#1 ·
A discussion recently popped up over on Reddit regarding thyroid issues in dogs: link. I can't recall the exact wording of the title, but it didn't specifically address hypothyroidism like the current situation does.
Now, I am certainly no veterinarian, but through a series of fortunate coincidences, I've found myself quite interested in this topic lately, so I know that hypothyroidism—where the thyroid is underactive—isn't the only way things can go wrong; even if it's rare, you can actually see the opposite case, hyperthyroidism, where the gland becomes overactive.
I actually used my "former moderator privileges" to politely suggest to the Reddit mods that they might want to revert to the previous title or perhaps choose one that fits a bit better. When asked why I felt the current title was off, I replied—quoting my own words here—that the heading completely overlooks hyperthyroidism as a possibility, even though hyperthyroidism is mentioned twice within the thread itself. At the same time, I suggested that if it's deemed necessary from a technical standpoint, the opening post should explain how thyroid disorders work in dogs, but since my suggestion and explanation were met with a rather "polite" silence, I figured I would bring it up here.
To put it simply, I feel the title of that thread isn't quite right because:
So, I'm kindly asking the moderators to consult with one another and adjust the title accordingly. 🙂
P.S. For anyone looking to dive deeper, this is a wonderful book that sheds such great light on approaching thyroid issues in dogs, focusing not just on treatment, but primarily on the danger of overlooking the medical side of things; unfortunately, it happens quite often that a dog’s behavior changes and owners write it off as disobedience or aggression, when in reality, there's a medical issue driving it all along.
Now, I am certainly no veterinarian, but through a series of fortunate coincidences, I've found myself quite interested in this topic lately, so I know that hypothyroidism—where the thyroid is underactive—isn't the only way things can go wrong; even if it's rare, you can actually see the opposite case, hyperthyroidism, where the gland becomes overactive.
I actually used my "former moderator privileges" to politely suggest to the Reddit mods that they might want to revert to the previous title or perhaps choose one that fits a bit better. When asked why I felt the current title was off, I replied—quoting my own words here—that the heading completely overlooks hyperthyroidism as a possibility, even though hyperthyroidism is mentioned twice within the thread itself. At the same time, I suggested that if it's deemed necessary from a technical standpoint, the opening post should explain how thyroid disorders work in dogs, but since my suggestion and explanation were met with a rather "polite" silence, I figured I would bring it up here.
To put it simply, I feel the title of that thread isn't quite right because:
- hypothyroidism isn't the only thyroid disorder that affects dogs
- it lacks transparency—anyone who actually understands what hypothyroidism is won't find the thread useful, as their dog is likely already being treated for it
- hyperthyroidism is mentioned in the discussion, making the title somewhat incomplete
- in the hope that I'm not totally off base, Reddit tries to provide its users with quality information alongside the entertainment, so we shouldn't deny them that or force them to Google half of the page.
So, I'm kindly asking the moderators to consult with one another and adjust the title accordingly. 🙂
P.S. For anyone looking to dive deeper, this is a wonderful book that sheds such great light on approaching thyroid issues in dogs, focusing not just on treatment, but primarily on the danger of overlooking the medical side of things; unfortunately, it happens quite often that a dog’s behavior changes and owners write it off as disobedience or aggression, when in reality, there's a medical issue driving it all along.