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Our cat just came back from vet thinking we went in for a URI. But he noticed she lost from 8.5lbs to 7.5 back when last seen by him in Nov. Then yesterday she was down to only 6.5. The weight loss was diagnosed today, via the T4 blood test, as being Hyperthyroidism. Her level was repeat verified & was 13.7 on 0.8-4.7 ug/dL scale. Her other lab results which I'm reading from now, show some highs & lows areas (if anyone needs any info I'll post it, please just ask which results/numbers) compatible (says our vet) to this diagnosis.
I spoke to another vet by phone today soon after, & they said there's 3 options. The Methimazole, an Iodine treatment & lastly, surgery. The 2nd vet (her tech actually) said she'd pick the Iodine treatment as it has a 90% cure success rate. I think then afterward supplements are needed lifetime but at least not the harsher meds like Methimazole.
We don't really know age of kitty thus we think she's about 4 yrs+ which is young, if so, for this news. But if she's older then I still have no idea how longevity/lifespan, if at all is affected, etc. I'm not feeling very well at all & my g/f & I are really very sad. This upsets me the more I research it online too. Thanks so much everyone.
Sorry to hear this, but please be reassured this is nowhere near a death sentence.
Cat can live for years with hyperthyroidism, or after curing with the radioiodine therapy. I have one here next to me right now. It's been about 2 years I think since her original diagnosis. She had a pronounced weight loss as well, probably a few pounds ultimately overall. (She's about 10 or 10.5 pounds now I think, and, well, I don't know what her last pre hyper-t weight was, maybe 13-something, maybe even 14. But last visit weight was higher than the one 6 months before that. She's at a good weight now, it's not too low.)
I think it would be somewhat unusual to find this in such a young kitty, but I don't really know the stats. I'm sure it happens.
There's a couple things that come into play in choosing radioiodine or not. One is a sort of cost/benefit analysis, to be brutally honest. The radioiodine treatment costs around $1000 roughly. Plus, depending upon where you live, you may have to travel because only so many places do this. After the treatment, your cat will need to be quarantined at the facility for a week give or take. (I've heard as short as 4-5 days and as long as 10 or so, and it varies by facility.) So you add up the cost of that, consider the cat's age, and wonder if that's worth it vs med treatment. If there are enough years between the cat's current age and an expected longevity, I'd do the treatment despite its upfront cost.
This may sound like a cold, calculated math, and it is. But short of unlimited funds there's no denying this figures into the decision. Personally, my math said no. My cat was well over 13 years old when diagnosed. We put her on methimazole. She took to it fine. The methimazole is cheap; I can get 90 pills for 10 bucks. (Right now 90 pills is a 60-day supply.) Even though I'm using expensive Pill Pockets, adding that out I get several years before it equals $1000. So I'm not doing the radioiodine. But I certainly would have considered it and probably gone through with it if the cat were younger. We have a facility locally that performs this treatment.
Methimazole is tolerated by I believe about 80% of cats. But really, heck, let's say she's even a lot older than the 4 or so. If she's 10, even, I think I'd be looking long and hard at the radioiodine especially if it's local. There are other gains with the treatment too, such as not having to give meds twice a day! AFAIK, the only real downsides to radioiodine in the long term are the cost and the fact that it isn't always enough. In the end, it's possible your cat would still need meds (sooner or later) or a repeat treatment. Or, the other downside is just the cost/benefit again, if for example kitty dies in a few years or whatever. Let's hope not, and there's no real reason to believe that, but you just never know how long they're going to stay with you.
Your kitty can live several years on methimazole or several years after the radioiodine. Surgery, well, that is trickier and I really don't think I would opt for surgery, but I guess it is still done sometimes.
http://www.felinecrf.org/hyperthyroidism.htm This site is about kidney disease but has a good page on hyperthyroid, including how it can mask kidney function. I wouldn't let that scare you too much, but it certainly is possible. At last check afte not quite 2 years my cat's BUN level is a little elevated. Almost all cats old enough end up with one of these conditions anyway it seems.
http://www.radiocat.com/ Presumably you've seen the radioiodine page from this outfit, obviously it will extoll the benefits, downplay negatives and suggest other treatment isn't as effective, but it answers some questions about the process well enough I think.
Note that it's likely you'd want to be having your kitty try some methimazole now to get the function under control, even if you ultimately go the radioiodine route. It may be weeks before you get that arranged, and in the meantime this could be a help. Not sure what your vet suggested along these lines. Also this allows them to get some indication of the kidney function. That is noted on this page http://www.lbah.com/feline/hyperthyroidism.htm (both of these were links from the Tanya's site so sorry if I am repeating).
You guys are so awesome! I'm in tears reading this, both cause you guys help sooo much, & the whole idea of anything wrong w/ her is really upsetting me alot.
I called vet back & we just got the Metimazole brought home by my g/f, & she just now gave her a pill inside a treat/dental CET toothpaste disguise which she ate. But I know vomiting can occur now, so will monitor. I'm dazed here, so sorry all, & I'll just try to think sanely. The 2nd vet tech said all about the radiation way, & Greg, maybe this is best idea to begin w/ meds & do the radiation. I don't want to lose the $1000 but who cares as it is paper, & she is WAY worth it to me. I have zero intention of not doing what is THE best way to help her here w/ this.
Ok, greg I sent you a DM now too if you see this 1st. Thanks again & I'll tend to her now for a bit as she is getting hungry which I need to really help monitor too alot better. Thanks
Yeah I sent you a DM back. Note I might be asleep and your profile says AZ which means you'll be up a while! But I check the forums multiple times a day typically so I'll try to help further if necessary as we go forward.
I hope some others will respond, though. I know we have had a couple reports in the past of people who actually have cats who had radioiodine treatment. Not sure if they still read the forum much but we'll see; I don't have a good memory of who they were....
Oh and many cats will be hungry/thirsty. Not sure if you noticed hungry hungry cat but still lost weight, that might have been something you saw leading up to this, not sure. This condition is kind of opposite of some; usually cat is more hungry when thyroid is out of control and will probably have appetite go down once it is controlled. (For many other things when cat is sick this is reversed!) Thirst tends to continue though; Amber drinks a ton all the time seems like, vet told me it was not unusual last time I was there.
I'm sorry to hear about your kitty's diagnosis. I would absolutely choose the I-131 (radio-iodine therapy) cure for an other wise healthy cat. I know of many cats who have been through it, several as old as 17 years, and all were a resounding success, going on to live long healthy happy lives.
When thinking of long term costs, with regards to medication, remember that a cat on thyroid medication must have blood work no less than every six months, to monitor levels, and most vets insist on every three months. Methimazole doses have to be adjusted periodically.
I-131 is a cure, there are no medications needed once the cat has been through radio-iodine therapy.
All paws crossed for your beloved little girl, I know how much you cherish her and worry about her. Please keep us posted.
Saber was put on Methimazole, and I can't recall why I don't think it "agreed" with him. It was not itchiness on his face, that was not a problem, it was something more subtle that I hadn't known could be attributed to Methimazole, until after he died. (Not from hyperthyroid)
I did so much research after Saber died, because I still didn't have a reason for his actual decline and symptoms, until I read the about reason for Wellness stealth recall, almost a month later.
I remember that regulating the thyroid can unmask other medical problems, but that's not the reason I've been left with a lingering thought that I would not choose Methimazole as a treatment again.
There appears to a history of treatment on this site, here is one article, you should be able to find the rest.
They mention the cat is on Reglan ( Metoclopramide) NO WAY would I ever give another one of my cats this drug. There is an alternative (hopefully safer) drug for the same use. I'll look it up later tonight for you.
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