The small intestinal motor effects of experimental hyperthyroidism were studied in 8 conscious dogs to reveal possible mechanisms of accelerated small bowel transit in hyperthyroidism. Six strain gauge transducers were implanted on the small intestine of each dog. Long-term hyperthyroidism was induced by subcutaneous administration of 100 and 200 micrograms/kg.day of thyroxin. Application of thyroxin did not interrupt the cyclic fasting motor activity. Thyroxin (100 micrograms/kg.day) caused a slight increase in the period of the migrating motor complex (p less than 0.05). The maximum contractile frequency rose dose-dependently up to 11% (p less than 0.05). During phase 2 and the digestive state the contraction frequency increased up to 29% and 27%, respectively (p less than 0.05). More contractions occurred in groups during the digestive state in hyperthyroidism. Half of the dogs showed giant migrating contractions during thyroxin administration, whereas those contractions were not observed during the control period. We conclude that fasted and postprandial intestinal motility is changed in experimental hyperthyroidism. Acceleration of small bowel transit may be caused by changes in contractile pattern of phase 2 and the digestive state or by the increased frequency of giant migrating contractions.