? Hyperthyroid questions and lab results

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Panic

Panic

Member Since 2019
Hello everyone! Thankfully this is not a question for one of my own kitties, but a close friend of mine's cat was given some lab results indicating hyperthyroidism. She is planning on going the radiotherapy route but she has some concerns, mainly how long does it take to get an appointment for the treatment, will she need to do temporary medicine until said appointment, and about how long will kitty need to be hospitalized? She is based in Florida but the nearest centers that can do it are Atlanta and Gainesville. Is there anything else she should be doing?

I am trying to understand the lab work she sent me but I'm not able to figure out these T4 results (it says High but I am not familiar with the measurements. I'm also wondering about those high ALT (SGPT) levels??

She is a little thing (down to 5 lbs, she has been steadily losing weight for several years from 9 lbs) and has been having a "twitch" to her ears for a while that vets could not pinpoint the cause of, though it sounds like that could be a hyperthyroid symptom as well?

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Tom & Thomas (GA) said:
What Dr Lisa Pierson has to say is always worth a look -- her write-up on hyperthyroidism.

And here Marje/Gracie and I talk about what the I-131 treatment was like for us and our cats.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for that thread link, lots of good info in there - just finished reading it over and shall send it to my friend!
I did show her Dr. Pierson's comments on hyperT and she felt a LOT better about her decision for radiotherapy. :)
 
Twitching can be one of the symptoms of low potassium, and low potassium can occur due to hyperthyroidism. Her levels are getting down to low end of normal, which may possibly account for it. Might be something to ask the vet about, in case it makes sense to supplement potassium in the short term. Potassium levels must be regularly monitored by the vet if supplements are given, since too high potassium can cause a whole host of other issues, including heart problems.
 
Christie & Maverick said:
Twitching can be one of the symptoms of low potassium, and low potassium can occur due to hyperthyroidism. Her levels are getting down to low end of normal, which may possibly account for it. Might be something to ask the vet about, in case it makes sense to supplement potassium in the short term. Potassium levels must be regularly monitored by the vet if supplements are given, since too high potassium can cause a whole host of other issues, including heart problems.
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Thank you Christie! I will let her know. :)
 
She should join this group, Hyperthyroid Cats, on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/42301610484
This group is probably the most knowledgeable, up to date, experienced, awesome group for hyperthyroid cats.
When she joins, she should post the lab tests and what's been going on with her cat, and they can explain all of it to her.
With a T4 of 20.7, her cat is very sick with hyperthyroid disease, and the I-131 is probably her best shot at helping this cat.

But she should really join this group asap, they can explain all of her lab results (kidneys, liver, etc are affected by hyperthyroid, and change with both disease and treatment) as well as the thyroid problems and treatments and everything.
 
Gracie85 said:
She should join this group, Hyperthyroid Cats, on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/groups/42301610484
This group is probably the most knowledgeable, up to date, experienced, awesome group for hyperthyroid cats.
When she joins, she should post the lab tests and what's been going on with her cat, and they can explain all of it to her.
With a T4 of 20.7, her cat is very sick with hyperthyroid disease, and the I-131 is probably her best shot at helping this cat.

But she should really join this group asap, they can explain all of her lab results (kidneys, liver, etc are affected by hyperthyroid, and change with both disease and treatment) as well as the thyroid problems and treatments and everything.
Click to expand...
Thank you Gracie! I have let her know, and submitted an invite for the group myself!
 
Panic said:
Thank you Gracie! I have let her know, and submitted an invite for the group myself!
Click to expand...

Where is she located in Florida?

We had Luci treated in Estero, Florida on January 11, 2021. We didn't have to wait very long at all to get her on the schedule - I'd guess about a month. She had been losing weight and the vet recommended I try to cream that you place inside her ear..well, that didn't really seem to help and seemed to cause irregular blood glucose readings. I went ahead with the procedure - it was $1200; she had to stay there for three days and then after coming home we had some special precautions with her liter (flushable only and using rubber gloves) as she was radioactive for 14 days following the procedure.

She's gained a good bit of weight now - after one follow up blood work which indicated her thyroid was a bit on the low end - I asked for another follow up but was told that wasn't ordered by the Radio Cat people...we've since traveled to Michigan so will most likely continue to observe her until we go back in the Fall and she'll have her annual check up there including labs.

Let me know if you have other questions.
 
Hi.

I am thinking they are considering UF in Gainesville? If so, please tell her to call them sooner vs later secondary to back ups with scheduling new clients :(. The only other option, if it is urgent, is to go through the ER & admit to IM. Throwing it out there just in case there is ever an issue & a need for the cat to be seen sooner vs later.

The one major advantage of UF or a facility that is 24/7 vs a smaller stand alone thyroid center, is that there is always medical staff to monitor/check in on the cat vs no one being there overnight. Some clinics do not have anyone with the cats overnight. Given that many cats who have this treatment are older and may also have other medical issues, having medical providers available (including access to other specialists) is always an advantage from a safety perspective.
 
Thank you both so much!

She is located in Pace, FL in the panhandle. As an update, she did get a hold of Radiocat in Marietta, GA and has Sabrina (her kitty) scheduled for July 20th and has been given oral meds for her until then. She said that her research showed that Marietta's was more specialized than the two in Atlanta and Gainseville so she felt more comfortable with them. Sabrina has no other health issues luckily. My friend was happy with the July date since June is going to be hectic for them with a roommate's surgery, so I hope it is okay for her to be on the meds until the I-131 treatment in July. I believe the quote was about $1600.
 
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