Hyperthyroidism in cats...

[Upthevibe]

Has anyone ever had Radioactive Iodine Therapy done for their Cat? The Vet said this was an option for my critter Niece, McLaren. She's 15 y.o. and my close friend is looking at what might be a good treatment. It seems a little extreme because not only would she need to be at the clinic for one week while undergoing treatment (and can only have human contact 2x a day for 20 minutes), she'd have to be at home and quarantined off by herself for an additional two weeks (and again can only have human contact 2x a day for 20 minutes). She'd a very social critter who enjoys being around others. Any feedback anyone can provide is very much appreciated....

[alittlelark]

1. I have. I had it done with Tara when she was 14.

It was about 20 years ago... I would pet her anytime, limited my time holding her or with her in my lap. It was pretty easy, and she got extra treats.

[Upthevibe]

9. Awww...I bet she enjoyed those extra treats! Thanks

for your input...

[hlthe2b]

2. You should discuss surgical and medical options; thyroidectomy might be a better course for 15 yo

If your vet only recommends the radiation route, you may need a more experienced veterinarian as current standard of care guidelines do include both medical options and thyroid surgery as acceptable alternatives.

Here's a link. Good luck

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1098612X16643252

[Upthevibe]

10. Awesome! Thank you for the link....I'll have my friend

check it out...

[radical noodle]

17. My cat also had one thyroid removed

but make sure that they only do one side at a time. Often only one side really needs it, but if both sides are done at once, there can be damage to the parathyroid, which can be fatal if both parathyroids fail at the same time. The parathyroid is very near the thyroid, so the chance of damaging it is fairly good. In my cat, once the vet got in there, she saw that only one side needed to be done anyway, so we never had to do the other. Oprah Anne (my cat) was older when it was done and lived to be 21 years old.


Read this:
https://animalendocrine.blogspot.com/2012/12/complication-of-thyroidectomy-in-cats.html

[Upthevibe]

19. Excellent info.....Thank you

so much for the link...

[spooky3]

3. This was done with an 11 year old cat I had.

It worked very well. However, I’m not sure I would choose this option with a 15 year old cat. Did the vet discuss pills or other options? Would your cat be good with pills?

[Upthevibe]

11. Yes...He discussed other options...She's NOT at all good with pills...

He mentioned some ointment that can be applied to the back of her ears though...I'm glad it worked out well for your 11 y.o. but I also have the concern that she's an older cat....

[spooky3]

18. I should mention he lived another 7 years, happily,

Though the hospitalization was hard on him and on us.

[Big Blue Marble]

4. I recently treated a 14 year old with meds for over 4 years.

He did very well. For much of the time we were able to treat with the transdermal ear rub (methimazole).
It worked very well and it is easy to adjust the dosage as it is formulated at a local compounding pharmacy.
Unlike surgery and radioactive iodine therapy, with the drug therapy, the thyroid gland is still functioning.

If you would decide on either surgery or radiation therapy, it is essential to treat with drugs first, to make sure
the the kidneys are functioning correctly. Hyperthyroidism can mask kidney failure in cats. And that is another
advantage of the drug therapy. As your cat ages, and her kidneys slow down, you can titrate the thyroid drugs to
stimulate the kidneys. One of my cats lived to 22 by balancing the hyperthyroidism and kidney function
with Tapazole.

[Upthevibe]

12. Wow...22 years old is amazing.....

I agree about looking at all of the options...Thanks for the heads up about the possibilities of kidney issues....

[klook]

5. We did this for our kitty.

Before the treatment, she was absolutely manic -- hungry all the time, hyper-territorial, and constantly escaping and roaming the neighborhood.

The treatment was expensive, but she's our baby. The quarantine was tough on her and us. We visited her and petted her for only a couple of minutes a day. She eventually got used to that as she calmed down. In fact when Release Day came, she didn't leave the room for a while after we opened the door.

It's been a good thing, and has given her a few more years (so far) of good quality life.

[Upthevibe]

13. Wow...Thank you so much for the excellent feedback...

I know how hard it will be for her and for my friend (I'll probably be back home in California by then) but quality of life is SO important -In fact, it's everything (as far as I'm concerned)....

[Vanessa Rose]

6. Hypothyroidism in cats

I had radiation done on my eight year old cat whose thyroid levels were difficult to control. It worked well for him. Other cats of mine have also had the same condition, but it was more controllable by medication. As I have difficulty pilling cats, I used the transdermal cream in their ear. A compounder makes it and it’s administered via syringe, in alternating ears. It works well, but is not quite as effective as pills.

[Upthevibe]

14. We are looking into the cream in the ear as an option b/c she doesn't do

pill well at all...thanks for your input...

[JayhawkSD]

7. 15 yaers is a little elderly for that.

I'm not a vet, so take this for what it's worth, but I tend to think that age is pushing it a bit. My 15 yr old cat's thyroids levels are creeping up, but she's survived lymphoma for more than 4 years, has 20% kidney function, two rather severe bouts of pancreatitis, and heartworm. Right now our vet is not even medicating for thyroid level.

[Upthevibe]

15. I tend to agree with you about the age....It sounds like you have

your hands full with your 15 yr. old.....Thanks for the feedback....

[packman]

8. One of my older cats developed it

went from 9.5 pounds to under 7. Treated him with pills at home. This was many years ago and cannot recall type of pills except they were ground up and put in his food. He gained the weight back and lived another 4 years.

[Upthevibe]

16. Another 4 years is excellent....I wish she was better with pills...

Thanks for your input....

[Big Blue Marble]

20. Pill Pockets are great for pilling.

During the times that my cat was on pills, the vet suggested the pockets. They worked for a long
time. He was on blood pressure meds as well. After several years, he tired of the pockets, so
I stuck the pill on a regular treat with a little of the pill pocket, and he went for that. It was
only in the last months of his life that I had to resort to pill poking.

[Upthevibe]

21. I think pill pockets are a good idea...

I'll check with my friend to see if she's tried that....Thanks...