Cole has hyperthyroidism

hello,

i posted last weekend about my 16 yr old kitty cole. My current vet informed me that he had elevated liver enzymes. I took Cole to a new vet this week.
Last night she left me a message that his bloodwork indicates that he has hyperthyroidism. It makes sense. he has many of the symptoms. I'm reading up on treatment options. He's lost a lot of weight. I will see the vet again on Tuesday. cole is getting X-rays...he also has a little heart "gallup". It sounds like the Iodine treatment is highly recommended for the thyroid. I'm worried about the separation, but want to do what will make him most comfortable.

Any input is greatly appreciated! (i will also do some searches here!)

thanks!
julie & cole

Poor guy! I hope treatment does the trick for him.

I don't have any personal experience with the iodine treatment, but have also heard that it's quite effective. One note of warning, though: Cole's litter will qualify as "hazardous waste", i.e., radioactive, for a while after the treatment, so follow the disposal instructions carefully.
I have had experience with daily doses of L-Thyroxin for pets (and myself), and it's pretty effective once the proper dosage has been found.

What were his kidney values like? Some vets recommend starting on Tapazole for a few weeks to stablize the kitty and verify that the kidneys are normal. My experience with radioiodine was very unusual. Spot went in for the treatment, did fine and came home. His thyroid however, did not drop. In fact, two months after treatment it was eleven times the high normal level. We put him back on Tapazole and he's stable now, but it's something to be watchful for. Also watch your kitty's food intake after returning home. Spot ate fine while at the facility but stopped eating when he came home. It took me a couple of days to notice because I have two kitties. He ended up with elevated liver enzymes from not eating.

Radioiodine is still a great option. I'm part of the Yahoo group for hyperthyroid cats and most of the people there have had wonderful success on cats of all ages. One kitty just turned 20 after having the treatment done two years ago.

Treating the thyroid condition may help the heart "gallup" too. To make your kitty more comfortable, bring his favorite foods and treats. Also, find an old T-shirt, wear it for a few days (maybe to sleep in?), and give it to him. Pick one you don't like, since they won't be able to give it back to you. That way, he'll have something with your scent.

I do plan to take Spot to get treated again once we take care of his other medical issues. I wish you and Cole the best of luck.

My 16 year old Sophie was diagnosed with hyperthyroid last summer. She, too, had lost a lot of weight but was absolutely ravenous. Our vet started her on Methimazole tabs; we've had her blood work done 2x since & her levels have steadily improved. We had to play around with the dosage some-- from 2 tabs daily we're down to 1 tab for 2 days, then 1 day off. We didn't want to go the iodine route, & we felt surgery wasn't an option at Sophie's age. The medication seemed like the safest way to go. Good luck with Cole, whichever way you decide to go.