My seal point tom has hyperthyroidism

trackfodder

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I weighed Rascal P. Coletrane da turd this morning and he is down to 5-3/4 lbs.  At one time he weighed 18 lbs. and was the scourge of the post office dept.  He would spring from hiding and grab the postman with his front paws by the ankle. (declawed)  He is 14 now and seems healthy enough for an old guy, but he is lactose intolerant and skin and bones.  From what I read, it is common and a result of rabies shots.  He is overdue, but I am afraid another shot would finish him off.  He may have antibodies built up in his system, but the doctor didn't seem interested in testing him.

     Is there any diet I can put him on to put some weight on him?  I don't feed fish anymore because one tabby tom was peeing blood for awhile from presumably crystals in the bladder from the potassium.  They get 9 Lives or Special Kitty canned food and Special Kitty dry chow daily.   Any help would be appreciated. 
 
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orientalslave

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Your subject says he has hyper thyroid.  Has the vet diagnosed that?  If he has, how are you treating it, and are you going back as necessary for blood tests to keep an eye on things?  Skin and bones seem much more likely to be from untreated or undertreated hyperthyroid than a rabies shot.
 
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trackfodder

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I conferred with his vet and he concurred that it seemed like hyperthyroidism to him.  The sure fix is an $830 radioactive shot that is ridiculous to consider.  Here is an excerpt from an article online.

<Other conditions we see frequently in veterinary medicine today are not so directly traceable to a particular vaccine, but the general connection to vaccination is clear to many practitioners. Hyperthyroidism (increased production of thyroid hormones) was not seen when I first graduated from veterinary school. It was not simply misdiagnosed. The symptoms are so characteristic that the syndrome would have been recognized even if the cause was unknown. The disease did not exist.

Could vaccines be responsible? Let’s look at another case:
Sheba is a Siamese mix cat. She was nine years old when her guardian first consulted me. One week after vaccination, Sheba stopped eating and developed a rapid heart rate. Her conventional veterinarian suspected hyperthyroidism, although thyroid testing revealed no abnormalities. One dose of Thuja (a homeopathic remedy) reversed the rapid heartbeat and the appetite problems, and her health bloomed after the remedy so that she was better than before she became ill. Clearly the vaccines had caused these problems. I believe she would have developed true hyperthyroid disease if untreated.

The status of cats has elevated significantly since the 1960’s. Prior to this most cats received little veterinary care. Since the 1970’s, however, as cat status elevated, the care given to cats has climbed. This has generally meant more vaccinations. And rabies vaccination was often not recommended for cats until the mid-1980s. I believe the massive increase of vaccines in cats is responsible for hyperthyroidism as well as many other recently emerging diseases.>
 
 

Willowy

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I agree he shouldn't be vaccinated anymore. It probably would put him over the edge. Just refuse the vaccine--the vet can't make you.

You don't have to do the radioactive treatment. There's an inexpensive medication called metronidazole that can be given as a pill, a liquid, or compounded into a gel you rub on his ear. He won't be able to put on any weight if the hyperthyroid goes untreated.

I would switch him to all canned food--his kidneys are probably getting to be not-so-great and they could use the extra moisture. I've had success using Fancy Feast kitten food (turkey) to keep weight on old cats. Kitten food has extra calories. But it does have some milk products. . .I don't know if the lactose cooked out or not, so it might disagree with him. But the other Fancy Feast Classic non-fish flavors are also good.
 

kittylover23

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I would consider the radioactive treatment. Even though it is crazy expensive, you could discuss a payment plan with your vet so the payments are easier on your wallet. There are a number of sites, like Care Credit, that will help you pay for vet treatments. Radioactive treatment is a way to reverse hyperthyroidism.

Some websites to help you with your decision: http://www.avmi.net/newfiles/hyperthyroidism/hyperthyroidism.html
http://cats.about.com/od/thyroiddiseaseincats/a/bubba_iodine.htm
http://www.rad.kumc.edu/nucmed/Research/hypercat.htm
http://thyrocat.com/radioiodinetherapy.php

I hope all goes well with your kitty. :vibes:
 

orientalslave

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Because of better vetinary care cats now live longer than they used to, and hyperthyroid is a disease of middle-age to old cats.  Is there a difference in the occurance between the US & UK?  Not so far as I know, and rabies vaccinations are not given in the UK.

However debating the origin of your cat's illness doesn't help your cat.  He needs proper diagnosis and treatment PDQ - it sounds like at present your vet 'thinks it looks like hyperthyroid'.  Now he may well be right, but he could be wrong, and the guess needs confirming.  The Methimazole treatment is effective though the cat will need constant monitoring for the rest of his life to check the condition is still well-controlled - a blood test every so often.

At the weight your cat is now he must be emaciated, so treatment is essential and urgent.
 
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trackfodder

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I just started him on thuja pills today.  They are iexpensive and one person said they helped her cat to gain weight.  He loves pepper jack cheese and never suspected he was getting meds ! LOL

     I will try to get him checked by the vet, but it is a 20 mi. trip and he "doesn't travel well"  When we went the fist time with him in a travel cage, he was slick with crap and puke and slobbers from one end to the other.  Now it is a warehouse wire basket on 4X4's in the liftback  with the cover held down with a spare tire and a plastic bag under.  Then it is just to wipe the 6" drools off his chops with a wet rag.  Poor lil' guy.,

     Concerning declawing, I got kicked out of one group for defending it to the bunch in CA. because I mentioned it as OK to pull little babys apart after squashing their skulls but illegal in CA to declaw.  Our vet did all 4 of ours and they were back good as ever after an overnight with no apparent discomfort,  I think he knows something that most don't.  We have never had any destruction or injuries.  They don't seem to know any difference and wrestle with each other and the dog.  We are down to 3 now as my beloved 12 yr. old calico, Penelope killed 11 mice in about 5 days and got a bacterial infection and I was too dumb to recognise it and treat with the clavamox I had in the fridge.  God I miss her.  There is an empty place on my computer table and in my heart.
 

Willowy

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This is an anti-declawing site, so you'll get a lot of opposition on that one. Rendering a cat helpless for life and subjecting them to a painful foot surgery for the sake of your furniture is just plain wrong, regardless of whether your cats had complications or not. What other things are or aren't legal doesn't really change that. But this thread isn't about that. . .it's about hyperthyroid. If you want to jump in on one of the de-clawing threads, I think we have at least 2 going currently :).

I'm not sure thuja will help at this point. It's for de-toxing from vaccines, but if it's been a few years since he had vaccines it might not do any good at this point. I suppose it can't hurt, though.
 
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trackfodder

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Had Rascal had claws, I would probably gotten sued by the bare-legged postman.  As it was he play-bit him.  He was p---ed off and said of all the animals on his route that was the only one that attacks him.  He always does it when their back is turned and walking away.  Once I saw him coming up on the porch and realized he was out.  I ran to the door in tie to see he had covered 10 orf the 15 ft. and hollered RASCAL---NO! and he froze in his tracks.  That time the postman cracked up. 

     Not sure what you mean about detox but he hasn't had any shots in 2 years due to difficulty in transporting him as I mentioned in an earlier post.  I am going to stay with the thuja for awhile and monitor his weight.
 

Willowy

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If he had claws he might not have felt the need to attack people :dk:. De-clawing frequently makes cats feel insecure so they begin attacking and biting. And a cat rendered defenseless should never be outside anyway.

Why are you giving him thuja if not for the de-tox? Thuja is for cleansing the body of toxins from vaccines. I'm not aware of any other use for it. I would never vaccinate him again. . .my cats only get their kitten shots and nothing else. Of course a cat allowed outdoors needs to be kept legal on rabies vaccine or there will be big trouble if there's an "incident". But an old or sick cat should never be vaccinated for anything.
 
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fair2middling

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Well constructed story, I have always loved a rambling saga. You did your research Trackfodder, oh how I miss my impish students. 
 
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trackfodder

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From one woman's account, she started her skinny cat on thuja and it gained weight and normalcy.  It couldn't hurt and I am not that well -moneyed,  The local vets are pirates so we go to Nowata OK. 20 mi to get $14 allergy shots for the Apso monthly and a $12 pill for a month without fleas.  We are going to try to feed the dog gluten-free for awhile to see if it helps.  I can get an annual shot series for $32 there.  A local jerk charged us $60 for the 1 month allergy shot ONCE and $75 to put down a terminally injured dog ONCE.  If any vet should give a senior citizen a price break,, the rest dive on him and drive him out of business.  They are like a neighborhood committee.
 

siamesemom

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My Siamese has hyperthyroidism, and I cannot say enough good things about Methimazole. I echo what another poster wrote. If your cat has been correctly diagnosed, this medication will be a life-saver. I am fortunate to live in an area where we have a pharmacy that compounds medication. I opted for the compounding to use in the hairless part of the ear, because my cat cannot be pilled. A pill will be less expensive, however, if your cat will take it. I understand that the pill can cause stomach upset. I have not had the problem at all with the compounded cream. I wish you the best with your wonderful Siamese. 
 

orientalslave

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If the OP is not stringing us along he won't have his Siamese much longer without the correct treatment for hyperthyroid.  At the sort of weight he says his cat is it's lost a lot of muscle, and remember what the heart is made of.
 

ldg

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Yes, it costs money to take care of health problems.

Re: the hyperthyroid: http://feline-nutrition.org/health/feline-hyperthyroidism-what-you-need-to-know

If he was eating a lot of fish for many years, yes, it's quite likely as explained in the link.

Your kitty needs a simple blood test to know if he's hyperthyroid. This is a disease easily definitively diagnosed and one that should not be treated on a vet's opinion. Others have already explained it can be treated with medication that doesn't cost much.

I know nothing about thuja, but I do know your kitty needs a high protein, low carb food, and digestive enzymes will help put the weight back on him. 9Lives and Special Kitty are about the worst foods there are. Buy the Friskies Pate-style canned food or the Fancy Feast Classic canned foods when they're on sale.

Good luck.
 

maewkaew

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If you do have a cat with hyperthyroid   it would be a good idea to get him on something actually known to work. The methimazole pills definitely helped my seal point Siamese mix  gain weight back after we found out he had hyperthyroidism.    and i was able to get a good price at Walgreens. ,  it was by joining their prescription savings club which was maybe about $20-30 a year for the card. , then with that,  the methimazole pills  ended up being about $5 a month.   ( I think you can get a 3 month supply at a time.  so get the vet to write the script for 3 months worth)

I did have to get blood tested again  and readjust the medicine.  he ended up needing more than at first.  then once  you get it at the right level you still need to get that checked probably twice a  year  .   or at least once a year, and keep an eye on his weight etc. 

As far as what food to put some muscle back on,  you want  some high protein, moderate-high fat & low carb food.    Wellness would probably work well.   But the best US cat food that is at least kind of moderately priced is Petsmart's store brand Authority.   It is more than the Special Kitty though.   it is about 80-some cents for a 6 ounce can.  but it's higher quality meat.

It is good you are feeding partly wet food.,  most cats dont drink enough water to keep well hydrated unless they are getting the moisture in their food.   & also a good idea to avoid the fish.  I would stay mostly with poultry kinds. 

Re the rabies shot,  I didn' t want my old cat having that either and the vet just wrote him an exception note to put in his file for the last several years.   And if a cat has been having the distemper shots when younger it probably gives lifelong immunity.   Our vet is a cat specialist and she said there was no reason to give him more shots.
 

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if your cat has hyperthyroidism, nothing will put weight on him until that hormone is regulated.  he will literally starve to death even though he eats a lot, and eventually die a painful death.

i have no idea about methimazole pills, but my hyperthyroid cat was at 13.2 (normal is .8 to 4) and she was down to 2.6 in a month after starting methimazole transdermal gel.  you just put it in their ears because it goes through the skin, and it's only $34 a month here.  it can't be all that expensive where you are.

you don't have to do the radioactive iodine treatment unless methimazole doesn't work.  my cat is fine though.  and i really doubt that hyperthyroidism is caused by vaccines because she has her basic shots for illness but i don't vaccinate for rabies.  in 20 years, none of my cats have ever gotten out, and if they do, i live downtown and a car would squish them long before they had time to get rabid.  they don't know specifically what causes it, but some vets believe it's related to too much iodine, others, the BPA in the lining of cat food cans.
 
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trackfodder

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Interesting you mention thyroid regulation.  My question is this, and my vet was no help.  Would iodine REGULATE his thyroid or just speed it up?  We take 150 mcg (3 drops) daily of I-KI and it is sufficient for an adult person.  Too much can be as bad as not enough.  I monitor with a circle of tincture of iodine occasionally on my abdomin and watch to see if it goes away within 24  hrs. or close to it. It will protect us from Japan's radioactive H2 in the air. The body absorbs it as required.  This might be a ground-breaker in vet. meds, but dosage could be hard to control unless administered diluted by a dropper.  As of this date Rascal has gained 1 lb. Even though he has a lactose intolerance, my wife keeps giving him whey because he pesters her for it.  Yes, he squirts .  For what it is worth, my grandson in law was raised in Iasi Romania and when Chernoble had their trouble close by, his mother coated his belly with iodine routinely to prevent radioactive sickness.  Apparently it worked and he is cancer-free  years later.
 

jcat

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Iodine would be a very bad idea if your cat has hyperthyroidism. I have the opposite - hypothyroidism - and am supposed to avoid eating anything with a lot of iodine because my medication has the thyroid working at a proper level. Iodine supplements (or simply too much ocean fish) would push me into hyperthyroidism.
 
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trackfodder

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FWIW, I don't feed any fish to my cats because my longhair Tabby tom gets potassium crystals in his bladder causing him to urinate blood
 
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