Even if your thyroid issue
Posted By: non on 2009-02-28
In Reply to: From what all I have read, on here as well - Kelly
was the cause of your hairloss, Rogaine could repair this. Consult your doctor again.
I have never heard of Topik.
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Would it still work if thyroid issue is causing it?
It seems like that might make it a different story, but I hope I am wrong.
I hope it (or something) helps you out. :)
thyroid
Ok, I'm 59 yo. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism when I was 19, but I had the symptoms starting the summer I turned 17 - I remain the weight gain, social withdrawal, having to force myself to do everything, including brush my teeth. I thought I had lost my mind.
Turns out, my thyroid quit working - period. My TSH when I'm off supplement is off the charts. I had no discernible disease, tumor, goiter, etc., the thyroid just quit working. My condition can lead to toxicity, shock, coma and death if left untreated.
Graves' disease is usually only fatal in parts of the world where they don't have access to modern medicine.
Tell your brother not to beat himself up - he was acting on the knowledge he had at the time. He just needs to talk to his daughter and she will forgive him. It will make their bond stronger.
I am sure your niece will do just fine = s/l she's getting really good endocrinological advice.
Barbara Bush had Graves' disease - discovered in her early 60s. It can happen to anyone at any time of life.
Best of luck to your family. You're a nice aunt to be so supportive.
Not sure about that, I think it's your thyroid
and your diabetes. I eat tons of junk food, in fact, that's about all I enjoy eating. I eat a few times a day of whatever I want, just VERY small portions. It is RARE that I eat a "full" meal. And I have no real problems with my weight. My brother in law learned he had a thyroid condition and gained a ton of weight. Now he eats much less and even goes to a gym 5 days a week(which he never did before) and he's bigger than ever. I believe it is the disease. Sorry to hear.
Thyroid
Has anyone had a thyroid problem (both lobes enlarged on exam) but thyroid blood tests were normal? I have been sick for a while with symptoms of both hypo and hyperthyroid and having a scan this week. 
Thyroid ???
Just want your thoughts to arm myself with before my next annual physical. I am 54 WF, decent health, BP controlled on Rx. For years and years (12-15), I have complained of fatigue, dry hair and skin, 10 pound weight gain that i cannot shed, all the usual symptoms of hypothyroidism. Every few years, my doc (who is Mayo-trained FP) does lab (I believe FSH and/or TSH), tells me thyroid is fine, etc. He does all the other labs which are all WNL, all GYN stuff is fine. No sleep apnea, etc. About 5-6 years ago, I had a goose egg size goiter type swelling in my throat. Had ultrasound with findings of benign cyst which eventually disappeared after some weeks/months. Other symptoms are becoming even worse. I drag myself out of the bed to go to work, take a nap after work, then do what I have to do before going back to bed. I could literally sleep round the clock, I think. I have practically no life but work and sleep. I have been on 3-4 different anti-depressants that don't seem to help me at all. If I am depressed its because I am worn out all the time! I do NO endocrinology transcription at all, so I don't know much about thyroid disease. My mom told me that she was on Synthroid for years but not now. I have tried an OTC supplement that does not seem to help. I want to demand a further work-up but if this is as clear cut as I think it is, why hasn't it been offered before? Is a Free T3-4 something that insurance company will balk at him ordering? Is it super expensive? Open to all suggestions/ideas. Thanks for any help!
I think my thyroid
has been messed up for several years now, but I don't go to the doc because I don't want to be diagnosed with anything that will cause problems if having to get different insurance down the road or maybe even long-term care insurance.
I have a couple other issues I would really like to check out as well but don't dare. Kind of like when people don't want to make claims on their car or home insurance for fear the premium will go up! The system is a bit screwed, heh?
then you obviously do not have thyroid problems--sm
and have not read food labels looking specifically for HFCS. You are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine. I just know that from my experience, and doing all that you suggest to do, I still do not lose weight, so, as far as I am concerned, being overweight is NOT my CHOICE. it is inflicted on me. I never go to fast food restaurants and I do not over eat. I eat organic foods, veggies, fruit and rarely red meat. i exercise. I do not have enough arthritis to keep me from exercising. and yes, the government does control what we eat. have you noticed all the growth hormones in our food, pesticides, and HFCS that keeps us fat??? obviously not. When you get fat and have tried everything to get rid of it, according to OTHERS' opinions, and are still fat, then you will understand where I am coming from. Until then, you have no idea. and you are also very uncompassionate to those who are in my position. but that is just MY opinion.
thyroid issues
Do you still have a lot of hypo and hyper symptoms? You could be under treated. Go have a look at http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/ if you haven't seen the site already. There's also a patient-to-patient forum at http://www.realthyroidhelp.com/. Things you might need to address are B12 and adrenals as these are key with converting the thyroid and getting it into your cells. Most hypo people have taxed out adrenals. Hopefully if you deal with that stuff, you'll see improvement in your hair.
thyroid ultrasound
I have a family history of thyroid cancer but also many family members with thyroid disease, so on a routine exam a few months ago the doctor immediately noticed my thyroid was significantly enlarged and sent me for an ultrasound. Of note I never did think to tell them at the time there was a family history. It showed bilateral hypoechoic solid nodules and the radiologist recommended another followup test in a few months for stability. I know nothing about radiology. Should I be worried? Thank you.
thyroid nodules
I also have thyroid problems and have multinodular goiter.
I've gone through all the tests and biopsies. Most nodules are benign. You could call your doc and tell him about yout family history and that you want a radionuclide test for your peace of mind. Below is a link. Good luck.
http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/nodulesgoiter.htm
could also be thyroid - happens in all ages
and I have a daughter that was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and that caused sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating and really labile behavior at times.
Get your thyroid checked.
x
Thyroid nodules - I have two
Try not to stress. When I started working for a hospital as an MT about 13 years ago, they required a physical and the doc felt a lump on my thyroid and I was referred to an endocrinologist. They did an ultrasound, didn't tell much. Then they had me do a thyroid uptake (take a radioactive medication and then they scan your thyroid to see how much the thyroid gland takes up). It turns out I had a hot nodule. My thyroid levels have been checked regularly since then and have been in the normal range, though do vary a bit, except during pregnancy. So I have just been watching the nodule for years. About 3 years ago when I visited the endo he felt a second nodule close to the first one, so now I have two. Until the nodules start messing with my thyroid levels, they are just monitoring them. If it starts messing with my levels, then I'll have it treated.
I'm betting the first thing they will do for you is evaluate the nodule to find out if it is "hot" or "cold." The hot nodules are active, which is what mine is, meaning that the nodule in my thyroid is conducting the majority of the activity while suppressing my thyroid gland, but as long as it makes the proper amount of thyroid hormone and doesn't grow to cause me problems, than I am okay. I've had it for over a decade with no problems.
A cold nodule is inactive and has a higher chance of being cancerous. That is probably one reason they referred you quickly, just to get the ball rolling to check it and make sure it's not cancerous or precancerous. Don't quote me, but I think cold nodules are less common than hot nodules. So it will probably turn out to be just fine, but you should definitely have it checked out to know exactly what you are dealing with and make sure it isn't anything serious. Hope that helps!
Thyroid problems
Hi:
Wanted to tell you I had hyperparathyroidism a few years ago, when they did the surgery they removed half the thyroid - there was also a nodule in the thyroid itself. Everything turned out fine. Hashimoto's does seem to cause a lumpy thyroid. I worked for a thyroid doc when I was 17 (that's where I began learning to be a medical transcriptionist) and even way back then (well, let's say 30 odd years ago) he thought my thyroid felt Hashimoto's-ish!
Hope all goes well for you also
thyroid disease
I have hypothyroidism and take Unithroid. I'm up to 150 mcg a day. The only thing I am sensitive to is hot and cold. My internal thermostat does not work well. No medication sensitivities though, but that does not mean much as each person is different. We all reactive diferently from each other. Good luck though. Hope things improve with this.
Have you had thyroid checked?
It could be from a variety of things, but you might want to have your thyroid hormone levels checked.
Check out this website before you do, because many doctors aren't up on it they way they should be:
http://thyroid.about.com/
have a lump on my thyroid . . .sm
anyone ever have a nodule or diagnosed with thyroid cancer? My twin sister had thyroidectomy 1-1/2 years ago for thyroid cancer. I am feeling a little scared right now . . . I go for ultrasound tomorrow.
Thyroid nodule
I have 2, one on each side. I was pretty scared, too, and immediately had the left side biopsied because it was the largest but it was benign. That was 4 years ago.
My doc (I worked for him then) told me not to worry about it unless I have trouble swallowing or breathing. I'm to that point now and know I have to get it taken care of, but am pretty scared. I haven't had an operation in 33 years and almost didn't wake up from it, but the left side has grown somewhat and know I have to take care of this, but I don't have a physician and don't care for our hospitals, yet don't want to go to a larger city hospital.
My neighbor, who is an RN and works for a city hospital had the same thing and got hers taken care of right away with no problems. She was home the next day. Of course, she's 20 years younger than I am.
Anyway, I wouldn't worry too much. The doc told me most are benign cysts and usually don't cause a problem.
I
Have you checked your thyroid?
Also read up on it, as the numbers many doctors use as the normal range really isn't accurate.
I never thought about thyroid...
I just looked it up a little bit and most of the symptoms are me to a T. Unfortunately, My husband just lost his job so I don't have insurance anymore.
So going to the doc is out of the question for a little while. School is starting next week and with 3 kids to buy shoes, backpacks, clothes for, etc. money is too tight.
I'm going to do some more research on it though and see if I can find some supplements or something.
Thanks for the idea though. I appreciate it. I'm willing to look at all avenues to try to fix this thing. I also have depression so when I get so fatigued I feel useless, bad for my kids, husband, etc which compounds my depression. So I'm pretty much willing to try just about anything.
Thanks again!
Have you had your thyroid checked?
I have hypothyroidism and before it was diagnosed was absolutely freezing, sounds like what you describe, could not get warm. That would be where I would start because being cold all the time is 1 of the symptoms. In the meantime, do as I did. Got a heated throw and that can be used around your shoulders, over the legs, throw on the bed to heat your covers, so glad I invested in one.
What are your symptoms with the thyroid?
I have also so wondering about you.
thyroid manifests in many ways
Thirty years ago, a friend's daughter, 15, was thought to be manic-depressive, having breakdown. She was diagnosed with Graves' and medication made immediate difference. Today she's a happy grandma and still doing well.
Not Hashimoto's but thyroid and the tests I had done
were not only the T-3 and T-4, which by the way were fine, but the testing more extensive- I have all the symptoms you have and this particular physician ordered thyroid peroxidase, normal is 0-34 and mine was 283! My Synthroid increased but really cannot tell any difference. The only thing not bothered with a lot is fatigue. I have hair coming out, dry skin, cold year 'round. Ask for this additional test, like I said regular tests on me ok but this not. By the way, this was not an endocrinologist but a dermatologist I went to for something totally unrelated.
Armour thyroid supplement..sm
it is a natural, not synthetic or man made, form of thyroid replacement hormone. It contains T3 and T4 hormones, where synthroid only has T4.
It is a thyroid preparation, wanted to
stop the Synthroid because have heard from others it helps to cause hair loss and got enough of that.
Anyone here with thyroid problems or MS symptoms?
I have been having a cluster of very odd symptoms starting a few months ago that include: Heart palpitations, internal vibration/tremor, fine tremor in hands, eye pain, blurred vision, hives, balance problems, dizziness, muscle twitching, hot flashes, and more. These symptoms come and go. One day I'm fine, the next day BAM! I have had blood tests so far...doc thinks it's anxiety. I will be seeing my doc tomorrow to "go over the tests" so he can again tell me it's anxiety. I wonder if anyone else out there has these symptoms that just come on all of a sudden.
TIA
Anyone with hypothyroidism that has been told to have thyroid out?
I have the problem and have never lost weight. I just read a report where some physicians suggest having the thyroid out and then you might lose the weight? Just wondering if anyone has done this? Thanks
Every woman in my family has thyroid disease...
and only about half of them are overweight, so that's just another excuse. You really need to stop blaming other people for your weight problems and take control of your own situation. I too have hypothyroidism, but I am a size 6 and was only overweight when I was eating unhealthy and not exercising. If you're really only eating one meal a day, I can guarantee this is why you can't lose weight! Your body is probably holding onto everything you eat because you're starving it!! You absolutely need to eat 3 (small) meals a day and 2 snacks. There's a book called The 3 Hour Diet that can really help you with what you should be eating, how much and how often. You sound like a very angry person and like you don't want accept that you're responsible for your own health. Honestly, you're not overweight because of what the government does or doesn't do, it because of what you're doing to your body.
They usually remove the thyroid for hyperthyroidism not hypothyroidism. SM
If you have hypothyroidism, then your thyroid is low producing or not producing at all which causes you not to be able to lose weight. So removing your thyroid would basically be useless.
Does anyone have thyroid issues with normal free T4? (sm)
I have heard there can be T3-T4 converting issues that make your T4 appear normal but you can still have a thyroid condition. Just wondering if anyone on here has had that issue? Thanks for any info.
Thyroid Nodule - Questions/Info??
Two weeks ago I had a physical and my doc felt a lump on my thyroid. She sent me for an ultrasound one week ago to check it out. Yesterday, the nurse called and said that I have a 2 cm solid mass on my thyroid and my doc wants me to see an endocrinologist. Does anyone have experience with this? I don't have any health problems. Always get my thyroid checked every year and it's always fine. I'm not overweight or underweight, so not sure what this means. The nurse made a couple of comments that worried me a little though. She mentioned that the endocrinologist doesn't have a very good bedside manner, but he's an excellent doc?? Also, he was able to get me in on Tuesday, which seems very quick for a specialist appt. I don't have any experience with endocrinology, so maybe this is normal for them to see patients faster?? Surely though they wouldn't really be able to tell much from an ultrasound right? I would need to get a biopsy before they knew if it was more than a nodule? I know I'm probably just freaking myself out a bit, but if anyone has any personal or professional experience with thyroid nodules and/or endocrinology, it would be great to hear from you! Thanks!
Found a thyroid mass about a year ago too
just came up overnight or so it seemed, always had thyroid checked on annual exam, but just happened to reach up on my neck one day and there it was, rather large. I too saw family doctor, got an ultrasound which really cannot tell much, other than the size of the nodule and then was referred to surgeon. Because of the size and the way it appeared so quickly, there was mention of very slight, slight risk of cancer, etc, but that even thyroid cancer is hightly cureable, etc. I did some internet research etc and did not let it worry me too much, but followed up and my doctor had an ultrasound-guided needle thyroid biopsy performed by a radiologist at our local hospital who specializes in these procedures, that way he was able to make sure to take enough specimen while I was there (so I would not have to go through the procedure again, if the specimen was inadequate) They ended up doing four passes with the needle to get enough, after using local lidocaine, etc. Did not hurt a bit (went out to lunch with my girlfriends about 2 hours after the procedure) but you could feel the needle when it went through into the gland (the gland is rather tough)kind of like a popping sound. The best part was that I could get a preliminary result in about 5 minutes while I was still on the exam table, no waiting and worrying. Luckily it came back benign, but I do have to take thyroid medication now. They were hoping it would shrink the mass, but it has been about 9 months now and I am due in April to have another ultrasound but I can tell that the mass is not any smaller, probably larger and so I can look forward to having partial thyroidectomy (not really afraid of surgery, just don't have time in my schedule for such things). My advice is to do some internet research on WebMD, etc, make a list of questions to ask your doctor, and I would definitely try to get a specialist to do any biopsy and see if you can get preliminary results the same day to put your mind at ease. Remember most doctors don't have the greatest personalities but if they know their stuff that's what matters. Try not to worry.
Anyone with thyroid disease experience sensitivity
I have had thyroid disease for about 5 years now and am on Synthroid for it. I find that I cannot tolerate caffiene very well and narcotic/anlgesic medications, such as Novocaine make my heart race and make me feel so weirded out I can no longer tolerate this. I cannot even have a wisdom tooth pulled because of this.
Anywa, I thought it was just me but I recently read in a magazine that thyroid disease could cause sensitivity to medications. It would stand to reason once your thyroid levels were adjusted this would go away, but such is not the case with me. Does anybody else have this problem?
I agree with poster below - maybe check thyroid. sm
A little over a year ago I had what I thought was a *severe* sore throat. Over the course of about a week, I also had a low-grade temp., body aches, headache, chills (but only off and off) then came night sweats, heart palpitations and tachycardia (142 bpm).
I thought I was coming down with the flu, or maybe had strep throat. The weird thing is that the symptoms would come and go, and were always much worse at night. I'd feel horrible at night, then wake up feeling pretty much back to normal.
I finally got tired of it and went to urgent care, and when they saw how high my heart rate was, they did an EKG and told me to go immediately to the ER. At the ER, they gave me fluids, but my heart rate didn't come down. (They asked me if I was anxious. Nope. Calm as could be, and felt pretty good right then, actually.) They drew blood, gave me fluids, etc. and found I was hyperthyroid. I was in the hospital from Sun. afternoon until Tue. afternoon (mostly so they could monitor my heart to make sure it was okay, do more tests, and give me some pain relief for the throat pain).
What I had is called subacute granulomatous thyroiditis. (Maybe Google it and see if the symptoms sound like how you're feeling?) They *think* it's caused by a virus (it's not an immune system thyroid disorder). So basically it runs its course, they treat the symptoms, you're fine. (Though a small % of people may be left hypothyroid and need to go on thyroid replacement.)
I had follow up with an endocrinologist, and he said he was really surprised the docs in the ER diagnosed me so quickly. I guess most don't. If they hadn't thought to check my thyroid levels, I don't know what would have happened!
Now the runny nose symptom you have doesn't fit with this, so maybe it's not your thyroid, but it's easy enough for them to check your thyroid levels and see. They sent me home with Vicodin for the pain, and I needed it! Whatever it is, I hope you get relief for your throat pain soon. I'm sitting here remembering how much it hurt, so you have my sympathies. :o)
I don't see what one issue has to do with the other.
I don't like the fact that he won, but he's a free to gamble, as are we all.
Probably because it's really a non-issue.
(She was great on SNL a couple weeks, ago, too! Her 'double-takes' etc. were cracking me up.)
My dog and my issue sm
I must have a lot of this chemical or something.
If I am unwittingly *glutened* I get the toots and they are...highly unpleasant, shall we say. Now, I understand that dogs generally enjoy this, but my poor dog does not. She hears the noise, whines and RUNS as fast as she can to other room. Not too long ago, she was being a terrible pest and I needed to get up to work. I made the sound with my mouth. She tucked her ears and tail, and made B-line for the bedroom away from where she thought was coming!
This chemical might be good for my blood pressure, but not so good for my dog.
I had that issue too for a while - sm
I "adopted" my dad's husky and he was used to being totally spoiled. I give both him and my lab dry. He was finicky for about 3 days but after seeing the lab finish up his food for 3 days he started eating no problem. He has started to get a bit picky again so we make up beef boullion for him and add some to the food and he is back to eating w/o a problem. Think he just got bored and wanted some more flavor. Boullion is cheap and easy to make.
I have had this issue for a while myself- sm
My DH will not do a vasectomy though I explained it is easier for him than I, etc. I would have possible heavier and painful periods, which I don't want. Right now they are heavy but I forget most of the time I even have it, which is bad as I have "accidents" then. But I have never really been affected from my period, no cramps or bloating, I do get headaches but that is about it. I have been leaning towards that IUD now, Mirena I think it is called. Figure I will hit menopause in 10 years so can wait it out in the meantime. He knows I am using nothing so if I get pregnant at 43 it will be a whoops, and we are having another child late in life. He would not like it but tough noogies.
Thanks but here is the issue
Living in a smaller town, although right next to a huge complex, not many here that I can locate anyway does acupuncture. The nearest one I found before was probably about 30 or 40 miles away. I can self refer as I have PPO insurance so a referral not needed for me. I just want to know how to word an I only want to use #1 as a pain clinic physician.
Thank you for sharing that. Yes, thyroid disease left untreated can sm
be a very serious thing. I appreciate your response. Good luck to you!!
Time to get the thyroid and hormone levels checked AND
s
Well, sometimes there is a medical issue
as there is here, not just eating and eating for no reason at all. Was always trim and slim until this but thanks anyway for the curt note.
Wiretapping is a whole different issue
You have an expectation of privacy when you have a phone conversation (although cell phones have pretty much burst that bubble). The government shouldn't be able to listen in unless there is cause for them to be suspicious that you are involved in criminal activity.
The other information - SS#, birth certificate, marriage certificate - is already on file with the government. You aren't telling them anything they don't already know.
There is also the behavior issue of (sm)
submissive piddling.
You can buy something called a Belly Band for him to wear in the house. If he dribbles with it on, he gets himself wet, so this can teach him not to let that happen. I've just heard that not all pet stores call it a Belly Band or know what that is, but you can Google something like house training, canine belly band, and you can read about it and maybe order on line.
Corgis are so cute. You can post pictures here on the gab board.
I think it is more of an issue of not supporting
things/people that I find morally wrong.
Granted, the God hating was not translated from the book to the movie, but that is not the point.
The point is, that this author had the audacity to write in his books about wanting children to kill God and that is wrong to ME.
I have every right to boycott this movie for that very reason because I am not giving this man a dime of my money and support.
It's not just about whether the movie is going to wrongly influence my children, it's about standing up for what you believe from the beginning.
I'm going through a similar issue.
I've had pain in my left upper, right upper and right lower quadrant for years now. I keep going to the doctor, he keeps trying to tell me I'm constipated. I'm not. I would know if I wasn't regular. I had a hiatal hernia when he thought my upper mid abdominal pain was reflux, and I had kidney stones when he thought my previous upper left quadrant pain was constipation. Now he tells me I'm a hypochondriac because I do medical transcription. However, they found fibroids and some other abnormality on ultrasound. Still haven't gotten those results back because they want me to pay another $150 office visit just to tell me what my $800 ultrasound said. Everyone else is telling me to have a HIDA scan to see if I have gallbladder disease for the right upper quadrant. I don't know if the left upper quadrant pain is another kidney stone or renal colic. I didn't know if fibroids hurt and would cause the right lower quadrant pain. Yes, I do worry that it's cancer. So I must be just a hypochondriac. I guess what I'm saying is, your daughter knows her body better than anybody else. If she thinks something isn't "right," she needs to pursue it. I don't think it's normal to be in pain every day.
Is it a necessary medical issue or just something
x
If you would like to further educate yourself on this issue
INTERESTING ARTICLE
I realize this is very long, but as an expert in this field, I want to re-post information I sent, in September, to another blogger concerned about the "Best Friends" summit.
I want to emphasize that the following information is based on years of dedicated research, and decades of dog training experience. I do not simply pass along information I've heard or read somewhere...which is sadly what most people, on all sides of dog-related issues, do.
I recognize that some of your readers may find parts of it quite controversial. That's okay. Facts are facts, even if they conflict with some other [expert's] unresearched opinions.
As such, I've opted to leave those sections in, because they're vital in refuting unfounded notions about dogs, canine genetics, and dog behaviour, which lead to myths about canine aggression.
Any individual point of controversy should not take away from the overall message of fact and reason that does not support the view that any entire dog breed could be considered "dangerous".
Only once people stop repeating inaccurate information (no matter how good it may sound), will we ever hope to get to the heart of this issue, and start reducing the number of unprovoked dog bites.
The following was written "off the top of my head", in response to concerns about the Best Friends' agenda. It is not a composed article meant for publication. Please also keep in mind, it has a decidedly Canadian perspective, although there is ample U.S. data referenced.
This is what I wrote (with a few minor clarifications):
Dear (blogger),
As you know, I am an expert in Canadian dog bite statistics.
After years of research, there are a number of interesting facts I've uncovered (most of which are now widely published). As such, I've provided a synopsis here, for you and your readers. I realize it is very long, but it is a more concise collection of my years of research; right here, in one place.
The situation with unprovoked dog bites is not what nearly everyone believes it to be.
If I had one pet peeve, it is that most people merely repeat things they’ve heard or read. They don’t really know if what they’re saying is true or not. They merely “believe” those things to be true, and that’s enough for them, I guess.
You know what I say, “No matter how often or loudly a myth is repeated, it is still just a myth.”
Some people simply like agreeing with others. Some like to pretend they’re especially knowledgeable or have unique insight. Whatever the source for so many of these myths, years of research has proven the majority of beliefs I encounter about dogs are simply untrue.
Whenever discussing the issue of dangerous dogs, it's always important to remember a few key points about the dog bite statistics (especially as they pertain to Canada):
1. The most dangerous breeds in Canada are, in order: German Shepherd, Cocker Spaniel, Rottweiler, and Golden Retriever.
Why do I say this? Well, this is not dog "bite" data, but rather dog "attack" data based on the reporting information from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP).
The CHIRPP members (hospitals, and reporting physicians and nurses) have no reason to lie about the information they receive, surrounding the breed of dog that has attacked.
Why do I say "the most dangerous"? Well, because the CHIRPP data only applies to the most severe dog attacks (i.e. those injuries serious enough to require treatment in hospital). These are not little nips that can be treated with ice or even a band aid. These are severe dog bite injuries that need to be treated in hospital. The dogs that cause the most serious injuries in Canada belong to the above-mentioned breeds, more than any others.
Unlike municipal dog bite data (where any bite, no matter how inconsequential, or even against other animals, is counted), the CHIRPP data only relates to the most serious dog attacks against human victims.
2. 'Pit bulls' are rarely in the #1 spot in dog bite statistics.
Any measures to restrict or ban the #2, #5, or #37 'breed' of dog in the dog bite statistics, but not #1, is pure hypocrisy.
As faulty as the logic may be, if you're going to ban or restrict a type of dog in an attempt to reduce the number of dog bites, then it must be the ones who bite the most and/or cause the most serious injuries. Either way, that 'breed' is not 'pit bulls'.
3. There hasn't been one confirmed death of a child attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history. (There has been one unconfirmed death.)
4. The very first human fatality attributed to an unprovoked attack by a 'pit bull' in Canadian history occurred in May of 2006. Until then, every insinuation or claim about Canadians being in danger of being killed in unprovoked attacks by 'pit bulls' was totally unfounded.
(In the Ontario case in May, the dog was actually only part 'pit bull'. It was a Labrador Retriever/'pit bull' cross, and the dog's owner was the victim.) (It should be noted that there have been at least two human fatalities in Canada attributed to unprovoked attacks by Labrador Retriever crosses, yet this was the first for a 'pit bull' cross.)
5. Municipal dog bite statistics often combine reported dog bite data against both humans and other animals.
While I don’t have any problems with doing so, those citing combined statistics must be aware that the majority of the dog bite reports aren’t against people. To imply otherwise is, at best, misleading and, at worst, dishonest.
For example: Toronto has arguably the largest municipal ‘pit bull’ population in Canada. In 2004, 12 of the city’s estimated 30,000+ ‘pit bulls’ had been reported for biting. (That’s about 0.04% of the population, by the way; leaving 99.96% of Toronto’s ‘pit bulls’ completely innocent of such allegations.) However, the majority of those reported bites were against other animals. Only 2 of the 12 could even begin to be called “attacks” against humans.
So, when 2 out of at least 30,000 dogs of a loosely-defined type are involved in attacks in an entire year, is that really justification for not just trying to ban or restrict them, but for making sweeping generalizations about all the rest?
6. No matter what dog ‘breed’ tops the dog bite statistics, the vast majority of bites are still attributed to other breeds.
To better help people understand the absurdity of a breed-based approach to dog bite prevention, let’s imagine that ‘pit bulls’ are responsible for a virtually unheard of 10% of bites in some Canadian city. That still leaves 90% of biting dogs unaffected by any breed-based approach.
This is the primary reason why breed bans have been such a colossal failure wherever they’ve been tried. The majority of biting and attacking dogs are not affected, so their owners are free to continue to behave negligently.
7. All dogs can bite.
There is no such thing as a breed of dog that has never bitten, never attacked, never maimed, or never killed (a person or other animal).
8. It is the size of the victim, not the dog, which best predicts severity of injury in an attack.
While even the very smallest dog breeds have killed humans, the very largest dog breeds are rarely involved in attacks.
9. Adults are rarely seriously injured by dogs of any size, while children are the most common dog bite victims. Their attackers range from the very smallest to the very largest dog breeds.
10. The dogs actually involved in attacks are not genetically related in any meaningful way.
This goes right to the heart of common, yet completely unscientific, baseless claims about allegedly inheriting aggressive behaivours or being bred for aggression.
In short, the dogs involved in attacks are not closely genetically related to one another. This tends to refute the idea that the attack was due to some aberrant inherited gene.
Think about it. What could the Dalmatian that bit off a boy’s nose 10 years ago and the Golden Retriever that left 76 stitches in a girl’s face, just a few years ago, possibly have in common, from a genetic standpoint? Is anyone really trying to suggest they’re genetically related, and both inherited some sort of as-yet-undiscovered “attack gene”?
Even the Rottweiler that killed a child in New Brunswick and the Rottweiler that killed a child in Ontario don’t share any common ancestors in their pedigrees; making the whole notion of a shared genetic cause for attacks completely ludicrous.
Put simply, the individual dogs involved in unique attack incidents are not genetically related in any way other than that which makes them dogs.
11. Psychology defines aggression as learned behaviour.
I’ve been researching dog biting incidents since 1999. I have yet to find a dog involved in an attack that didn’t have a known history of aggressive behaviour.
Aggression has to be learned and practiced before it is perfected. I have yet to come across a case of a dog that attacked unprovoked, without ever having barked menacingly, growled, lunged, snapped, or what have you.
This completely refutes the (quite silly) urban myth that “some dogs just turn”, or that dogs can be THIS unpredictable. (i.e. friendly family pet with no history of ever having behaved aggressively one minute; then savage, unprovoked attacker the next)
As an experienced dog trainer (one who has spent many of those years SUCCESSFULLY re-training aggressive dogs), I can attest that dogs are not all that unpredictable. Sure, they might do something out of the ordinary, every now and then. However, for a dog to suddenly behave aggressively in a way that is truly threatening or injurious, it must have practiced those behaviours in the past. This is the nature of all learned behaviours. Only practice makes perfect. (I can elaborate more on that, if you wish.)
It’s as though people can’t imagine any other form of aggressive behaviour, other than biting. To help them along, I must point out that aggressive behaviours follow a fairly predictable scale of escalation. It may begin with staring or raised hackles (all merely indicating discomfort with a situation). That can lead to raised lips, growling, stiffened body posture, menacing barking, lunging, and attempted bites. Long before an unwarranted bite ever occurs, there are a litany of warning signs that the dog will eventually bite.
Even the most die-hard dog fighting breeders admit they have to start their puppies very young (often at six weeks), to turn them into superior fighters. When asked why they have to spend so much effort training their (allegedly bred-to-fight) dogs, none can provide a scientifically or practically sensible response. Most use made-up terminologies to emphasize what they believe are inherited traits, while playing down the daily training they force on the dogs. Yet it is clear that, without this ongoing encouragement, the dogs don’t become proficient fighters.
I’ve researched so many cases where the owner has allegedly claimed the attack was the first time the dog behaved aggressively, I now pay little heed to such statements. The neighbours almost always tell a very different story.
To use a more famous case as an example, little Courtney Trempe was killed by a dog the owner claimed had never behaved aggressively before. The owner went on to say he “couldn’t have known” the dog would attack, because it had never tried to bite a person. Well, it turns out the dog had not just attacked previously, but had actually killed two neighbourhood dogs in the past. That is an aggressive dog, by anyone’s standards.
But it does bring me to my next point…
12. Aggression is aggression is aggression. The idea that aggression can be species-specific is not based in any kind of scientific, statistical, or practical data. It seems to be little more than wishful thinking. Those perpetuating this notion tend not to have even attempted to validate this theory in any way.
There is a very disturbing myth being promulgated by a number of groups that should know better than to perpetuate unfounded myths. The idea that aggression towards other dogs is markedly different than aggression towards humans is scientifically and statistically baseless. (But I realize a lot of people learned this myth, and repeat it as though it is true.) I have to point out that the real-world data, in no uncertain terms, clearly refutes such theories.
Of the dogs involved in their first aggression incident towards a human, the vast majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past.
Of the dogs involved in their first bites against humans, where the dog had no history of aggression towards humans, the majority had behaved aggressively towards other animals (usually other dogs) in the past.
Of the dogs whose first bite against a person resulted in that individual’s death, and where the dog had no history of aggressive behaviour towards humans, every one of the cases I’ve investigated involved dogs that had behaved aggressively towards other dogs in the past. (see the Trempe case example, above)
So, while some aggressive dogs may, for now, limit their aggressive behaviour to other animals, it in no way guarantees it will remain that way forever.
Most, if not all, the first-time human biters had only behaved aggressively towards other animals, in the past. Their owners, having believed the myth that aggression is species-specific in dogs, are always "surprised" when their dog-aggressive dogs bite someone.
Again, dog-aggression could remain contained, for a number of social and environmental reasons. Statistically, these dogs are equally as likely to bite a human, one day. Dogs with histories of aggressive behaviour (towards either humans or other animals) are almost exclusively involved in unprovoked biting incidents.
13. Nearly all unprovoked dog bites would not be prevented by dog control laws.
Since dog control laws typically only apply to the conduct of owners (and their dogs) when they’re on public property, it completely negates their ability to affect the circumstances that lead to the vast majority of unprovoked dog bites.
When it comes to total dog bite numbers, almost all take place on the owner’s property.
When it comes to reported dog bite numbers, the overwhelming majority take place on, or directly adjacent to, the owner’s property.
Supervised dogs in a public place account for less than 1% of all bites.
This makes public restraint laws especially ineptly-aimed and ineffective in reducing dog bites.
Most unprovoked biting incidents involve (typically an unsupervised) dog known to the victim. Whether or not the victim knows the dog, the bite usually takes place on the owner’s property (where the dog is either loose or tethered), or directly adjacent to the owner’s property (where the dog was either allowed to venture off the owner’s property, or “escaped”).
Very few unprovoked biting incidents involve a supervised dog. Simple supervision appears to be very effective in preventing dog bites.
When bites take place far from the owner’s property, the dogs involved were most likely loose, roaming, unsupervised dogs.
Simply put, public restraint laws don’t target the situations that actually lead to unprovoked dog bites.
14. Cities that address the real causes of unprovoked dog bites (i.e. lack of supervision & lack of socialization and training) are hugely successful in reducing the number of dog bites.
Calgary is the best example we have in Canada. They reduced dog bites by 70%, even during a period where the population doubled.
Calgary’s approach was to first enforce existing laws. They strictly enforce licensing, and boast a licensing rate of 90% (compared to most cites’ 10-20%). In this way, they have a better handle on the dog population in their community, which helps in making decisions and drawing conclusions.
They also have a zero tolerance policy for acts of aggression. (Something I’m personally totally in favour of. Dogs are not weapons, and anyone who unethically uses a dog for that purpose shouldn’t be allowed to own one.) Any report of aggressive behaviour of any kind results in a visit from animal control and a warning.
City officials are clear, in that they agree one of the biggest aspects of their success was the creation of ample off-leash areas for dogs to be exercised, socialized, and trained off-leash. With reportedly the largest number of off-leash parks in Canada, it’s no coincidence that Calgary also has the lowest dog bite rate of any major city in Canada.
Several years ago, I made this prediction, “When the studies are done, we’ll find the cities with the best access to off-leash parks are also the cities with the lowest percentage of dog bites.”
Calgary certainly suggests my prediction was correct.
Finally, Calgary increased the penalties for some transgressions. Combined with increased enforcement, the large percentage of licensed dogs, along with the higher fines, has led to Calgary’s animal control department becoming financially self-sufficient.
It’s win, win, win, in Calgary, all because they addressed the real causes for unwarranted aggression in dogs.
15. Breed-specific approaches to dog bite prevention have failed.
There isn’t one region that can claim a reduction in the number, or severity, of dog bites as a direct result of banning a breed of dog.
In Winnipeg, officials promoting the city’s long-time ban on ‘pit bulls’ often misleads the public by stating “’pit bull’ attacks” have been eliminated. Well of course they’ve been eliminated. ‘Pit bulls’ are banned in Winnipeg. You don’t have to be rocket scientist to figure that out. There are also no wooly mammoth attacks or saber toothed tiger attacks, either.
When Winnipeg banned ‘pit bulls’, German Shepherds, and their crosses, were far and away the most common biters in that city. After ‘pit bulls’ were banned, there was an average of close to 50 more bites per year, for the following decade. In addition to the rise in overall dog bites, the number of bites by German Shepherds and crosses, Labrador Retrievers and crosses, Terriers crosses, and Rottweilers and crosses, skyrocketed.
Kitchener is another example. The city of Kitchener banned ‘pit bulls’ in 1997, without ever having done an analysis on the city’s dog bite data. Only after ‘pit bulls’ were banned was it discovered they were #8 in the 1996 dog bite statistics, “right behind #7 Poodles,” as it is commonly said. In what could only be a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, officials immediately halted the collection of dog bite data by breed.
Even so, while we don’t know which breeds have been doing the biting, we can still determine if the ‘pit bull’ ban has been effective in reducing dog bites in Kitchener. Every animal bite is required, by law, to be reported to the Medical Officer of Health. With a sleuthing, it was discovered that dog bites haven’t been reduced at all, since ‘pit bulls’ were banned in 1997. They’ve remained pretty constant.
According to a BBC report, hospitalizations due to dog bites rose 25% after ‘pit bulls’ were banned in England.
Officials from most of the cities that have repealed breed-specific laws have used terms like “ineffective” and “unenforceable”.
16. All dog breeds are genetically identical. Even DNA can’t distinguish between a Chihuahua, a ‘pit bull’, a Great Dane, and a wolf. (Yes, while there are occasional claims of in-roads, in this area, using "markers", all dogs are still considered genetically identical.)
Those rare individuals with the personal expertise necessary to accurately attempt to determine a dog’s breed based on appearance alone typically are not employed in the various occupations charged with enforcing most breed-specific legislation. This leaves the subjective determination of a dog’s breed to the very inexpert animal control and shelter workers. In some cases, police officers must decide the dog’s breed, yet not one police officer is trained to (accurately) differentiate between dog breeds.
The same can be said of veterinarians. A veterinary license infers expertise in diagnosing and treating illness, for the most part. Neither practicing veterinarians nor veterinary students are required to prove any expertise in breed identification in order to obtain a license. Any expertise an individual veterinarian may possess, in terms of breed identification, or even dog training and behaviour, was most likely acquired outside the requirements of licensing.
Because the people enforcing breed-specific laws are not dog breed identification experts, the likelihood of misidentification is unconscionably great. (In Ontario, several dogs have already been misidentified, under breed-specific ordinances.)
17. "The public" is not in danger of unprovoked dog bites.
For instance, every recent dog-related fatality in Canada has involved dogs and victims residing within the same home. The same could be said for the majority of bites and attacks, as well.
This is very important information, in terms of quelling the public’s hysteria. “The public” is rarely involved in unprovoked biting incidents. Most bite victims knew the dog and were voluntarily interacting with it at the time of the bite. Most bite victims are bitten by their own dogs.
If you don’t own a dog, your risk of being bitten is very low. If you also don’t interact with dogs, or live next door to a dog that is routinely left unsupervised, or one that is known to behave aggressively, then your risk of being bitten is virtually nil.
Even when we don’t account for contributing factors (such as proximity) you are still more than 100 times more likely to be hit by lightning than killed by a dog. (In Canada, the likelihood of being killed by a dog you don’t know or live with is virtually zero.)
18. ‘Pit bulls’ are, if anything, less likely to bite.
In the U.S., ‘pit bulls’ are estimated to make up 9% of the dog population, yet they typically only make up 2-4% of dog bites, nationwide. In case your readers don’t understand what that means, it would be expected, purely on population alone, that 9% of dog bites would be attributed to ‘pit bulls’. Since less than half (even a third) of bites are reportedly caused by ‘pit bulls’, this suggests they’re much less likely to bite than should be expected.
19. ‘Pit bulls’ are less likely to kill than people.
In the U.S., even extremely conservative estimates suggest that only 0.00002% of the ‘pit bull’ population has killed. This is much lower than the human population (men, in particular).
Whatever someone’s views about ‘pit bulls’ might be, it can’t change the fact that at least 99.99998% have never, and will never, kill anyone.
20. 99.9% of all dogs, from all breeds, will never be involved in an attack.
Huge generalizations about dog breeds is not only unscientific, it’s not even practically accurate. I like to put it this way, “If any ‘breed’ were genetically programmed to attack, certainly more than 0.1% of them would.”
21. The media.
While I don’t want to get into a protracted discussion about the lack of honesty in media reports of dog bites, I will summarize by saying that reviewing media reports of dog biting incidents is not “research” because the media is extremely biased in regards to which stories it chooses to cover.
The media reports dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’ to the near-exclusion of all others. In addition, they use other tactics to exaggerate the details, such as salacious language, or references to other dog biting incidents involving ‘pit bulls’.
There are countless incidents of media bias. In Ontario, a ‘pit bull’ killed another dog, and it was front-page news, that reappeared in the media for weeks. The owner was swiftly taken to jail. Around the same time, two Labs killed another dog, and attacked a ‘pit bull’ without any real media interest. The owner of the Labs was not charged with any serious offence.
There are other blatant incidents, as well. One weekend, two off-leash dogs (one of them being a ‘pit bull’) got into a squabble, and every major media agency reported the incident. That same weekend, a child was mauled by the family’s Golden Retriever, and not one media outlet covered the story.
A child was mauled so savagely by his grandfather’s Labrador Retriever, he required treatment at two Ontario hospitals. Only one media outlet covered this story in just one broadcast.
Again, relying on the media for the facts of dog biting cases is not advised.
Naturally, I could go on. But there you have a pretty good primer (off the top of my head), regarding the facts about the who, what, where, when, how, and why dogs bite unprovoked.
Because I kept encountering the same story, over and over and over again, in my research of dog biting incidents, I was led to create a dog bite prevention strategy that deals with the factors common to nearly all the cases I’d investigated.
I made it simple, and easy to remember. And I made sure not to include anything that would require an individual to develop some kind of expertise. People who don’t own dogs or aren’t experienced dog trainers still have a right to protect themselves from unprovoked dog bites. The following is what I call, the “3 Simple Steps to Dog Bite Prevention”:
1. Avoid unsupervised dogs.
2. Never leave children unsupervised with dogs.
3. Ensure our own dogs are properly trained and adequately supervised at all times.
By following these “3 Simple Steps”, we could virtually eliminate unprovoked dog bites in Canada.
It is not just important, but vital, to know what ACTUALLY causes dogs to bite unprovoked, if we ever hope to reduce those numbers. Obtusely theorizing about possible causes or solutions is not helpful and, as in the case of breed-specific legislation, is often harmful to both humans and dogs.
If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Darby
Founder,
how do you know if you have an eating issue sm
i have so many emotions running through my mind every single day, but not going to get into all of them here. i hope i don't have an eating issue/disorder, but sometimes i wonder. i grew up in a strict household (my dad was immature and always telling me i was fat and needed to lose weight). i'm an average size 5 foot 7 girl. i'm 36 now and constantly think about food, how many calories something has, fat content. i gain weight easily. i just get so tired of worrying about what i'm going to eat, cause it'll make me fat. sometimes i will sneak eating food, because my husband will say things like "do you really need that?" and he's just trying to help. but what i really think is i want is to join WW and have group support from other people that are going through the same thing. my husband can drink about six sodas a day, eat whatever and he doesn't gain weight. he doesn't exercise. it just makes me sad that i have to work so hard to not be huge. i'm about 165. i would like to get down to at least 150 or maybe less. my parents used to tell me when i was little not to waste food (we were poor so wasting food was like wasting money).
i'm sorry, i'm rambling on, but i really don't have anyone to talk to. sometimes i think i'd like to see a counselor. (i have never seen a counselor) i have other issues that bother me but won't get into it.
thanks for listening, just wondered if anyone else has food issues. i'm a healthy person. i don't smoke or drink. never did drugs. i try to eat healthy. i especially overdo it in stressful situations. yesterday i ate a little less than a pint of butter pecan ice cream. then i felt crappy the rest of the evening.
well i stop now.
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