Incidence and haemato-biochemical alterations in dermatoses associated with hypothyroidism in dogs

Abstract

Considering critical role of thyroid hormones in hair growth and skin homeostasis, the present study was planned to report incidence and hormonal as well as haemato-biochemical alterations in dermatoses associated with hypothyroidism in dogs from March to August 2025. Out of 720 were fresh cases, nineteen dogs were clinically suspected for dermatoses associated with hypothyroidism and were subjected to detailed clinical, haemato-biochemical and hormonal evaluations. Twelve dogs were confirmed with an overall incidence of 1.67% and a hospital-based incidence of 63.16% among suspected cases. The highest incidence was observed in dogs aged 6-10 years (50%), with males being predominantly affected (75%). Labrador Retrievers showed the highest breed predisposition (66.67%). Common clinical signs included alopecia (91.67%), bradycardia (83.33%), obesity (75.00%), seborrhoea (66.67%), pruritus and rat-tail appearance (58.33% each). Secondary infections were detected in 25% of cases, including pyoderma and Malassezia dermatitis. Among the various haematological parameters, the means of TLC (×103/μl) and neutrophils (%) were significantly higher in dermatoses affected dogs associated with hypothyroidism (14.03±1.97; 73.75±3.15; respectively) as compared to healthy dogs (09.37±5.15; 55.83±1.42, respectively). Whereas, the mean of eosinophils (%) was significantly lower in dermatoses affected dogs associated with hypothyroidism (1.42±0.26) than healthy dogs (6.67±0.49). Other haematological parameters were varied non-significantly between the groups. Among various biochemical parameters, the means of ALT (U/L), cholesterol (mg/dl) and triglyceride (mg/dl) were found significantly higher in dermatoses affected dogs associated with hypothyroidism (78.06±11.41, 200.17±23.11, 112.99±12.25, respectively) than healthy dogs (42.82±3.63, 122.73±2.99, 75.03±4.32, respectively). The means of Free T4 (0.65±0.09 ng/dl) and Total T4 (0.60±.07 µg/dl) were found significantly lower than the values observed for healthy dogs (1.61±0.21, 2.22±0.22, respectively).