Hyperthyroidism in cats is a common disease developed mainly in older cats. Less than 6% of cats are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism less than 10 years of age. The average age of onset hyperthyroidism is between 12-16 years of age. Hyperthyroidism, also known as thyrotoxicosis, is an increase in the production of the thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) from enlarged thyroid glands. The thyroid hormones affect every organ in the body, so along with thyroid disease there most likely is a secondary problem needing to be treated as well. Thyroid hormones stimulate a faster heart rate and a stronger contraction of the heart muscle. Over time, cats with hyperthyroidism may develop an enlargement and thickening of the left ventricle of the heart. If left untreated these changes will eventually compromise the normal function of the heart and can even result in heart failure. Another problem that can occur is high blood pressure. High blood pressure affects the eyes, kidneys, heart, and brain. Additional medication maybe needed to control the secondary problem while the primary problem is getting situated. After the primary problem is maintained the secondary problem will most likely go away or resolve itself and the additional medication can be stopped after consulting with your veterinarian. There are more than one types of treatment for hyperthyroidism. They are medication, surgery, and radio-active iodine therapy. Anti-thyroid medications reduce the release and production of the thyroid hormones. Many owners prefer this type of treatment due to the readily access and it is relatively inexpensive. The medication therapy for hyperthyroidism is not a cure; it maintains and controls the thyroid production for a short or long term treatment. Some cats can have side-affects from the medication that include vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, fever and anemia. After the medication is regulated, it is important to keep up on annual testing for the thyroid (to make sure there are no changes), and to regulate the liver and kidneys. A thyroidectomy is the removal of the thyroid gland. Removing the thyroid glands has proven to be a very successful surgery. Doing this surgery also cures the hyperthyroidism so no medication is needed to give twice daily for life. Owners tend to lean toward this to cut out the inconvenience of giving the medication. General anesthesia is needed to do the surgery so there can be complications especially if there is a secondary problem such as heart or high blood pressure problems. The major risk is inadvertently causing damage to the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid glands are crucial in maintaining stable blood-calcium levels. Radioactive-iodine therapy is quickly becoming the treatment of choice for cats with hyperthyroidism. During treatment, radioactive iodine is administered as an injection and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. The iodine is taken up by the thyroid gland but not by other body tissues. The quantity of radiation destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue but does not damage the surrounding tissues or the parathyroid glands. The majority of cats have normal hormone levels within one to two weeks of treatment. The down side to radioactive-iodine therapy is that the cat would need to be boarded at a hospital due to strict treatment guidelines. The animal will be able to go home when the radioactive levels have fallen within acceptable limits. It usually takes about 2 weeks for the radioactive levels to be within acceptable limits and the patient is released to go home. If you have any questions about hyperthyroidism or would like to make an appointment to get your cat checked feel free to give us a call! For more information check out the link below! vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/hyperthyroid.html
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 21:05:27 +0000
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