Forwarded email:

DOES YOUR DOG SHOW AGGRESSION - GROWL, LIP LIFT, SNARL or BITE - TOWARDS
FAMILY MEMBERS, OR DO YOU KNOW OF A DOG THAT DOES?

Nick Dodman BVMS, MRCVS, Dipl ACVB, Jean Dodds, DVM and I are running a
double blind (placebo) study at Tufts Veterinary School to assess the effect of
thyroid replacement alone (in dogs with suboptimal thyroid function) on
aggressive behavior (and other behaviors if they coexist with aggression). We are
trying to recruit dogs for this study, and are happy to work with your
veterinarian on this.
What you will get: Free thyroid panel, CBC and biochemistry profile done by
Antech and interpreted by Jean Dodds. Six weeks of thyroxine, if your dog's
thyroid levels qualify him/her for the study. Behavioral advice.
What you will need to do: Keep a daily log (takes less than 5 minutes a day)
of aggressive incidents for 2 weeks before the medication (thyroid or
placebo) and 6 weeks during which the dog receives one or the other. You will be
asked not to change anything about the way the dog is handled during this time.
We also ask that there be no elective surgeries or major changes in the way
the dog is kept. At the end of the 6 weeks, the pharmacy will let us, (and
we'll tell you and your vet) which treatment your dog received. If placebo you
will then be given 6 weeks of thyroxine to try. If you notice an improvement
we'd like to know, but you will not have to maintain the log. If your dog got
thyroid and improved, you will be able to continue thyroid at your own expense.
If thyroxine did not improve his aggression he can be weaned of thyroxine,
and we will give you behavioral advice (we'll answer behavior questions anyway)
and other ways to manage the problem.
If you have questions, or if you have a dog that you think would be a good
candidate for this study please contact Nicole Cottam Behavior Service
Coordinator at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at
nicole.cottam@tufts.edu
Please cross post to other dog lists you may be a member of.
Linda

Linda Aronson, DVM