Hyper-T I-131 Centers in South Florida?? Advice??

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Sherry and Harley

Sherry and Harley

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Hi there...so a friend of mine has a kitty, Daisy, that just got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Can someone fill me in on what questions she should be asking, treatments, or general information about this? Much appreciated!!

p.s., I hope everyone is well. I tried to visit a few condos last night, but then I got super sad...I will be back soon. Well, then this business with Daisy's diagnosis popped up, so I'm sort of here...


Thanks for your help!


s
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

treatment options: daily pill (which is super easy to do if you ask me), surgery (but disease can come back), or radioactive treatment (expensive but that's it, no meds and disease is gone)

if one can afford it, radiation is the way to go. if kitty has other health issues or is an older pet or stuff like that, one must decide which way would be best.

personally i think surgery is a complete waste of everyone's time and money since it can come back.

i've had one hyperT kitty and we went with pills. if i knew as much about it as i do now, i might have went with radioactive. although to me there is nothing wrong with going with daily meds. some people think daily meds are a hassle but when you're already medicating half a dozen cats and scooping 11 litterboxes and popping 21 cans of cat food a day, what's one more pill :lol:
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

I have had two cats treat with the radioactive iodine by RadioCat. The cost last time in early 2005? was $1300 for Radiocat. Then there was the regular vet costs too. I dropped him off Monday morning and picked him the Thursday morning. Since hyperthyroidism masked kidney problems some places required a trial of oral meds first to see if there are kidney problems that would surface after the iodine treatment.

Surgery is not really recommended since it can come back or cat can become hypothyroid or other problems.

Meds are OK but some cats experience bade side effects from the oral meds. They do compound a transdermal met that you rub in the inside of the ear. There seems to less side effects from that but it is more expensive. My Bailey is the transdermal.
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Some links for your friend
http://www.gcvs.com/page3/page66/page66.html
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/thyroid.html
this is where Conor went for his I-131 (if shes in bay area too)
http://www.bayvetspecialists.com/

the pills are fine if your cat tolerates it, and if the tumor doesnt grow leading to higher doses. Conor was needing more methimazole before the I-131. Radiocat does not do technetium scans, which is important to locate where the tumor is, and how big, and it can also give a good idea if it might be cancerous or not.

Sending cyber hugs to you ((((((((((((((((((((((((SHERRY)))))))))))))))))))))
 
Hyper-T I-131 centers in S.FL??

Thanks to everyone who responded and especially Sherry who posted for me before I had the chance to get to this website. (Thanks!! :)
I was told today that my 14 year old cat has hyperthyroidism and needs to be put on the oral medication. The vet told me her lab results were only slightly elevated (T4 of only 3.8). She wants to put her on the oral pills for 2 weeks and then do more blood tests to make sure that her liver and kidneys are doing ok. I'm concerned because I understand that this medication can cause severe problems such as kidney failure in older felines. (she is already on antibiotics now for a kidney infection) Does anyone know what kind of T4 numbers are normal for a 14 year old cat and should she even be starting this medication if her numbers are only slightly elevated, all of her other blood work (liver, kidney, calcium, lipid tests etc came back fine)?
Just a concerned parent I guess!
Thanks :)
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Haha! I was just going to send you the link to this post on facebook. Glad you are here. Everyone, meet Martine! She's in Stuart, Florida (sheesh...that's right, isn't it?) if anyone has any local recommendations for vets or treatment centers. My first question is what kind of antibiotics is she on? There are some dangerous ones out there that vets prescribe without disclosing to unsuspecting pet owners. As I said earlier today, you will not find a more comprehensive wealth of information anywhere else. These folks know a LOT about just about everything.

Thanks everyone for responding...I'm sure others will be along to respond as well. And thanks, Lisa for the hugs....it's been a sad, sad couple of weeks for me. Ciao for now!!

s
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Hi Martine! I hope you'll join the Hyper-T email list on Yahoo Groups: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-hyperT/. You'll get lots of good advice there. Like everyone here suggests starting with a very low dose of insulin and working your way up, people in the hyper-t group suggest starting with a very low dose of methimazole and working your way up to a therapeutic level. That's the best way to avoid side effects.

I've had three hyper-t cats. The first was years ago, and he was on methimazole for about four years. As the disease progressed, he needed increasingly larger doses. The medicine made his face itch, which is a fairly common side effect. He would scratch so much sometimes, he had bloody sores around his ears. Calendula cream helped the itching, but I hate to think what else the medicine was doing to the poor guy.

Little Gray went to RadioCat. The radio iodine treatment made him hyPOthyroid, which happens sometimes. The hypothyroidism led to diabetes, which also happens sometimes. I have no regrets about the radio iodine though. The diabetes was much easier to deal with and less scary than the hyperthyroidism. And Little Gray was a cat who marched to a different drummer for his entire life. Very few cats become hypothyroid after a radio iodine treatment, and even fewer become diabetic.

I have another hyper-t cat now. He's on a homeopathic remedy, which worked until recently. He sees the vet next week and will probably start on methimazole. :( He also has FIV and is very old and frail. I'm not sure I can do radio iodine for him. But if my vet and the treatment center think it's okay, I will. He'll go to a referral hospital though, not Radio Cat.

If you continue with the medicine, methimazole can be compounded into a flavored liquid or transdermal gel. Either is easier for you and lot more pleasant for your cat than the pills.
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Buster is my hyperthyroid cat. He showed symptoms for over a year but his regular blood panel showed NORMAL for thyroid. When his second annual test showed NORMAL, I insisted on getting the T4/Free T4 test - and glad I did.

We started treatment with Tapazole pills (methimazole) and planned to get the radiation treatment. My husband lost his job about a month beforehand, so we cancelled -- pills are a lot cheaper.

Before treatment, he had PU/PD, hair loss and vomiting nearly every day (clear vomit - not food). He wandered around MEOWING loudly at night, and his already aggressive attitude got worse.

After treatment with pills, Buster is less itchy and still has an upset stomach often (clear vomit) even on medication (vomit ~1-2x per week instead of every day). He no longer has PU/PD and his fur has grown back. He is sweeter with the other cats and no longer MEOWs at night.

We have had to increase his medication twice -- quarterly bloodwork is recommended to monitor the dose.

Increasing from 1/4 to 1/2 pill was too much at one time - we ended up splitting the dose to 1/4 in the morning and at night. That was still a little too much, so now we give 1/4 a.m. and 1/8 p.m. (tricky to cut the pills that small)
(we could tell it was too much because he vomited the pills and/or was lethargic). A blood test following the 3/8 daily did confirm that it was enough.

We use Pill Pockets to hide the pills, which apparently taste BAD. (if Buster can smell or taste that a pill is inside, he rejects the treat, so we have to be very careful not to touch any pill-dust to the outside)
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Hey Sher and everyone!
So I'm picking up Daisy's pills today. My vet has assured me she is on the lowest dose initially and we are going to monitor her closely. I am also going to call one of the centers in FL that provide the radioactive iodine treatments and get their opinion as well on her T4 and Free T counts. I think if she is a candidate for that (since it's a cure rather than possibly damaging her other organs with meds) I'd prefer to go that route. I guess I'm just concerned about the side effects either pose. Fingers crossed the next two weeks go well for her! (and me, surely, I'll be a wreck!)
Thanks again for your time and wealth of knowledge!! I does help to know others have been or are going through the same thing.
(missandlittlegrey...I did join the yahoo group so I hope to see you there too)
~M~
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

martine & daisy said:
Thanks to everyone who responded and especially Sherry who posted for me before I had the chance to get to this website. (Thanks!! :)
I was told today that my 14 year old cat has hyperthyroidism and needs to be put on the oral medication. The vet told me her lab results were only slightly elevated (T4 of only 3.8). She wants to put her on the oral pills for 2 weeks and then do more blood tests to make sure that her liver and kidneys are doing ok. I'm concerned because I understand that this medication can cause severe problems such as kidney failure in older felines. (she is already on antibiotics now for a kidney infection) Does anyone know what kind of T4 numbers are normal for a 14 year old cat and should she even be starting this medication if her numbers are only slightly elevated, all of her other blood work (liver, kidney, calcium, lipid tests etc came back fine)?
Just a concerned parent I guess!
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

My cat is on transdermal tapazole for hyperthyroidism. The advantage of transdermal gel is that it is quite easy to fine tune the dose, it is easy to administer, and it may be a bit easier on the stomach. The disadvantage is that it may not be as well absorbed, and may take longer to start working. My cat was not a candidate for the radioactive treatment. As I understand it, your cat should start on tapazole treatment before considering an eventual move to options like I 131 treatment or surgery. I can't comment on whether your T4 result specifically justifies treatment or not, but it sounds as though your vet's approach of starting treatment, then rechecking in two weeks is correct. Is your cat symptomatic for hyperthyroidism? Some people get other blood tests to confirm the diagnosis, such as the ft4ED. If you do start tapazole, it is important to start at a very low dose and work up slowly, rechecking bloodwork every two weeks.

I am wondering about the cat being on treatment for a kidney infection, and also starting the thyroid treatment. The kidney infection itself could cause kidney values to change, and it would be difficult to tell if the thyroid treatment or the infection caused the change. It might be worth discussing. As you alluded to, treatment for hyperthyroidism may cause the kidney values to worsen. It is not a case of the treatment causing kidney problems, but rather that the existence of hyperthyroidism masks existing kidney problems.
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Oh yes - i do feel the need to add --- Hyperthyroidism can MASK pre-existing kidney problems.

When you start treating with medication, kidney problems may show up -- but NOT caused by the medication but rather because the Hyperthyroidism hid the kidney problems.

That is why BEFORE radiation treatment is approved (by careful practitioners), they will want to do a medication study -- bloodwork after 30 days on medication followed by bloodwork after 30 days off the medication -- the test if the kidney values are looking bad.

A kitty with poor kidney function is NOT a candidate for the radiation treatment.
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Here is what the Idexx Lab reports says with regard to T4 value. Bailey's value was 5.5 so a free T4 was not required.

Interpretive ranges:
<0.5 subnormal
0.5-4.7 normal
2.3-4.7 grey zone in old or symptomatic cats
>4.7 consistent with hyperthyroidism

Cats with subnormal T4 values are almost exclusively euthyroid sick or
overtreated for their hyperthyroidism. Older cats with consistent
clinical signs and T4 values in the grey zone may have early
hyperthyroidism or a concurrent non-thyroidal illness. Hyperthyroidism
may be confirmed in these cats by adding on a free T4 or by performing
a T3 suppression test. Following treatment with methimazole, T4 values
will generally fall within the lower end of the reference range
(0.5 - 2.3).
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

i use the pills with harry and so far so good. his T3/T4 level i think was in the 7s and went down but we're doubling the dose to 2 pills a day. i find it easy and don't expect to do the radiation. can't afford it with another sick cat in the picture.

sometimes i pop the pills in his throat, preceded and followed by licks of butter and a syringe of water. other times i put them in pill pockets rolled around in fortiflora (thanks, dr lisa, for that trick). he doesn't love pill pockets but the fortiflora makes them yummy to him.
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

Hey Everyone,

So far Daisy is doing very well on her oral medication. She has been taking 1/2 a tablet 2x a day. She will go to 1/4 of a tablet 2x a day on Thurday. Already I'm noticing improvement. She hasn't been throwing up and just yesterday she had a small spurt of playfulness with her buddy Lil. It was great to see them play a little bit and chase each other around. She did rest for a while afterwards but nothing too excessive. My vet wants to retest and re-weigh Daisy at the end of Sept and we'll go from there. For now though, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the side effects will remain very mininal as she is on the lowest dose of the meds possible. (luckily, so far she likes the pill pockets!)
Thanks for all of of your info and support!
~M~
 
Hyper-T I-131 centers in S.FL??

Hi all,

Sorry it has been a little while since I have posted. Daisy has just had her follow-up check and so far all is well. She has been taking 1/4 tablet tapazole 2x/day for the last few weeks. Her T4 came back "good" 1.3. So the meds are doing there job. She also gained about a .5 pound as well! She does seem to stare off in the distance at times...kind of like she's spacing out, and she just recently started to have a few accidents in places she shouldn't but all in all she is doing much better.

I spoke to my vet about the radioactive iodine therapy. It seems as though Daisy would make a good candidate so I called Veterinary Specialists of South Florida in Cooper City. Has anyone heard about or used this group of vets? I understand that Dr. Burke has been doing this procedure for over 20 years with wonderful results. I think this is the best procedure for Daisy and I can afford to do it. (I do hate that she has to be away from home for about 4 days but, am hoping she will forgive me!)
So, my only question really is if anyone has used this dr. and this facility or if you could recommend another center in S. FL?
Thanks everyone,
Martine and Daisy
 
Re: Help with Hyperthyroidism??

LOL...let's see how many forums we can chat on at once! I'm glad you posted. Open your original post and edit the subject line...something like, "I 131 treatment in Florida...vet/center recommendations??" It might stand out more and you might get more specific responses. Ciao!

s
 
LOL!! "I" made the first post. There you go...updated the subject for you.


Thanks for your help, everyone...looking forward to hearing all your great advice!

s
 
my emaciated stray/foster cat, Venture, is hyper-t. My preference was the radiation -- I was very concerned about the potentially dangerous side effects of the methimazole. One person here had her cat die from the side effects. But the vet nixed the I-131 for Venture due to CRF issues. Carbimazole is supposed to have fewer, milder side effects. So Venture has recently started on a compounded capsule of carbimazole once a day. He gets it in a pill pocket which is liberally sprinkled with fortiflora. No problem except his appetite really dropped after a week, so he is also now on cyproheptadine.

Between the two meds, and fortiflora sprinkled on food too, Venture has finally started putting on weight. His coat feels much better too.

laur
 
Hi Martine,

My Zoe just had the I-131 treatment done at RadioCat in Estero, FL....and she did beautifully. I originally was just going to treat with Tapazole, but she started having side-effects from the meds and her vet felt she was a good candidate for the I-131 treatment. I think it was harder on me, then it was on her. I dropped her off on a Weds. morning and picked her up Saturday morning.....I had twice daily phone calls from the tech caring for her while she was there. We are now 3 weeks post-treatment and she is doing well....happy, purry, interested in everything and eating well.

Good luck with which ever way you decide to go. My experience was good.
 
I live in South Florida and have used the Vet.Specialist of South Florida.Fifteen years ago one of my cats was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy.After wasting some time and money with another group I was referred to see a cardiologist with their group. The good news is that Katrina will be twenty next month. I haven't used them for nuclear medicine. The only bad thing I heard is they are VERY EXPENSIVE! If your friend can handle the cost it is probably worth it. If your friend lives in Broward County they could also try Hollywood Animal Hospital or Coral Springs Animal Hospital. They are the biggest and most comprehensive practices in Broward County.
 
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