Gingivitis & Thyroid question

Cotton visited the vet today. We'd noticed that he was having a bit of trouble eating and brought him in - it looks like his gingivitis is flaring up again so the vet gave him and anti-inflamatory and re check in 2 weeks. They also suggested bloodwork to check his thyroid since he's lost a bit of weight and it seemed swollen.

So, we're doing bloodwork too. Thyroid is treatable if we know about it so I'd rather know. I'm just wondering, is it possible the two are related, or is it just lucky that he got a full checkup when we took him in for his mouth?

I haven't heard of any connection between thyroid conditions and gingivitis. Hyperthyroidism is fairly common in older cats, so the presence of both could be a coincidence. Also, if your vet find that Cotton's thyroid levels or normal, the swelling might be a lymph node in the neck due to the gingivitis. Did you get the results of the bloodwork?

Thanks.
I figured it was very likely a coincidence, but I worry about him because of his past health. We should get the bloodwork results today, so I'm hoping everything's normal. Since we're not entirely sure of Cotton's age, our vet doesn't rule out and age-related stuff. I'll post more when we have the results. On the up-side, the antibiotics he's on seem to be calming the gingivitis down, although he's still sore enough that we have to make sure he eats, at least he's alot more interested in food.

Oh Im sorry Cotton is not feeling well. Im sending lots of vibes that way for that little special handsome boy I hope the bloodwork comes back with nothing serious
Kisses for Cotton

Originally Posted by Pami

Oh Im sorry Cotton is not feeling well. Im sending lots of vibes that way for that little special handsome boy I hope the bloodwork comes back with nothing serious
Kisses for Cotton

Click to expand...

Thank you. I know he appreciates the kisses.

It turns out that his thyroid levels are high, so he'll being going on medication. (I'm not sure which one since my DH talked to the vet while I'm at work and never asks enough questions for my liking )

I'm going to guess high levels mean hyperthyroid? I was looking up some of the symptoms and they do look familier, so I wouldn't be totally suprised. We're going to finish off his round of antibiotics for the swollen gum and when he goes back in for his follow up next Monday, they want to start him on the thyroid medication (which is apparently an anti-cancer pill as well?)

On the up-side, I'm glad this was caught early so that we can get him settled into a good routine and get everythign working properly. On the downside, I hate it when my big boy is sick...so I hope he improves quickly.

High levels do mean hyperthyroid. The most commonly used medications are methimazole and carbimazole. I'm not sure about them being anti-cancer drugs, except when used for thyroid cancer (which is rare in cats--most hyperthyroidism is caused by a non-cancerous tumor on the thyroid). Make sure your vet starts out with a reasonable dose--2.5 mg twice per day is common--as lower doses are better tolerated. If needed, the dosage can be increased. It is essential that the medication be given twice per day (as close to 12 hours apart as is feasible) to maintain stable blood levels of the drug. Watch for signs of reaction to the drug, including vomiting and facial itching. Often reactions don't show up until two weeks after starting the medicine.

Also, the pill is very bitter. I found that putting it inside of an empty gel capsule helped tremendously. It also allowed me flexibility in giving 1.5 tablets when my cat needed more medication.

Thanks for that info. I'm much more comfortable knowing what the usual drugs are and what to do with them...especially because in this case I won't be the one who gets to go - Hubby will be taking him for the next appointment.

I'm trying not to be, but I'm really worried about him. I've read that hyperthyroid isn't that unusual in older cats, but once you get the dosage figured out, is it fairly easy to manage?