Voracious is usually the most suitable adjective to describe a dog’s appetite, and most people that have one as a pet will concur that they certainly do love to eat. In some instances you don’t need to limit how much your dog eats, but you need to be selective about what they eat. This is the case if a dog has hypothyroidism. This important gland in the neck is essential to cell energy production for them in the same way as it is for 2-legged types, and so what we’re going to look at here is what to feed a dog with hypothyroidism.  

Hypothyroidism is the clinical term for an underactive thyroid, and what that spells for a pooch is the same as what it will for you – a slowed metabolic rate and all sorts of undesirable health detriments coming from that. The difference is that your dog won’t have the wherewithal to know something is amiss with their body in the same way you might, and that’s why they are always relying on us to keep them in the best health possible. Of course you’ll be doing that with the help of a good local veterinarian too.   

What you can be on the lookout for is the most common dog hypothyroidism symptom, and that is changes to their skin and coat. Dry, brittle, and / or dull fur is a sign of hypothyroidism in dogs, as is losing fur or having skin thicken or become blackened. There are other symptoms, but our focus here is going to be on what to feed a dog with hypothyroidism. We’ll proceed with the understanding that you’ve had a hypothyroidism diagnosis for your dog already, and now you’re ready to start making the necessary changes.  

Ask Less of the Tract 

A dog hypothyroidism diet is going to be one that is increasingly made up of more readily-digestible foods. This is the overarching rule that dog owners need to be adhering to when deciding on what to feed a dog with hypothyroidism. A lot of dog food is cooked at high heat before it becomes a finished product, and this type of dog food is then not as digested as easily. Fresher and more lightly-cooked dog food will be easier to digest, and – as you might guess – this tends to be the more expensive dog food. Especially if it’s dry dog food we’re talking about.  

Another important point with what to feed a dog with hypothyroidism is to ensure that the dog food you are giving them is NOT high in salt. It is best if it also has very little in the way of artificial additives and it shouldn’t have goitrogens in it either. As for good ingredients, you can approve foods that contain any of these ingredients, or having the dog eat these foods on their own if that’s realistic:  

• Asparagus  

• Green beans  

• Beets  

• Broccoli  

• Brussel sprouts 

• Carrots  

• Celery  

• Cucumber  

• Lettuce  

• Mushrooms  

• Spinach  

Some dog owners may also be asking can hypothyroidism in dogs cause seizures. The answer here is yes, as untreated dog hypothyroidism can lead to neuromuscular system degeneration and if it progresses to a great extent then seizures may be possible. Levothyroxine is the active ingredient in Synthroid, and it is the same drug that will be used to improve the function of the thyroid gland if a dog has an underactive thyroid too. It’s good to know what to feed a dog with hypothyroidism, but it’s very likely they’ll need to go on medication too.