Levothyroxine and Thyroid Hormone Use in Horses
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

There continues to be controversy about thyroid disease in horses among veterinarians. The range of opinions is from those who believe thyroid disease is common to those who do not believe it even exists. Some conditions that have been associated with hypothyroidism are infertility, laminitis, and poor performance. There is little scientific support for these associations however and in adult horses, thyroid dysfunction is probably uncommon. One of the complicating factors appears to be the natural variability of thyroid values and the large number of medications and conditions that lower these levels resulting in many horses with a normal thyroid gland having low baseline values. This article is about the use, contraindications, toxic effects, dosages, and association drug rules that apply to this medication. The Advisor has an article on details of diagnosing hypothyroidism in horses ...more.

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