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Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Thyroid storm in a dog secondary to thyroid carcinoma.

Journal:
Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)
Year:
2021
Authors:
Merkle, Jennifer E et al.
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences · United States
Species:
dog

Plain-English summary

A 12-year-old spayed female Golden Retriever was taken to the vet because she was losing a lot of weight, had a high fever, and a fast heartbeat. The vet found a lump in her neck and tests showed she had very high levels of a hormone called thyroxine, which is linked to thyroid problems. An ultrasound suggested that the lump was a thyroid tumor that had spread into a nearby vein. Despite intensive treatment, her condition worsened, leading to a serious situation known as thyroid storm, which is a life-threatening complication of thyroid issues. Unfortunately, the dog did not survive, and a postmortem exam confirmed the diagnosis.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation, clinical course, and management of a dog with thyroid storm (TS) secondary to a functional thyroid carcinoma. CASE SUMMARY: A 12-year-old neutered female Golden Retriever was evaluated for severe weight loss, hyperthermia, and tachycardia. The dog had a ventral neck mass and markedly increased thyroxine concentration. Cervical ultrasound showed a suspected left thyroid mass with invasion into the jugular vein. Despite aggressive therapy, the patient progressed to a clinical TS. Postmortem examination was supportive of the clinical diagnosis. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of TS in a dog.

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Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33792155/