Hello! My 17 year old ragdoll was just diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and I was curious to hear others experiences with either the medication (pill or transdermal ear gel) or I-131 radioactive iodine therapy.
We have opted to start with Felimazole medication, a pill administered twice a day, 12 hours apart. Our vet suggested we start with the medication because 1) my cat can be a little stressed at the clinic and the vet was concerned the hospital stay for I-131 therapy would be hard on her, and 2) my cat had a little increased protein in her urine tests. Although all her bloodwork indicated kidney function was normal, hyperthyroidism apparently may mask kidney disease, so we have to go back for testing in about one month to check thyroid levels (and adjust medication dose if needed) and also recheck kidney markers and urinalysis. Hopefully, the increased protein will have resolved with the thyroid treatment and all kidney markers are still normal. Fingers crossed!
Although I am pretty good at administering the pill, we aren't quite perfect each time and occasionally have a bit of a battle. While most times it shouldn't be an issue to administer the meds and stick to the 12 hour apart schedule, it does have me a bit worried. I already worry about her the few rare times I have to travel and ask a friend to check in on her, and having her on medication is a whole next level of worry and trust. There may be a few times I need to work early or late hours, or I feel pressure from my family to join them on trips and vacations. It can be hard to explain to people that I'm really hesitant to leave her, especially when it may affect her health. She isn't "just a cat" to me. I've since learned that there is an option for a transdermal gel medication instead of a pill that may be worthwhile looking into and help alleviate some of these concerns. However, twice a day medication is getting old, fast (and we've only been on it ten days!). Given that the medication would be life long, the option of a one time cure with I-131 therapy seems like it may be a good idea to consider. However, the aftercare of the radioactive treatment, when kitty and her litter waste are still somewhat radioactive, has me a little concerned.
For those that have opted for the medication treatment...
For those of you that have opted for the I-131 radioactive therapy...
We have opted to start with Felimazole medication, a pill administered twice a day, 12 hours apart. Our vet suggested we start with the medication because 1) my cat can be a little stressed at the clinic and the vet was concerned the hospital stay for I-131 therapy would be hard on her, and 2) my cat had a little increased protein in her urine tests. Although all her bloodwork indicated kidney function was normal, hyperthyroidism apparently may mask kidney disease, so we have to go back for testing in about one month to check thyroid levels (and adjust medication dose if needed) and also recheck kidney markers and urinalysis. Hopefully, the increased protein will have resolved with the thyroid treatment and all kidney markers are still normal. Fingers crossed!
Although I am pretty good at administering the pill, we aren't quite perfect each time and occasionally have a bit of a battle. While most times it shouldn't be an issue to administer the meds and stick to the 12 hour apart schedule, it does have me a bit worried. I already worry about her the few rare times I have to travel and ask a friend to check in on her, and having her on medication is a whole next level of worry and trust. There may be a few times I need to work early or late hours, or I feel pressure from my family to join them on trips and vacations. It can be hard to explain to people that I'm really hesitant to leave her, especially when it may affect her health. She isn't "just a cat" to me. I've since learned that there is an option for a transdermal gel medication instead of a pill that may be worthwhile looking into and help alleviate some of these concerns. However, twice a day medication is getting old, fast (and we've only been on it ten days!). Given that the medication would be life long, the option of a one time cure with I-131 therapy seems like it may be a good idea to consider. However, the aftercare of the radioactive treatment, when kitty and her litter waste are still somewhat radioactive, has me a little concerned.
For those that have opted for the medication treatment...
- Did you have experiences with the pill and transdermal gel? The transdermal gel is appealing, but what pros/cons did you find?
- How soon after beginning treatment did you begin to see an improvement in symptoms? We are ten days into treatment, and much of her symptoms still seem the same. I understand it may take some optimization of medication dose.
For those of you that have opted for the I-131 radioactive therapy...
- How did your cat handle the separation and hospital stay? My vet seems to think my cat is stressed at the vet clinic, but to me it is more unhappy stress then anxiety stress. She is not panting or panicking. She just tends to squish herself in a corner and can get a grumbly when handled. Honestly, she used to be all purrs at the vet clinic until she had to have her anal glands expressed once and ever since then, well, lets just say I understand her caution and grumbles. I would think the hospital stay where she is mostly just monitored and not overly handled, she would do okay. Prefer to be home, of course, but do okay.
- How old was your cat when they had the therapy? My kitty is 17 years old, and some people have cautioned me on choosing an expensive treatment for an elderly cat that may not have many years left. I know we can't see the future, but I think I would feel that it was worth it whatever the outcome, and given she has no other significant health issues I hope she has many years yet to enjoy.
- How did you isolate your cat after I-131 therapy if you live in a small apartment? I understand that after kitty comes home, she needs to be isolated for two weeks and the litter waste needs to be stored for two months. I live in a small one bedroom apartment. I can imagine a scenario where she could isolate in my bedroom, and I could sleep in the living room on the sofa. I do have a small concrete porch as well that I could try to store a bin of the used litter and other waste until it is safe to dispose of.
- Any challenges you found during the I-131 aftercare? I guess I am not sure on how the radioactive contamination works. If she is isolated to my bedroom, are my blankets now contaminated? How do I clean them? What do I do with uneaten food or water? How do I clean the dishes? Are the plates and silverware safe for me to use after running through the dishwasher, or do I purchase her own set of dishes and discard them after isolation? Is the dishwasher now contaminated? I'm sure I'm overthinking this...