On one of our vet runs to have Elsa’s nails cut, the vet did some blood work too.
“It is as I expected,” he said, “She is hypothyroid.”
And so our little rescue dog must have been exhibiting signs of this hormone imbalance which tends to make humans lethargic and prone to weight gain. Elsa is a bit on the roly-poly side for sure.
In addition, in the olden days people used to describe women with thyroid problems as “hysterical.”
That could describe Elsa too.
She is at least paranoid if not hysterical. And now that I know she is hypothyroid I would definitely say she was/is hysterical.
She breaks out in shakes and shivers from unknown unseen dangers. I used to blame it all on her maybe being abused in her previous lives with other not so nice people.
She has severe separation anxiety.
She will not touch dog toys and doesn’t know how to play.
And she is not only food driven but is food protective.
Now Elsa is on thyroid pills twice a day. The vet says it will probably help her lose weight too.
We already notice a new dog in Elsa’s body. She runs more and wants to stay outside more in spite of snow and ice.
The other stuff remains the same and we return to the vet mid February to assess progress.
A hysterical dog may be just like a hysterical woman.
Who knew?
Virginia Views 