My Athena just turned sixteen. We recently noticed she was losing weight, though she was still eating well and acting normally. We took her into the vet today where it was determined she'd lost just under two pounds in about eight months (from the time of her last old kitty wellness visit). They took a blood test and determined that she is hyperthyroid. Kicker is, she's also showing signs of kidney disease (vet felt abnormalities on her kidneys during palpation, and her kidney levels are slightly elevated).
Now we're trying to decide what to do, and I would greatly appreciate as many thoughts on this as possible. I want to do what is going to be the easiest on her, offering the least risk of suffering.
Option one: we do nothing. She continues to lose weight, and is at risk for heart disease, blindness, etc. The moment she shows us she's suffering and no longer having a good quality of life, we let her go. Pros: less stress on her, 'hopefully' less suffering. Cons: we're leaving a medical condition untreated that could cause her quite a lot of discomfort and could cause her to have sudden heart failure or go blind.
Option two: we treat the thyroid with medication. This has a risk of putting her into kidney failure quite quickly. Pros: though she's got a good quality of life now, this could improve it. Cons: more trips to the vet for blood draws and monitoring, which stresses her out. Giving of medication which adds a bit more stress to her day. Risk of catastrophic sudden kidney failure which is painful and frought with suffering.
Option three: we give her radioactive iodine. Pros: this is very effective in hyperthyroid cats and 95% of them are 'cured' of their problem. Cons: it's extremely expensive. She'd have to spend up to two or three weeks quarantined in the hospital due to the radiation, which would be very stressful. We wouldn't even be able to visit. There is a risk it will do nothing. There is a risk it will also put her into kidney failure.
Thoughts and ideas anyone?
Now we're trying to decide what to do, and I would greatly appreciate as many thoughts on this as possible. I want to do what is going to be the easiest on her, offering the least risk of suffering.
Option one: we do nothing. She continues to lose weight, and is at risk for heart disease, blindness, etc. The moment she shows us she's suffering and no longer having a good quality of life, we let her go. Pros: less stress on her, 'hopefully' less suffering. Cons: we're leaving a medical condition untreated that could cause her quite a lot of discomfort and could cause her to have sudden heart failure or go blind.
Option two: we treat the thyroid with medication. This has a risk of putting her into kidney failure quite quickly. Pros: though she's got a good quality of life now, this could improve it. Cons: more trips to the vet for blood draws and monitoring, which stresses her out. Giving of medication which adds a bit more stress to her day. Risk of catastrophic sudden kidney failure which is painful and frought with suffering.
Option three: we give her radioactive iodine. Pros: this is very effective in hyperthyroid cats and 95% of them are 'cured' of their problem. Cons: it's extremely expensive. She'd have to spend up to two or three weeks quarantined in the hospital due to the radiation, which would be very stressful. We wouldn't even be able to visit. There is a risk it will do nothing. There is a risk it will also put her into kidney failure.
Thoughts and ideas anyone?