Download FAQs - Soloxine

FAQs - Soloxine
When is the ideal time to blood sample a dog on Soloxine when monitoring
therapy?
We advise to monitor peak T4 values. These are reached 4-6hrs post pill. This is
the ideal time to blood sample the dog for monitoring.
Monitoring TSH can be of benefit as well and help to identify cases where compliance
may be an issue. TSH takes longer to alter following changes in serum T4. Elevated
TSH levels 4-6hrs post pill are a reliable indicator of an increased requirement for LThyroxine.
How quickly do clinical signs resolve once treatment has been initiated?
With adequate supplementation metabolic signs will usually improve within the 4
weeks. It is expected that cutaneous signs may take around 3 months to resolve
once adequate plasma levels have been achieved.
When starting therapy, monitor serum levels approximately every 3 weeks until
therapeutic levels are reached. Monitoring is then advised every 6-12 months or as
determined by the dogs clinical condition.
The dog has started vomiting within 72 hours of initiating therapy – is this
related to the Soloxine?
This would be very unlikely. Levo-thyroxine is chemically identical to the naturally
occurring thyroid hormone. If the owner is administering the Soloxine without food
then it may be advisable to administer it with food. Be aware however that the
absorption of Soloxine (Levo-thyroxine) is reduced when administered with food.
If the dog continues to vomit then it may be a reaction to the excipients. A short
course of anti-emetics should be prescribed and treatment stopped if this does not
result in cessation of the clinical signs.
What is the ideal reference range for a dog on treatment?
Theraputic levels should be between 50-70nmol/l. It is imperative to always assess
the dog’s clinical condition when interpreting results.
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FAQs - Soloxine
I have heard that some vets use twice daily dosing with Soloxine – is this
preferable to once daily?
Once daily dosing has been demonstrated to give a higher, more stable blood level
than dividing the daily dose over the day. We would advise that the starting dose is
therefore always 0.022mg/kg once daily. If you have a reason to believe that the
dog may be more suited to twice daily dosing then please contact technical services
to discuss the specific case in more detail.
Should Soloxine be administered with or without food?
Soloxine is best given without food. Ideally food should be withheld for 2 hours
before and after administration. When administered with food the bioavailability can
be affected by up to 50%.
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