a result of one. Things that can result in nose bleeds are trauma, bleeding disorders, foreign objects, infections, parasites, cancer and number of other causes.

Like with many other things, to treat a nose bleed effectively, the cause needs to be determined. You might not need to run to a vet with one minor nose bleed. But with repeat or profuse bleeding, I'd be on my way.