A
"hyperthyroid cat" is a cat that has a medical condition called hyperthyroidism. This means that the cat's thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone, which can cause various symptoms and health problems.
Full definition
For example, in the case
of hyperthyroid cats with high blood pressure, weight loss (in spite of a voracious appetite) and hyperactivity may be the major clinical signs.
Broome MR, Peterson ME: Use of L - thyroxine supplementation after radioiodine therapy helps blunt the worsening of azotemia
in hyperthyroid cats with pre-existing kidney disease.
In 2006, he established the Cat Company, Inc. (located in the Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital) for the purpose of treating
hyperthyroid cats with radioactive iodine, I - 131.
Each approach has its pros and cons, but the consensus among veterinarians is that I - 131 therapy is the curative treatment of choice for
most hyperthyroid cats.
Broussard JD, Peterson ME, Fox PR: Changes in clinical and laboratory findings in
hyperthyroid cats from 1983 to 1993.
For older cats suffering from hyperthyroidism, the metabolism goes into overdrive and heats up the kitty so
hyperthyroid cats often seek out cool resting places.
According to data provided by Hill's Pet Nutrition, about 75 % of
hyperthyroid cats exclusively eating y / d will have normal serum total T4 concentrations by 4 weeks on the diet.
Since hyperthyroid cats commonly develop secondary heart disease, a chest x-ray is required in all cats that were first diagnosed longer than 6 months.
For the recently
diagnosed hyperthyroid cat, the option of trial therapy with Tapazole should be considered so that the effect of treatment on renal functions can be evaluated.
Peterson ME, Broome MR.
Hyperthyroid cats on long - term medical treatment show a progressive increase in the prevalence of large thyroid tumors, intrathoracic thyroid masses, and suspected thyroid carcinoma.
Peterson ME, Rishniw M.
Hyperthyroid cats commonly develop transient or persistent subclinical hypothyroidism after successful radioiodine treatment.
Because less than two percent of
hyperthyroid cats actually have cancerous growths of the thyroid gland, treatment of this disease is generally very successful.
I just finished reading an excellent newsletter from Drs. Wackerbarth and Vaughan at the Hyperthyroid Treatment Center in Edmonds on
feeding hyperthyroid cats.
They looked at PBDE levels in young cats, older normal cats, and
older hyperthyroid cats and while they readily found PBDE in the blood samples tested they did not find any difference in levels between cats with or without hyperthyroidism.
The Equilibrium Free T - 4 test often
identifies hyperthyroid cats that are sick with multiple diseases that give a falsely - low Free T - 4 reading.
So when I see or hear of a cat who is a
known hyperthyroid cat but hasn't been treated, it's very difficult to swallow.
As a result,
hyperthyroid cats typically lose weight despite a ravenous appetite, begin drinking and urinate excessively, and may experience side effects on the heart, kidneys, liver, nervous system, and blood pressure.
* Another study suggested that fire - retardant chemicals known as PBDEs may be a factor in feline hyperthyroidism — even though the study itself clearly states «no association was detected
between hyperthyroid cats and PBDE levels.»
Peterson ME, Broome MR, Rishniw M. Prevalence and degree of thyroid pathology in
hyperthyroid cats increases with disease duration: A cross-sectional analysis of 2096 cats referred for radioiodine therapy.
Hyperthyroid cats frequently experience reduced quality of life through weight loss, muscle deterioration, chronic vomiting or chronic diarrhea.
A new option that has more recently become available for
managing hyperthyroid cats is to feed them on a special diet that has strictly controlled levels of iodine.
Although most
hyperthyroid cats show a good or increased appetite and restlessness, in some cases there may be generalised weakness, lethargy and loss of appetite.
Investigation of intestinal and exocrine pancreatic function amd fecal microbiota in
hyperthyroid cats before and after radioiodine treatment
So now the formerly reactive, pacing,
howling hyperthyroid cat has become a blob of inactivity who doesn't even look at her humans, much less interact with them.
Feeding y / d to every cat in a multi-cat household, just to ensure severe iodine deficiency in a
single hyperthyroid cat seems sure to accomplish only one goal, namely increasing the sale of y / d.
Annual Vaccinations Hospitalization In - House Pharmacy Surgery and Dentistry Microchip implants Diagnostic Laboratory
Radiology Hyperthyroid cat treatment Heartworm testing and medication Health Certificates for travel Euthanasia and Cremation
The following guidelines have been developed at The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center to
screen hyperthyroid cats to determine if they are candidates for radioactive iodine (131I) therapy.
Low Grade Fever The high metabolic rate of
hyperthyroid cats sometimes causes them to have a mildly elevated rectal temperature (103 F, 39.4 C).
Veterinarians generally reserve the free T4 test for pets that have other signs that make them suspicious that a pet is hyperthyroid or hypothyroid but where the total T4 test is borderline and hard to interpret (about 10 - 30 % of
hyperthyroid cats tested [ref]-RRB-.
Thyroid scintigraphy should always be done in
hyperthyroid cats when a thyroid tumor is not palpable, especially in cats with severe or long - standing hyperthyroidism.
Staffed by Board Certified Veterinary Radiologists, Veterinary Radiological Specialists of the Rockies is the only private practice in Colorado that is devoted exclusively to
curing hyperthyroid cats.
Broussard JD, Peterson ME: Changes in the clinical and laboratory findings in
hyperthyroid cats from 1982 - 1992.
Hypurrcat is a treatment center designed to exclusively
treat hyperthyroid cats with radioactive iodine (radioiodine, I - 131).
Most hyperthyroid cats will have some degree of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (which is a condition where the heart muscle becomes thickened).
Surgical removal of the affected tissues (thyroidectomy) can produce a permanent cure and is a common treatment for
many hyperthyroid cats.