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Feline Hyperthyroidism Alternative TreatmentsThere May be Alternatives to Pilling Your Cat Every DayGiving pills twice a day to your beloved cat may be troublesome and very unpleasant. Fortunately there are alternative treatments that have great success rates!
Sammy was a 12 year old cat that was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, a condition often affecting geriatric cats. While her owner was comforted in learning that the prognosis was not too bad as long as Sammy took her pills twice a day each day, Sammy for sure was not a very happy camper. Pilling Sammy had surely turned out being a nightmare, with Sammy escaping each morning and evening, biting and scratching her owner. Concerned, her owner called her veterinary clinic asking for advice on how to pill her cat without creating much distress. She was also concerned about her bond with her cat taking a toll for the worse. Tapazole as a Treatment OptionOther than the obvious issues with pilling cats, the prolonged use of Tapazole may cause long term damage to vital organs such as liver and kidneys. This is why routine bloodwork must be ran on cats being prescribed Tapazole. Other potential issues are side effects such as nausea, vomiting, inappetence and lethargy. Not a very pleasant ordeal for cats to go through. After discussing various pilling methods with Sammy's owner, including the use of pill pockets, hiding pills in the middle of treats and using pet pillers, her veterinarian suggested her to stop by his office and discuss alternative treatments. Recently,a newer version of thyroid medication was released allowing cats to absorb their medication through the skin via a gel that is applied on their ears. With high hopes, Sammy's owner scheduled a consultation for the next day. While most owners treat their cat's hyperthyroidism with twice a day oral administration of Tapazole (Methimazole), not many owners are aware of the fact there are other two other options that may relieve the pet from this debilitating disease once and forever: surgery and Radioiodine treatment. Surgery as a Treatment OptionWhen it comes to surgery, owners must be aware of the fact that there are always risks associated with the use of anesthesia, and not to say, further more risks with age related complications. While most tumor removals are successful, according to Radiocat, recurrence rates of hyperthyroidism can be as high as 80% due to a tumor very likely redeveloping at the opposite side. The surgery therefore, may be costly without granting any long term success. Radioiodine Injection as a Treatment OptionAvailable in many states, this one time injection may surely be a blessing to cats such as Sammy. All it takes is a one time injection that will destroy the tumor with a 98-99% success rate. There are no anesthetics involved and no incisions. All it takes is a few days spent at a specialized hospital with careful monitoring by staff. The procedure is safe and has been done on cats as old as 20 years. Most cats' thyroid functions return to normal within one month. Sammy's owner decided to try this latter option. Her cat was referred by her vet to the closest Radiocat facility. The results were astounding. Sammy a month later was a very happy and healthy looking cat. Of course, her owner missed her dearly during the 5 day long hospitalization, but her bond now with Sammy is surely stronger than ever.
The copyright of the article Feline Hyperthyroidism Alternative Treatments in Cat Care is owned by Adrienne Farricelli. Permission to republish Feline Hyperthyroidism Alternative Treatments in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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