Point of Care Testing for Thyroid Disease in Dogs and Cats
Discussion of rapid, reliable point-of-care (POC) testing for thyroid disorders in dogs and cats. Specifically, the use of in-house testing for canine hypothyroidism including TT4, FT4 and cTSH using a case based illustration of different clinical presentations of hypothyroidism in the dog. Diagnosis of feline hyperthyroidism will also be covered with emphasis on the new optimized feline TSH assay for early or occult hyperthyroidism and for feline hypothyroidism following treatment. One of the most frequent usages of POC testing is for monitoring treatment of thyroid disorders using TT4 and endogenous TSH to provide rapid results for adjustments in levothyroxine or methimazole medications.