Possible Thyroid Problem??

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beckyandwinston

Member Since 2012
Have just taken my boy to the vet for a check up after him having to have antiobiotics a couple of weeks ago and he's lost a bit more weight. Vet seems to think he could now have a thyroid problem due to some symptoms he has, even though his heart rate was fine, but he has taken some blood to check all possible issues. Does anyone else have a diabetic cat with a thyroid problem? Trying to get a pill down his throat would be near on impossible, even the vet couldn't do it last time, but the vet has suggested that there is a new dietary way and only giving him low iodine food? Has anyone else hear dof this? I'm so worried now as he's been stable for just on a year now and he may have something else to contend with.
 
Hi, one of my cats has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism - she isn't diabetic but one of my other cats is. I have the same problem my Hyper cat is impossible to pill. The vet did mention the diet option however this is not viable for my cat because i have 5 others and she would come into contact with other food. I have decided to have her thyroid removed. However had I been a one cat household I would defiantly given the food a try first.
 
I have read that the thyroid diet is not that good. I do not remember where I read that.
You can get the Methimazole (Tapazole®) compounded a a transdermal cream that you rub into the underside of the ears.
 
The medication to lower the thyroid hormone levels, methimazole, is available in a transdermal gel which is applied to the bare inside surface of the ear. I did this for more than a year, 2 times a day. My cat was not a diabetic but had other health issues making pilling extremely difficult.

With the transdermal gel, you will be able to increase the dose when necessary when blood tests show this is needed. I had to do this dose increase 2 times in one year. With the food, I am not sure if this is possible and my cat had grain allergies which is why I decided against this method. Also, the food, Hill's t/d (dry only?) is expensive and loaded with carbs, 30% per Dr Lisa's catinfo food chart. Even after your cat goes OTJ, a low carb diet is recommended to keep your cats pancreas and liver from being over loaded processing the carbs and loosing remission status.

This gel can be compounded by your local pharmacy but is also available mail order from some pharmacies. Sorry, I do not remember where the mail order prescription came from. It was the twist-a-dose version and I got it from my local animal shelter. This version has an easy applicator tip and was very easy to use.

You may want to ask your vet about the transdermal gel.

Two other methods available are surgery to remove most of the thyroid gland but leave a remnant to still produce needed thyroid hormones or radioactive iodine (RAI) treatments to kill off the cells in the thyroid gland. RAI treatment requires extended in hospital stays. The amount of RAI given must be carefully controlled so that a small number of cells are left to produce the thyroid hormones.

The risk with these last two methods is that not enough thyroid tissue remains to produce sufficient thyroid hormones and you will need to give your cat a pill for the rest of their lives.
 
I was able to dissolve the methimazole with a few drops of water, then mash into some A/D (she was underweight). She'd scarf it right down. This worked until the dose got high enough that she had diarrhea (after 5 years), then I did I-131 treatment.

If you choose I-131 treatment, watch for signs of renal disease afterwards. Hyperthyroidism pushes the blood flow through the kidneys faster, which can mask renal deficiency.
 
One of my civies had I-131 in Feb.
He's almost 10 yrs old.

He's doing great - 2 follow-up blood panels show all his levels (T4, kidney etc..) are in the normal range.
He had a bad reaction to the methimazole so we couldn't keep him on it until his T4 was stabilized to confirm if they were any kidney issues.

He was in the I-131 center for 4 days - until the radioactivity levels come down.
Then home but supposedly :roll: limited contact and special (flushable) cat litter for 2 weeks.
 
Thank you to everyone for their help and responses. I was convinced he had a thyroid problem but thankfully the blood tests showed no problem with his thyroid or kidneys. However the fructosamine test showed his glucose levels were too high and have had to increase his insulin. That's why he's been losing weight and his fur isn't great. Feels like I've gone back over a year to whe he first got diagnosed. It's been 3 days now with his increased dose so hopefully he'll start to feel better soon and start putting back on some weight. I worry about him so much.
 
I'm glad to read these responses b/c I just had my Presley at the vet today for his check up and he has lost weight, but is still eating regular, etc. so they did blood work for thyroid. I won't know until Monday what the results are, but of course, nervous cat mom that I am, had to come home and research. I use pill pockets with any pills I need to give the cats, and it seems to work pretty well, so if it comes down to giving Presley thyroid pills, that's most likely what I'll do. One day at a time, I suppose, this will be all new to me. He will celebrate his 15th birthday in August. I hated this appointment, he is usually pretty mellow at the vets except a hiss or two, but they had to draw blood of course, and he didn't handle that well. They had to e-collar to precaution against him trying to bite them, scruff him, etc. and he was howling like he was being killed. I've never seen him behave like that, but I don't blame him. He was so stressed out and scared, I started to cry and had to leave the room. So hopefully all will be well with my baby.
 
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