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FWIW, the ointment for hyperthyroidism works VERY well - my cat went from a T4 of over 10 to normal in a month, about the same results as he would have gotten with the pills.
We use the ear medication on our 17 year old cat with hyperthyroidism. She comes running when she hears the clicks of the "pen" because she knows she'll get a treat after the meds. It's relatively cheap and our vet lets us get 6 pens at a time so we only need to refill a couple times a year.
Are there other alternatives treatment other than the iodine? I never heard that you have to do the iodine, most kitties gets monthly medication for hyperthyroidism. It seems odd that there are no other conservative and cheaper way to treat your cat. Did you get a 2nd opinion from a different vet?
With that said, it sounds like no matter what, you already made up your mind about these cats, and this vet bill was 'convenient' way to get out of keeping them. I am not trying to be mean, but be honest with yourself. If you don't want them, rehome them. Maybe you will get lucky and someone wants to take them off your hands, either an adopter or rescue. Or you can drop them off at the local animal control center. Or you can euthanize them.
My cat is 16 as well, although I adopted him at age 5, he is my little old man. He did not have hyperthyroidism but he was diagnosed with renal failure and cancer. He also suffer from arthritis and other minor old cat problems (he sometimes forgets where he was). His vet bills and food are expensive, even though we elect not to fix the cancer as it was not beneficial to his quality of life.
I can't imagine putting an old cat down simply out of convenience or a minor, treatable and common problem like hyperthyroidism but that's just me.
I can't believe you are considering putting these cats down just because you have decided that you just don't want them anymore or that you don't want to spend the money. When you take any pets on, you are responsible for them when they are doing well and especially responsible when they need your help. How can you look them in the eye and think of just putting them down so you can have a better summer? I know my summer would be riddled with guilt rather than feeling carefree and able to do what you want now but when you go home at night all alone just remember they would have kept you company. Also, it's people that hurt people, our pets just love us unconditionally and never hurt us or our feelings. They rely on us and trust us to take care of them to the best of our ability. You just sound very selfish and immature and probably should never get a pet again until you are truly committed to their care and willingness to love and nurture them until they pass on their own unless they are truly suffering in pain and that is THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE. You really should be ashamed of even considering this. I've had many pets in my day and have never had to put one down. My cat E.B. is now paralyzed on all four limbs but still loves me and enjoys his food, his time outside, cuddling with me at night while giving me kisses and still purring. He is in his teens with hyperthyroidism and is on medication. He suddenly went paralyzed in one front paw and I took him to the vet and everything came back fine other than what we already knew so I took him home and got him adapted to the loss of one limb. Approximately 3 or 4 days later he had lost use of all his limbs. People have offered their advice of putting him down but I will not do that at this time just to make my life easier. He trusts me to make the best decisions for him and I let him know that he can trust me at all times by taking care of him the way I am. I adopted him as a senior cat knowing there could be issues but it was better than letting him pass away in a shelter and in a cage 22 hours of his day. That is no way to live for any animal or living thing. Please be patient and remember why you got them in the first place and at least look for another alternative or other home for these two precious pets that you were lucky enough to have loved. Never give up. Trust that doses of love and caring can go a long way in healing a pet.
I did discuss that with my vet, and he said since everything else looks fine he recommends iodine. I'll probably go ahead and do it, but this will probably be the last major expense I'm willing to incur for them apart from 1 or 2 more dental cleanings. With the other cat's (17, 18 in October) kidney deficiency they don't recommend anesthesia unless it's absolutely necessary. The one with hyperthyroid just turned 16, so assuming he recovers from that, he probably still has 1 or 2 more dental cleanings left.
I would find another vet. This guy sounds like he prefers the expensive option.
Has he even discussed the ear meds? Our surviving kitty just developed hyperthyroid and we're treating her with topical meds in the ear twice a day.
I would certainly look for friends who might want to adopt these two kitties together.
My cat will be 18 in July '17, now showing signs of this hyperthyroidism. I've been reading up on it - usually I can find a natural means to treat health issues. The ear ointment sounds much better than radiation, less intrusive, and of course, less expensive is good too. I hesitate to give the radiation because (a) there are no before and after photos anywhere (though there are lots of testimonies that I believe), and (b) the testimonials of those who have used it on their pets indicate it gives approximately another year or two of life for them. I wonder whether there might be lasting repercussions on the cat's other organs which affect lifespan after the "cure". I know my cat is older, but I believe I can still hope for more years than that, he's a fighter, and otherwise very healthy. I am going to try the ear goo.
Meanwhile, I use milk thistle when he's out of sorts. Even with hyperthyroid condition, it seems to soothe him. I add a few droppers of a tincture to few tablespoons of wet food that will go through a large syringe and give it to him in two separate doses over two days. While it hasn't cured him, milk thistle has a cleansing effect on blood, kidneys and other organs. It creates a noticeable difference in his behavior, less meowing, better digestion, less vomiting, better sleep, overall contentedness, and he puts on a little weight when I give it to him. The ear goo with the milk thistle may prove to be a good combination - whatever toxins the medication might have will be removed by milk thistle administered once or twice a week.
Obviously, I very much want to keep him around.
Another natural aid is one for teeth and gums in cats - plantain leaf powder. Works well in humans too. Myrrh is good but it's so pungent, cats absolutely hate it. Myrrh is good for an emergency treatment of inflammation but after that, plantain leaf works almost as well and to them, it tastes a lot like a leaf they might chew on outside. Use just a pinch and smear on teeth and gums. A little goes a very long way.
Thank you for the testimonials. We don't get too far into holistic medicine for our cats, but I've always been curious. We at least apply a similar philosophy to our feeding regimen; I make raw food for all 3 of our cats, and have fine-tuned a formula that has them all extremely fit and healthy. The senior cat will turn 19 in a few months, and he looks fantastic. Smooth, shiny coat, good skin, fit as a fiddle. I don't think he'd even be alive if it weren't for the raw food diet and some of the natural ingredients I include.
I'm sorry to hear about your cat's hyperthyroidism. Take heart, though - our eldest was diagnosed about 3 years ago now, and as I said, he's doing great. Appetite is a problem - he loves his food, but sometimes just doesn't have much of an appetite. So I've learned to just take his food up, put it in the refrigerator, and let him tell me when he wants to take another shot at it. He gets about 5 or 6 "mini-meals" a day, and it all adds up to an appropriate daily intake.
We opted to control his hyperthyroidism with Tapazole, rather than radiation. We give him two pills a day. He hates being force-fed pills, and fights like a wildcat, but fortunately he is very enthusiastic about duck-flavored pill pockets. I'm guessing Tapazole must not have much taste to it, because he never notices that the inside of the pill doesn't taste quite the same as the outside. He just chomps it down and waits to see if I'm going to give him more. One trick I use is that about every 3 or 4 times I give him a pill, I give him another small piece of pill pocket as soon as he's done with the first. He's pretty clever, and what he learned from this is that it's good policy to just get right at the pill and eat it fast in case this is one of those times he gets seconds. That way he doesn't dawdle over it long enough to say, "hey, wait a minute, somethin' ain't taste right here."
But we're very pleased with the way Tapazole works for him. I think it will be 3 years ago this summer that he was diagnosed with hyperthyroid, chronic kidney disease, and hypertension all at once. It's pretty common to find them all occurring together. The vet was very sad, and told us that he probably didn't have long, but there was a chance he could live another year or so. We researched, and I dedicated myself to learning everything I could to help him out, and now his overall health is much better than it had been for several years before his diagnosis. And he is clearly much happier, more comfortable, and more content than he had been. I know that things can go bad very suddenly when a cat who is that old has so many problems, but I fully expect him to live well into his 20s with the Tapazole and the medication for his hypertension.
Thanks for the tip about plantain - I'm going to try that immediately. We worry a lot about his oral health, because at his age, and with his underlying conditions, we are very worried about having his teeth cleaned with a general anesthetic. Ah - and speak of the devil. Here he is right now. I have a box set up right next to my chair so he can sit next to me and watch me type. His main pleasure in life at this stage is just to hang around with me and watch everything I do. Apparently it's time for a mini-meal, and then I take him outside to urinate. He's like a dog. He asks me to take him out for a walk, and we go out for a few minutes and I walk with him while he inspects the yard and the flowerbed. Then he does his business, goes up on the porch, and waits for me to bring him back in. So, off we go, and I will try plantain tomorrow!
My cat will be 18 in July '17, now showing signs of this hyperthyroidism. I've been reading up on it - usually I can find a natural means to treat health issues.
While many have success with the ear gel, the pills work well too if your cat is ok with pilling. I've been pilling Benny since last August and he's responded well to the treatment.
FWIW, your comments about milk thistle are interesting. A couple of years ago, Benny had elevated liver values and the vet suggested a supplement with the primary ingredient being milk thistle. After six months of the supplements, his values were much improved and we were able to stop the supplement.
Several weeks ago I started a thread re two cats I no longer want: 16 and 17 year old males. Now the 16 year old has been diagnosed with hyperthyroid. Radioactive iodine treatment will cost about $1K!
Here's the dilemma: While I feel obligated to care for the cats, I actually don't want them anymore. On the one hand with the iodine treatment he'll probably last at least two more years; on the other hand part of me thinks it's completely ridiculous to spend that kind of money on a cat I no longer want. It is -in a sense- a nearly perfect reason to euthanize him.
-sigh- I just don't know what to do. Any thoughts?
You sound like a prick.
I hope someone throws you away when you are old and sick and can't care for yourself
In fact, I'm pretty sure you will end up alone with nobody who does care - people like you aren't worth the trouble
You are the first and only person on my ignore list -
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Thankful for this thread
I just don't know what to do. Any thoughts?
