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FELINE HYPERTHYROIDISM
What
is Feline Hyperthyroidism?
A fairly
common disease of older cats, feline hyperthyroidism is a disorder
that is the result of a tumor that is producing too much thyroid
hormone and over stimulates your cat's organ systems. By overproducing
thyroid hormone, the resulting increase in the metabolic rate causes
changes in your cat such as weight loss, fluctuations in appetitie,
fluctuations in energy level, fever, rapid heartbeat, excessive
water intake, diarrhea, and osteoporosis. The bad news is that it
is fatal to your cat if left untreated. The good news is that 98%
of the tumors causing hyperthyroidism are beign and can be cured
with one shot of radioactive idodine.
Why
Radioactive Iodine Therapy?
Radioactive
iodione 131 therapy cures 98% of all cats with a single treatment
and requires no anesthesia. It is as safe in older cats as in youner
cats and avoids the need for for surgery or life-long drugs.
How
does I-131 therapy work?
Thyroid
cells use idodine in the production of thyroxin. Hyperactive thyroid
cells absorb the radioactive iodine. I-131 releases gamma and beta
rays. These rays kill the abnormal thyroid cells. As the abnormal
cells die, the excess hormone production stops and your cat becomes
euthyroid (normal) again.
How
do I schedule I-131 therapy?
Your
cat's primary care veterinarian will call Dr. Carney to tell her
about your cat and will send copies of your cat's health record
to her. After your cat's doctor has talked with Dr. Carney, you
are to schedule an appointment with Dr. Carney here at WestVet.
Dr. Carney will give your cat a thorough physical examination, decide
whether special medications or other tests are needed and answer
your questions about the disease and I-131 therapy. She will determine
the date of your cat's treatment which will take place at Four Rivers
Veterinary Clinic in Ontario, OR (due to Idaho regulations).
What
will my cat's stay be like?
The morning of the therapy, you will drop off your cat at Four Rivers
Veterinary Clinic. We will take your cat upstairs to the radiation
therapy ward. Please bring something that "smells like home"
for us to put in your cat's cage but bring something that is disposable.
(Because of safety regulations, we can't return the items.)
We give the injection under the skin and then monitor your cat many,
many times daily. We feed your cat its usual diet and give it any
needed medications; we check its level of radioactivity. We give
all the TLC we can safely give. We call you with an up-date every
day. No dogs are close by to irritate your cat. The cages are warm,
cozy and very clean. We usually play quiet music but we will be
happy to play special music or tapes of your voice for your cat.
The state will not allow you to visit your cat while it is in the
isolation facility.
Once your cat's level of radiation is at or below the release limit
set by the state, your cat can go home. Most cats are truly relaxed
while here. The average stay is 5-8 days; the Oregon State minimum
is 4 days.
What
are the dangers of radioactive iodine treatment?
If lots of hyperactive thyroid cells die and release their stored
thyroxin, the cat's already fast running systems go even faster.
A slight risk exits that the cat will have a significant abnormal
heart rhythm or increase in blood pressure for 2-3 days after the
injection.
We watch your cat closely to prevent serious reactions. An occasional
cat has a sore throat or hoarse voice for 7 to 10 days. Rarely the
iodine will kill all thyroid cells and the cat will need oral thyroid
hormone supplementation.
What
after-care do you give your cat?
The Department of Radiation Safety of Oregon has several requirements.
Your cat must ride home in a carrier. For 2-4 weeks
after treatment, the cat excretes un-absorbed I-131 and radioactive
waste products into urine and stool. The total amount of radiation
in your cat is very low - about 50 times less than you would have
in your body if you were treated with I-131; as little as you would
receive if you flew across country in a plane.For the first 2 weeks
your cat is at home, use rubber gloves when cleaning the litter
box. Use flushable litter so that you can dispose of your cat's
wastes into the toilet, not the garbage. Closely snuggle with your
cat only about an hour a day. We ask that pregnant women and people
receiving chemotherapy do not clean the cat's litter box or medicate
the cat. By law your cat must stay at home with you or be boarded
with us for these 2 weeks. We recommend that you have us or your
cat's regular veterinarian re-examine your cat at 2, 6 and 12 weeks
after treatment.
Will
the disease recur?
We do not know the cause of hyper-thyroidism, so if your cat has
a thyroid tumor in only one side of its neck, the other thyroid
gland may develop the disease at some time in the future. This occurs
in 5-30 percent of cats within 6-36 months after the initial treatment.
Who
will take care of my cat?
Dr. Hazel C. Carney, a Board Certified Specialist in Veterinary
Practice with an M. S. in Veterinary Physiology, has over 20 years
experience in feline medicine. She has been treating hyperthyroid
cats with I-131 since 1986 and has received advanced training in
the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. She is dedicated to
helping each cat under her care thrive happily.
What
is the cost of treatment?
The cost of treatment while your cat is in the treatment center
is $850-1150. Other costs vary with the examinations and lab tests
that your cat needs.
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