HypoT and Diabetes

[ArchieBear]

Hi - I'm new to this forum but I'm so glad it was recommended to me.  Some great topics and loads of interesting stuff.
I have an 8 year old Beardie called Archie.  He was diagnosed with HypoT a few months ago and is now on 0.9mg of Soloxine which seems to be working well.  However, I noticed around 3 weeks ago that he's started drinking a lot more than usual so I took a urine sample to the vet.  I heard yesterday that he has glucose in his urine so I'm taking him in tomorrow for a full blood screen.
Does anyone know if Diabetes and HypoT are linked? Could one cause the other?  For that matter, could one be mistaken for the other?
I also think he's on quite a high dosage of Soloxine - every forum I read seems to indicate that 0.6mg is more normal (although this is obviously down to individual dogs).
Any advice would be appreciated.  I'm worried sick about a positive diabetes diagnosis as the thought of injecting him twice daily fills me with dread!
Thanks !!

[patp]

Someone with more knowledge than me will be along soon.
Hopefully it won't come to it but injecting dogs is much easier than people because dogs don't know about needles so you can distract them with treats etc

[ArchieBear]

I think he will be ok, I'm more worried about whether I will be able to do it - I'm not good with needles and the thought of pushing one into my dog's skin horrifies me.   

[Catherine]

I have not heard of any link between Diabetes and HypoT although if he was getting too much Soloxine that may, perhaps alter his glucose levels. I assume that Archie had the full set of thyroid tests and some symptoms for the diagnosis of HypoT? It is usual to start the dog on a lower dose of Soloxine and to retest the thyroid 3-4 weeks later and if necessary to increase the dosage and retest until a correct amount for your dog is found.

I hope you managed to have full bloods done today for Archie including another thyroid test. Hopefully the results will rule out some things.

[ArchieBear]

He did have a full blood screen for his thyroid and he was showing symptoms of HypoT (weight gain, fatigue, panting for ages after even a short walk).  They started him on a low dose and gradually, after tests, he's ended up on 0.9.

He's had more bloods done today and a 2nd urine sample which again showed a lot of glucose present.
It seems highly likely that he is diabetic but I should get the full results back on Friday.
I was really hoping that his excessive thirst was due to too much soloxine but his urine sample is pretty conclusive.

I've asked them to email me all the test results that he's had from the very beginning and I may try for a 2nd opinion just to make sure that we're on the right track.

[Catherine]

It could be Cushing's Disease. What are his symptoms now other than drinking more water than usual?

[Jo CIMDA]

Hi

There is a link between hypoT and Diabetes Mellitus in as much as they are both endocrine autoimmune diseases and when a dog is predisposed to AI disease they can get others.  Does Archie's breath smell of acetone?  This can be an indicator of diabetes.

Did the vet run the three diagnostic tests for hypoT, eg., TT4, FT4 and TSH?  These three tests can differentiate between primary hypothyroidism and secondary, that is a non-thyroidal illness that is lowering the circulating TT4, such as Cushing's syndrome.  This is very important because if it is a non-thyroidal illness then there is an underlying cause that must be identified and if this is the case then perhaps the thryoid doesn't need replacement hormone after all. 

It is a good idea to get a copy of his results for your records.

I hope it is not diabetes.  Perhaps a full biochemical blood test needs to be done.

Jo