125 Behaviour and Thyroid Disease

125 Behaviour and Thyroid Disease

March 9, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the relationship between thyroid disease and behaviour in dogs and cats, debunking outdated notions and exploring the complexities of diagnosis.

Episode 125 – Behaviour and Thyroid Disease This is a big topic, and I really enjoyed diving into it. I think we can all agree that the outdated notion that low thyroid hormone levels in dogs directly causes aggression is exactly that – outdated. However, changes or dysregulation in thyroid hormone levels in both dogs and cats can still affect behaviour and this is what I chat about in this episode. Here are some of the things I mention in the episode: · The differences in canine and feline thyroid disease · Causes of hypothyroidism in dogs · Incidence of hypothyroidism in the canine population · Hormone cascade regulation · Clinical signs of hypothyroidism and how these can affect behaviour I also talk about the complexities of diagnosis of thyroid disease and how this can be influenced by certain medications. Here are the studies I reference in the episode: Gulikers, K.P. and Panciera, D.L., 2003. Evaluation of the effects of clomipramine on canine thyroid function tests. Journal of veterinary internal medicine , 17 (1), pp.44-49. Radosta, L.A., Shofer, F.S. and Reisner, I.R., 2012. Comparison of thyroid analytes in dogs aggressive to familiar people and in non-aggressive dogs…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Katrin Jahn

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Journal of veterinary internal medicine, The Veterinary Journal, Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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