Question about T4 levels (hyperthyroidisim)

Hi I have not posted in a while but I do have a question.

My 14 yr. old kitty is on Tapazole for her thyroid since Last July...she has been doing just fine, (SHe was having siezures) Last time her levels were checked she was a 1.1 which is in the normal range.

I took her today because I have been seeing signs of more shedding, a lot of dander, and she vomits her food up.

The vet explained that the thyroid makes her eat very fast because she is ravinous SP? thats why she vomits. She has also lost a pound, but I don't think thats to bad since July>>>??


Doesn't thyroid medicine usually stabilize the cat for a few years?? They say I may have to up her does. She also explained to me that the thyroid can hurt her whole body more then the medicine.


Does anyone have any experiance with hyperthyoidisim in an older cat?

When was the last time her levels were checked? It sounds like the Tapazole is not keeping them stable anymore, so you made need to increase the dose. It's often a balancing act to try to get the right dose for your cat, and the right dose can change over time. High thyroid levels can hurt the whole body--thyroid hormone speeds up the metabolism so all the organs, including the heart and the kidneys, have to work harder. Also, are you giving the pill, the liquid or the transdermal form of the medication?

Hi.....she was checked in July last time.
I give her a pill but i have ti dilute it in water then suck it up into an eyedropper, then squirt it in her mouth.
I told the vet, she she said it may leave some residue in the dropper, but not sure if it is enough to make a difference.
She may need to go to 2 pills a day instead of 1/2 pill 2 times a day.

She only weighs 7 pounds.

My elderly sweetie had a hyperactive thyroid also.
Her T levels were checked every 6 mns and her meds were adjusted accordingly as needed.

She too, even while "controlled", ate v. fast and vomited often. She also continuously lost weight even though on meds, although it was much more slowly than before she was on the meds.

Prescribing the proper dosage is not a concrete science. It has to be tinkered with a lot. The doc increased the dose recently I read in your post, so it is too early to see if it will help at this time.

They did not up her meds as of yet...it depends on her numbers tomorrow.

Thanks for the information though...........I just can't beleive the amount of dander this cat is putting out as of late.

I would say get her levels checked again... if you just started the meds in July, they may not be balanced out right for her.... my soon to be 13 year old black lab also has hyperthyroidism - in fact, she's going tomorrow to get her T4 levels checked again because she has been shedding like none other and her coat is not shiny like it used to be (and she's on innova, so it's not diet).... she doesnt eat ravonously, but the shedding is a sign.... being diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, your kitty will need to have her levels checked pretty periodically, especially in the beginning (I think my dog is now every 6 months to a year... she was diagnosed awhile ago) - no matter how long ago she was diagnosed, there is always possibility that her levels will change and meds will need to be adjusted, hence the reason for regular testing.... our vet's told us that with correctly adjusted meds (granted there are no other health problems) my dog will be just fine with her hyperthyroidism the rest of her life...you'll always want to keep an eye on her eating habits, weight and skin/coat quality (quick note on the weight... an easy way to check at home is to get on your bathroom scale with your kitty, note the weight... then get on the bathroom scale yourself *eeek!* and subtract your weight from the first.... it's pretty acurate and you don't have to run to the vet to borrow their scale to keep kitty's weight in check)

My HyperT cat, PJ, is around 12 years old, and is very stable on methimazole. It took well over a year, though, to get her to that point. She had lost 4 pounds during that time, and thankfully, has put almost all of that weight back on.

PJ is a terribly piller, so we pay $21 a month and have the medication compounded at a local pharmacy into a liquid (with fish flavoring) that we mix with her wet food. She eats all of it up, and I think it's thanks to that that she remains stable. We had tried pills, and we also tried the transdermal ear gel, both of which didn't work well for PJ.

When PJ was first diagnosed, I think we were checking her every 2 months to try and get her to the right dose, and then it's about every 6 months after that.

As an aside, PJ also has terrible dander, but she always has (well before she was HyperT). We have found it to be more controlled (but by no means gone) with DermCaps, a liquid/oil supplement we get at the vet. We had used other oil brands before, but this seems to work out the best for her.

Personally, I'd get her checked again, and talk to your vet about trying to get the liquid form of the medication. That's the only way I could ensure that PJ was getting every drop, and as I said, I think that's what has helped to keep her stable.