🐾 Dog Food Knowledge: No. 8, Thyroid Health, Toxins and the Truth About Behaviour

🐾 Dog Food Knowledge: No. 8, Thyroid Health, Toxins and the Truth About Behaviour

The thyroid is small but mighty. When it goes wrong, everything else in the body can follow. And right now, thyroid-related health and behaviour problems are rising fast, but very few owners understand why.

šŸ” What the Thyroid Actually Does

The thyroid sits in the throat and regulates metabolism. It controls the speed of cell activity by releasing two hormones, T3 and T4. If these hormones flood the body too fast or too slow, the result is chaos inside and out.

A proper, professional canine nutritionist will always explain this. But always remember if the person giving you advice cannot start with the 22 amino acids, 13 vitamins, and 14 minerals, then you must stop and ask yourself: is this helpful, or just someone feeding their ego by preying on your love for your dog? If they cannot start with the basics, then God forbid they will never get to the juicy and important bit about your dog’s health. That is not a dramatic question. It is a biological one.

⚔ Hyperthyroidism — Too Fast, Too Soon

When the thyroid overproduces, metabolism surges. You may see:

• Weight loss• Anxiety or fear• Sudden aggression• Mood swings• Seizures• Jittery behaviour• Periods of hyperactivity followed by confusion

It is like the dog’s engine is stuck in fifth gear. And no amount of training will fix a biological imbalance.

🧊 Hypothyroidism — The Slow Decline

When the thyroid under-produces, everything slows down. Common signs include:

  • Lethargy
  • Cold intolerance
  • Weight gain
  • Depression or dullness
  • Weakness or dragging limbs
  • Muscle wastage
  • Poor growth and development

This is not laziness. It is biology. And it is often overlooked.

🧠 Behaviour and the Thyroid

Jean Dodds, a leading veterinary researcher, has linked thyroid dysfunction to poor behaviour, aggression, and neurological decline. So before blaming bad manners or poor training, check the thyroid. A strong diet and early support can reduce these issues dramatically.

If your dog wears a collar and pulls, even once in a while, this can place direct pressure on the thyroid gland. That risk builds over time. And it is not just opinion. Too many researchers, for years now, have been pointing to this exact biological problem. Those selling collars, chains, and neck-based leads prefer to focus on convenience or control. Our advice is simple. Always follow the biology.

That is why we strongly recommend switching to a harness, specifically HALTI. Over the years we have seen outstanding feedback from owners, and biologically, it only helps. Always.

Click here to see an amazing and highly discounted range of HALTI solutions.

ā˜ ļø Toxins That Wreck the System

Organophosphate poisoning sounds rare. It is not. These are chemicals used in flea treatments, herbicides, pesticides, and even food processing. They attack the nervous system and can lead to:

  • Vomiting and diarrhoea
  • Seizures
  • Muscle weakness
  • Depression
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Death in severe cases

Even topical use (on the skin) can suppress the immune system. And if your dog is already sick or sensitive, the effects are amplified. A qualified nutritionist would always raise this and help you plan around it.

🧬 Nutrition Must Come First

We say this often for a reason: true nutrition is not branding or ratings or labels. It is whether your dog is absorbing the right balance of:

  • 22 amino acids
  • 13 essential vitamins
  • 14 essential minerals

If that balance is off, the thyroid, immune system, skin, brain, bones, and behaviour all begin to unravel.

Too many dog owners are getting advice from friends, shop assistants repeating a script, or online strangers with no qualifications. Most of them act or sound like experts because they once owned a dog. But that is like owning a car and thinking you are a mechanic, or worse, giving driving advice while carrying 10 points on your licence. If only it was that simple.

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Your dog, if it could talk, would worship you even more than it already does. 🐾

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