Q:  I have a male yellow Lab who is 7 years old and weighs about 85 lbs. Within the last few weeks, he seems to have a large amount of hair growing out about 1/3 of the way from the base of his head.  He seems to have a lot of fat accumulating, and his hair pattern looks strange on the side of his head as well. It almost looks like he has grown his winter coat, but it's early August. He recently had a checkup and did not have any of these symptoms so it was not an issue the vet was checking for.  

A:  If he is suddenly gaining weight or having fur changes he may be developing a low thyroid issue (hypothyroidism).  We see this somewhat commonly in dogs over 6 years of age, and these thyroid issues also tend to be more common in Labs. I recommend seeing your vet so s/he can take a look and check for a low thyroid issue.    

Your question has been answered by the following veterinarian:
Daniel Lauridia, DVM

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