hyperthyroidism

Someone paint me a picture of a cat with hyperthyroidism
(ie what are the signs and symptoms, average age of onset, treatment options and alternatives, etc...)
thank you in advance
Meagan

The only true way to diagnose hyperthyroidism is through blood tests. Common symptoms include eating a lot and losing weight, not eating much at all, increased activity, increased vocalization, high blood pressure, and a heart murmur that starts at an older age. Some hyperthyroid cats also have kidney problems. Hyperthyroidism can mask these problems because it increases the blood flow to the kidneys. Treating hyperthyroidism is essential even in cats with renal insufficiency, as high thyroid levels are damaging to other organs, such as the heart. Most cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism are older--I think the average age is 10 or 12 years old.

There are three main treatment options: surgery, medication, and radioiodine therapy. Surgery can be risky because the parathyroid gland may be inadvertantly removed, which can result in low blood calcium (I think). Medication in the United States is Tapazole (or the generic form, methimazole). Many people start with medication to see how their cat's kidneys respond before pursuing other options. In the past, 5 mg twice per day was a common starting dose. This is too high--it should start at 2.5 mg twice per day. The other option is radioiodine therapy or I-131. This is the most expensive option initially, but it can be a cure for the disease rather than a treatment. Radioiodine treatment runs between $1000-1500 depending on your state. The cat is kept for several days (again, varies based on the state). The cure rate with one injection is 90%; some cats may need a second injection, so the total cure rate is 95%.

There are very few alternatives. A few people have had success, at least temporarily, with products called glandulars. Others have tried a substance called ipodate (or some derivative of that). Ipodate was originally used as a contrast for x-rays; it has been replaced in human medicine with different chemicals, so it is not readily available. There is at least one compounding pharmacy that still offers either ipodate or a similar substance.

Thank you, I couldnt find much info online. We recently adopted a cat who is "at least 11, probably 12 or 13" and I was told by someone that her poor coat condition dispite vitamins and good brushing was a sign of hyperthyroidism, but she seems healthy other than that. She is a little thin but she wasn't taken good care of prior to us getting her and is doing much better and has put on weight. Just has an ugly coat lol. It could be she just needs more time on vitamins, im sure she has been going years with poor care. Her vet check was ok but they didnt do a lot (blood tests and what not) because the shelter had her up to date on shots already and she seems pretty healthy.
Thanks
Meagan

Poor coat condition can be a sign as well (I just forgot about it). I would strongly suggest you get her blood tested for all the senior diseases. They are treatable, and catching things early makes for a better prognosis. With hyperthyroidism, not treating it wil be fatal--their metabolism ramps up until they can't eat enough to sustain their body rate. Their heart and kidneys work extra fast until they can't work anymore. Medication can retun the thyroid levels to normal, and hyperthyroid cats can live normal lives.

Originally Posted by hageman_hi

Someone paint me a picture of a cat with hyperthyroidism
(ie what are the signs and symptoms, average age of onset, treatment options and alternatives, etc...)
thank you in advance
Meagan

Click to expand...

I think most of your questions have been answered. Just to tell what I saw in my hyperT cat - she lost 3 pounds in a year - that was the main symptom. It was hard to tell because she's got a lot of thick fur, so I felt terrible for not noticing it earlier on. Now, I watch PJ like a hawk. That was actually her only symptom - she's always been a loud cat, so more vocalization wasn't it, and she's always been active, too. She was around 10-11ish when she was diagnosed.

Currently, we treat her with oral methimazole, compounded into a fish flavored liquid that we mix in with her wet food. Every so often she gets out of whack and we have to adjust the amount she gets, but right now, it's 2.5mg/mL per day (she was on 5 total, but then started to go hypoT, so we lowered it again). She loves it, and since she is a terror to pill, this worked well for us. In my area, the iodine treatment costs about $1200, and we think she has a long life ahead, so once we have the money, we'll take care of her with iodine.

Since you don't really know the age or condition of your new cat beyond your current information, I'd get a senior panel. It's well worth the price and peace of mind - at least to me - to determine whether or not there's something medically wrong.

I agree. The blood panel will give you the info you need. Good luck. I hope she starts to feel better. Poor, unkept coat means she does not feel like grooming herself, which means she is not feeling very well, IMO.

Now that you mention it I havnt seen her groom herself yet. Shes a little thin but you should have seen this poor thing when we got her, we didnt expect her to make it longer than a month and it's been almost 5. She's so sweet. I'll call my vet and find out how much a senior pannel will cost, I'm sure it won't be too bad, our vet is very reasonable, and I'm sure it will be well worth it. If nothing else maybe she just needs more grooming. Right now we brush her about every other day but I stop before the hair stops coming out, I think I could comb out all her hair if I kept going. I'll get her in to the vet and ask for a "senior pannel". thanks for the advise.
Meagan

You mentioned thin coat and grooming....do you mean hypo thyroidism? That's what my Sammy has and his coat was really poor when I adopted him from the shlter. That's the opposite of hyper and it's very rare. On top of it, he's allergic to everything and anything, so we've spent all summer stabilizing him since May when we got him. The senior panel should run about $150- at least here in Seattle it does. And then they can confirm everything they see in the blood. Perhaps you can get it for less. Keep us posted, I'd like to hear the results!