Hyperthyroidism in Cats
What is Expect if Opting for Radioactive Iodine Treatment
Many with elderly cats are familiar with the problem of hyperthyroidism. Find out what to expect if one opts to treat this feline disorder with radioactive iodine.
Many with elderly cats are familiar with the problem of hyperthyroidism. The cat starts to eat more, weighs less, vomits frequently and has an overall mangy appearance. After the animal has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism there are three treatment options: surgery, twice daily dosing with the RX Methimazole or radioactive iodine therapy. This article discusses what to expect if one opts for the radioactive therapy.
Pre-Testing
The animal will have blood tests and x-rays taken to assure it is a good candidate for the radioactive treatment. Many health factors influence this decision. Only the veterinarian can give a definitive answer on the suitability of this treatment for the animal in question.
How Does it Work?
The radioactive iodine is injected under the skin of the animal. It then travels to the thyroid where it destroys the tumor cells causing the disorder.
Treatment Protocol
This is not the type of treatment that just any vet does on a daily basis - it's done by a trained professional at a thyroid center. As there aren't exactly a plethora of them in the USA, it more than likely will involve car or airline travel. Due to the restrictive nature of boarding an aircraft with a cat after this therapy most pet owners fly to the thyroid center and arrange to drive back.
Depending on the center that is treating the cat, the stay is normally two weeks. This allows for the radioactive iodine to eliminate from the cat's body to safe levels. If one chooses a center with a two week stay, there is little issue with isolating the cat or safe disposal of its litter after it returns home.
Can't bear to be separated from the animal that long? Inconvenient to have to go back and forth to a distant city in a two week period? The Cat Thyroid Center in Ruskin, FL treats and releases the cat, normally within 48 hours, after the cat clears the radioisotope and registers acceptable radioactive levels.
If this sounds like a more feasible option, contact the Cat Thryroid Center and ask for their treatment information and patient discharge instructions to review the dos and don'ts of opting for this treatment.
Cost
The cost of only the radioisotope treatment varies based upon many factors. A good ballpark for budgeting purposes is $1,100. This doesn't include the pre-testing or travel to the thyroid center.
It's a Catch-22 situation. The treatment is not exactly inexpensive, but nor is the medication used to control the disorder, or the regular testing that must be done. Additionally, the medication is known to exacerbate the vomiting problem.
Follow Up Treatment
Hopefully there will be no need. A blood test is taken again by the cat's regular vet 4 weeks after treatment to test thryoid levels. The test is repeated in 3 months - at that point it's clear if the treatment has been a success.
Source:
Cat Thryoid Center, Ruskin, FL promotional literature.
