Just looking for a little support.

p.s. I got all wrapped up in the thyroid issue that I forgot to mention she's also getting dental surgery for a broken tooth in the front of her mouth, because it's most likely causing her pain, even though we never knew. It's amazing how much cats can hide things... I'm really beginning to see why going on regular checkups is necessary!

Originally Posted by RosyC

mzjazz2u: I'm trying not to stress too much... *big deep breaths*

. I think Banzo has an overactive thyroid, so hopefully the drugs they prescribed will help.

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Ohhhhh... she has a hyperthyroid. I'm sorry... I thought you said hypothyroid!

Odo had two broken teeth from the time he came home with me last June. Somehow, my vet missed them on the exams he's had, so he didn't have a dental until November, when I finally insisted on it. He ended up having one of the broken fangs pulled along with another fang. The second broken tooth was left in place because the vet was concerned about putting too much pressure on his lower jaw in trying to remove them--she said their lower jaw can be very fragile, and she didn't want to risk a fracture. He came through the surgery just fine, and was back to normal after a day or two. Make sure that your vet is using the most current anesthetic protocols. The newer anesthetics are much safer, especially in older cats who tend to have at least a little loss of kidney function.

I have a HyperT cat and have been through several methimazole variations (transdermal and compounded liquid - we can't pill PJ well). She's done wonderfully for somewhere between 2-3 years now (I can't remember how long we've been doing this!). She's around 12 years old, we think. The regular bloodwork is very important, and I'd watch her weight closely as well - for us, that's the only indicator that the medication amount is off for PJ. Before she was diagnosed, she'd lost 4 pounds but we didn't notice it through all her fur. Now, we notice variations in the range of 0.5 pounds in her.

The radiation treatment is definitely an excellent option.. now if only I had the money for that for my own cat!

There is a feline HyperT group on Yahoo if you're interested in learning more, or asking other questions to more people.

Don't feel bad at ALL. I didn't take my cat Jennifer in to the Vet for about... 7 years. She has EXTREMELY bad vaccine reactions. The last time she started vomiting blood. When I started working for a vet I decided to bring her in and have her "pre-medicated" (injectable benedyl and steroids are given before the vaccines to prevent a reaction) While the Vet was doing the exam, He told me she had a heart murmur and that I might want to do a thyroid test. (Hyperthyroidism can cause cats to develop a heart murmur which can actually get better when the cat is properly treated for the thyroid problem) The test results came back. She was hyperthyroid. Her heart murmur was originally a grade 3 out of 5. After her medication took full effect, the murmur was almost completely gone.

I also found out she needed a dental. She had to have SEVEN teeth removed. She now only has 3 teeth.

Hyperthyroidism is a disease that cats can live with for a LONG time. so you don't need to worry about your baby. As long as you get her thyroid regulated she will be just fine!

Originally Posted by shambelle

I have a HyperT cat and have been through several methimazole variations (transdermal and compounded liquid - we can't pill PJ well). She's done wonderfully for somewhere between 2-3 years now (I can't remember how long we've been doing this!). She's around 12 years old, we think. The regular bloodwork is very important, and I'd watch her weight closely as well - for us, that's the only indicator that the medication amount is off for PJ. Before she was diagnosed, she'd lost 4 pounds but we didn't notice it through all her fur. Now, we notice variations in the range of 0.5 pounds in her.

The radiation treatment is definitely an excellent option.. now if only I had the money for that for my own cat!

There is a feline HyperT group on Yahoo if you're interested in learning more, or asking other questions to more people.

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This sounds like Bird! Except I was told I couldn't get her meds in anything but a compounded liquid. Are there pills out there that I don't know about?

catsallover-- The medication definitely comes in a pill form. If you find it easier to give pills than liquid, you should be able to either get the pills from your vet or ask for a prescription. Tapazole/methimazole was and is a human medication as well as a cat medication, so most if not all people pharmacies should carry the pills. Getting them from a regular pharmacy may be cheaper than getting them at the vets.

shambelle-- In addition to the HyperT group, there is also a Senior Cats group. I've personally learned more from the Senior Cats group, and you may want to check it out.

My pharmacy said the smallest pill comes in a 25 mg, no where near the 2.5mg that Bird is supposed to have . I gotta get some more info ...

What medication is your kitty taking? According to drugstore.com, Tapazole comes in 5 and 10 mg pills, and the generic form, methimazole, comes in 5, 10 or 20 mg doses. Most people get the 5 mg pill and split it for the 2.5 mg doses.

Just in case your pet store doesn't sell Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul, they have a list of distributer's on their web page here.

http://www.chickensoupforthepetlover...ealer_locator/

A lot of times you can find it/order it from feed stores, where you might not ordinarily think to find good quality pet foods. I feed it to my boys - I think its a great high quality food for someone on a budget, though I'll admit that there are better foods out there for someone who can afford more.

Good luck with your kitty, everything will be fine!

Good luck with the meds, and do make sure you keep having regular blood tests, hyper-t can mask kidney issues. Dont blame yourself, cats are incredibly good at hiding things, but she has something that is easily treated.

You guys... Thank you all so much. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. My panic level has totally subsided knowing that other people know about this too, and that it's more common than I thought. Banzo has a heart murmur (1 out of 5) so hopefully her heart will get stronger with the medication.

She goes in for her pre-med bloodwork tomorrow, to make certain that she qualifies for the study. She loves that cat carrier, lemme tell ya... Send us good vibes.

You all are fantastic! Thank you times a billion.

Just wanted to add my positive vibes and wishes for your kitty. I hope she does well with the treatment.

My Sophie was diagnosed with HyperT at age 12 (we lost her to cancer this past Oct. at age 17). She was on methimazole for 5 years, and it made all the difference in the world. She went from being an insatiable eating-machine with coarse, brittle hair to her usual beautiful tuxedo-cat self with a healthy appetite. I did have to watch her eating habits over the years, and adjust her meds accordingly. Her coat was also a good indicator of how her meds were working.
It sounds as if you're being a very good cat-Mom. Best of luck with Banzo.

Fingers crossed for her blood test results.