Question About Cats and Hyperthyroid

I'm sorry about your situation N.. I work at Michigan Veterinary Specialists, and wanted to let you know that we provide the radioactive iodine treatments and have an excellent board-certified veterinary internist who does all the treatments, follow ups, etc. You can check out the website at www.michvet.com and review Dr. Marc Elie in the Internal Medicine dept. There is also an article about radioactive iodine treatment - what it entails, what to expect, etc. That is here: http://www.michvet.com/library/medicine_hyperthyroidism.asp. Hope that helps and good luck with your kitty!

Hi N.,

I work for a small animal veterinarian and can honestly tell you that there are many reasons why a veterinarian may or may not suggest a certain treatment. We have several hyperthyroid felines in our practice, and not one has ever been suggested to undergo iodine treatment. While many see fantastic results with the treatment, it is expensive and risky. There is no guarantee that your cat will still no longer require medication post-treatment and it is radioactive and that of course comes with its own set of risk factors, requiring quarantine period and it is often only done in specialty clinics with vets/techs with extensive training...which may not have been available until recently in your area or by your vet. The treatment itself is not new, however, I know the vet I work for will not recommend something until he has seen the results over a period of time and feels confident it is safe enough to suggest. (including less-risky products such as new flea/heartworm treatments- everything comes with its own potential side effects) Additionally, while you may be able to afford or consider the cost of treatment, many people think twice before spending $1,000 or more to treat a cat and this procedure is often seen as a last resort.

I commend you on being proactive on researching treatment and for treating your feline friend...I know giving medications daily is a commitment and frustration in and of itself, and hope you do see the right results with on-going treatment. I wish you the best with your kitty!

Hi N.,
While this treatment is very effective (the radioactive iodine treatment), it's costly. In addition to the cost you need to have your cat stay at a special facility that does the treatment. I had this done with my cat about 8 yrs ago. We drove 2 hrs away and he stayed there 1-2 wks until his radioactive levels were low enough to be in a room in our home away from people for another 2 weeks. I did go in and pet him several times a day, along with feeding etc. Let me tell you our story. So, his thyroid was overactive, due to a growth on the thyroid. Did the treatment. His thyroid never began working again. So, his thyroid was under active. Again, this required medication (a different one) twice a day as well as blood checks -this was never mentioned as a possibility. Well, lo and behold, several yrs later he developed symptoms of having the over-active thryoid again. Yep, he had a growth on the other part of his thyroid. I feel he's just too old to go through that treatment again. So, we're back to meds, blood draws, occasional vomiting -ugh. But I love this sweet old guy. He's 17 yrs old! Best of luck. I'm sure your experience will be different than mine. I just want you to know the possibilities so you can discuss them thoroughly with your vet. S.

Hi N.,
I worked as a supervisor at an animal clinic for 10 years. We would reccommend it to our clients that showed an interest or could afford it. I also worked at Sugar Land Veterinary Specialists where they do they I131. If it was my cat and I could afford it, I would have it done. I will include a link so you can read it when you can. This link is from Sugar Land Veterinary Specialists. It will go over the risks and everything. www.slvetspecialists.com/specialties/feline hyperthyroidism/FelineHyperthyroidism.html (It looks like you will have to copy and paste the link to access it.) Good luck.

N.-
Maybe the iodine treatment didn't exist 6 years ago? We just lost our beloved kitty due to untreated hyperthyroidism. We just didn't know and no symptoms except weight loss which we attributed to her age. Thank you for being so generous and loving to your kitty.
S.

Our cat underwent the iodine treatment years ago, it's not a new treatment...For her, they killed off too much of her thyroid however and she ended up on pills for the rest of her life. So, it's not always a complete cure. Your vet should have told you about it though! Sorry to hear you've been pilling you cat for so many years, it's a tough job. Hug!

I think the treatment has been available for a few years, but probably not in all areas since in many places it is done at a specialty hospital or vet school. It may be a vet near you did not offer the treatment before and the medication is the mainline form of treatment. Some vets do blood work every 6 months and some once a year to check thyroid levels. I have my one cat check yearly, since he is borderline and my dog is checked once a year since she is hypothyroid and on meds to supplement.

From working in vet's office 98% did pills, a couple did a transdermal gel on the ears or oral liquid and maybe one or two did the iodine treatment. The gel and oral were only used on cats that the owners could not pill, much more expensive. The cat with the treatment did well and no longer needed meds. Just had to stay at the specialty hospital for about a week and owners could not visit because of the treatment I believe. If you are interested I would say talk to the vet that can do the treatment and maybe go for it. I have heard much higher cost estimates than 1000 for it also.

Check yahoo groups - there should be a group there for people who have cats with thyroid issues. Also, there is a pet forum (www.pets.ca/forum) that has a very large number of members with cats with health issues.