Topic: Buddie is Hyperthyroid - should we get the gland removed? (Read 3537 times)

Debsymiller (Rufus' mum) · « **Reply #23 on:** March 13, 2009, 16:18:15 PM »

Yes I was told the main cause is benign tumours also. I am so pleased he is doing well... he's doing a good job of training you with all that chicken though! hehe

Mark · « **Reply #22 on:** March 13, 2009, 16:15:25 PM »

I have heard good things about the op and it saves the stress of daily pilling

Apparently, benign tumours are the biggest cause.

We did Hyperthyroidism in Physics yesterday and I'm not sure I like the sound of some of the treatments - I don't think I would want to put radioactive substances in any of my cats

chrisleitz · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2009, 13:58:34 PM »

Thanks, he is doing very well. He doesn't like his normal food at the moment but will happily eat cooked chicken, so he gets it.

I wanted to share a bit of additional information.
Rolf, the vet, phoned me again last night. He had the result of the tissue biopsy back. I hope I understood this correctly but it sounded like that Buddie's Hyperthyroid symptoms were caused by an Adenoma and not by Hyperplasia (Sp?) (constantly dividing cells). An Adenoma is a mainly benign tumour but needs to be removed as it could turn malignant. If we had decided against the surgery and opted for the tablets only, then these would have been pointless at some stage. The only 'real' cure for Buddie was having the excess mass removed.

Topsy Turvey · « **Reply #20 on:** March 10, 2009, 22:02:16 PM »

Glad to hear that Buddie's op went well.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2009, 19:07:33 PM »

Glad it went well, please give Buddie a gentle

from me and the boys

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2009, 17:33:32 PM »

Lots of strokes for Buddie

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2009, 15:14:29 PM »

Just wanted to send a

for Buddie

chrisleitz · « **Reply #16 on:** March 10, 2009, 13:06:48 PM »

Thanks Debs and Janey. He is definitely livley and keeps asking for more cooked chicken and head rubs. He's not done his business though today. I reckon he saves that again for when we are on our way to the vets this afternoon. Works every time.

Debsymiller (Rufus' mum) · « **Reply #15 on:** March 10, 2009, 10:48:06 AM »

So glad it all went well. I am sure he will be back to his usual self in just days

Monty is so much better now than when he first arrived and his voice was a little croaky to start with too but that soon got better. we are 3 weeks down the line and the only sign that he had the op is the shorter fur underneath his chin. I am sure that it will be up, up, up from here and Buddie will be happier and livlier than before very soon

Janeyk · « **Reply #14 on:** March 10, 2009, 09:40:56 AM »

really glad all went well, (people often get the croaky voice thing after too) give Buddie a gentle cuddle from me xx

chrisleitz · « **Reply #13 on:** March 10, 2009, 09:32:30 AM »

Buddie had his operation yesterday and is recovering well from it. When we got him back, first thing he wanted was cuddles and then food. He managed to eat 2 whole pouches of special vet food during the evening and was very good with his bandage. This morning of course, it is hanging just in shreds around his neck. Rolf wants to see him again later this afternoon because he had a bleed after the op. He seems very happy and purry and eager to go out. His purr is a bit funny though, like he has a very sore throat.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2009, 19:19:39 PM »

The fluids start before and continue on, Gooey had them and he was nice and perky after his op

Good luck for your visit

chrisleitz · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2009, 11:34:38 AM »

Thanks everybody for sharing experiences and your advice. We will see Rolf on Saturday. He is a very good and experienced Vet, so I will see what he says. I will also mention the post-op fluids to him. Buddie is a strong lad and otherwise in good health, so we will most likely go ahead with it. Thanks again. You have put my mind to rest a bit.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2009, 00:39:16 AM »

I think if Buddie is otherwise fit & healthy then I would definitely go for the op. Tiggy was 14 when diagnosed and I was too worried to have the op done even though she was in fairly good health. She was on tablets twice daily for nearly 5 years which, if I'm honest, was very restrictive. I couldn't go away or work late without having an action plan for someone to sort out her tablets. She wasn't insured so financially it cost me a fortune in the tablets and regular check ups/blood tests for nearly 5 years so, in hindsight, I wished I'd had the op done. As has already been said anaesthetics are much safer nowadays and pre-op bloods and fluid therapy can minimise the risks even more.

to Buddie

LesleyW · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2009, 22:43:52 PM »

My step-daughter's cat was diagnosed as Hyperthyroid very suddenly after a dramatic onset of blindness. His coat was excellent and his appetite had not diminished. He was started on medication and within a week his eyesight had returned and he is basically back to normal so, in his case, there was no need for an op. I would discuss it further with your vet and maybe try the medicatioin treatment first to see what improvement is reached.

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2009, 22:16:28 PM »

I should also have mentioned that anaesthetic use is a bit more risky in a hyperthyroid cat but as long as the vet uses the safest anaesthetic and, as Gill said, puts Buddie on a drip to help clear the anaesthetic from the blood, then its not a major problem. I'm saure your vet will discuss all these things with you.

Michelle (furbabystar) · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2009, 22:08:49 PM »

I know a few older cats who has had the gland removed and that was the end of the problem.

i agree with others that you should talk it over with your vet, every Op has a risk so it wouldnt be right for any of us to tell you to go ahead...it has to be your choice xx

CarolM (Wendolene) · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2009, 22:00:42 PM »

Quote from: Gill (sneakiefeline) on February 20, 2009, 16:07:09 PM

She had the op and before that her kidneys were fine, she was about 15/16 yrs old but tests after the op showed that her kidneys were a problem ...........

This can happen with any treatment for hyperthyroidism, be it tablet, surgery or radioactive iodine. An overactive thyroid increases blood flow through the kidneys (in truth it it puts all body systems into overdrive) with the result that it can actually mask renal failure. Its not that curing the thyroid condition causes the renal failure, its that the renal failure was there all the time but didn't show up on tests because the increased blood flow was helping to clear the creatinine from the blood (but also putting pressure on the kidneys and possibly increasing damage to them). A lot of vets like to try to normalise thyroid levels with tablets first and then do tests for renal function. If the tests show there is some degree of CRF the best course is to stay with medication because the dosage can be adjusted to one that just controls the hyperthyroidism without affecting the kidneys too much. If renal function isn't an issue then surgery is worth considering because it does away with the need for lifelong tableting and monitoring. If you do go down the surgery route you need to be sure that your vet is experienced at the operation. The parathyroid glands sit right next to the thyroid and if these are inadvertently damaged during the op it affects calcium levels and can have very serious consequences indeed, even death. However, damage to parathyroids is rare if the vet is experienced. I went down the tablet route with my cat Tiny and it got more and more difficult to control the condition with the tablets. With hindsight I wish I had opted sor surgery.

Debsymiller (Rufus' mum) · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2009, 18:20:36 PM »

I can only go by what my vets and the senior vets at Cats Protection say... I had a long chat with one on a trip to CP HQ. My branch on the advice of CP HQ will always take the thyroid out if the cat's healthy enough to do it. As long as it's done by a good vet it is actually a fairly straightforward procedure and does enhance quality of life. Hyperthyroid cats will not only need regular meds everyday, regular blood tests which can be stressful but are also succeptable to high blood pressure and blindness as well as the weight loss and hunger. Of course the meds can control this to a certain extent but I know of several cases where the cat became allergic to the tablets after a while.

Of course, it's best to talk it through thoroughly with your vets to see what the benefits and the concerns are. There are always going to ops that have gone wrong and surgery is always a rick (sometimes small risk sometimes high) but if you cats is 13 and healthy then it sounds like surgery could be a good option for him. My 16 year old foster cat that I'm officially adopting this week had his thyroid out on Thurs. He has got through it well and is fine and coming home tomorrow. Obviously I don't know what he's going to be like on a long term basis but have every reason to believe that the op was a good move. The vets would never have suggested him hvaing this op at his age if it wasn't in his interests I am sure.

Your vet is definately your best source of info at this time though.

Millys Mum · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2009, 17:14:58 PM »

If hes a robust 13 then id definately consider it, as his bloods are ok thats another tick to the pros list. Modern GAs are much much safer these days and if you had fluid therapy too it would help him recover much quicker.

Janeyk · « **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2009, 16:30:51 PM »

Hi

sorry to hear about your cat Buddy but glad the treatment is working well, our first cats both became hyperthyroid together age 12 and the other 13 (and myself!

and all 3 of us on Carbimazole) but my vet never suggested thyroid removal for them from what I remember she tried the meds first and as they were ok on those she kept them on them. I would just discuss it with your vet when you next see her and best of luck xx

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2009, 16:07:09 PM »

Sorry to hear about Buddy

I would listen to your vets reasons and ask why should that thyroid removed. I know they have two but I think it depends what is wrong with it.

The only knowledge I have is that Kocka was like this and my vet said she had a tumour on one thyroid and it was not malignant but advised the removal of the thyrois cos he knew in her case there was a problem medicating her......I dont know if he would have said this option anyway and it is going back about 8 years ago.

She had the op and before that her kidneys were fine, she was about 15/16 yrs old but tests after the op showed that her kidneys were a problem so have to think the op caused that and suspect that she was not put on a drip......I didnt know any better in thise days and a drip is essentail for all senior cats having an op.

So my thought would be there would have to be a very good reason for surgery...............Oh yes and Kocka never put back on all the weight she had lost and had probs feeding her for the rest of her life..............cos not sure that all Hyper-T cats need an op , just meds.

I am sure others will have more upto date info

chrisleitz · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2009, 15:57:09 PM »

About two and a half weeks ago our ginger nutcase Buddie started to refuse to eat and lost weight very quickly. Blood tests then showed him as being HyperThyroid. At the moment he is on one tablet of Vidalata (carbimazole) a day. He is taking it OK as long as it is wrapped in raw chicken (yuk!). We are going to see the Vet on Saturday to discuss the options. My Vet seems to be very much in favour of having the thyroid gland removed but I'm in two minds about it. Buddie is 13 in a couple of month and although his kidney and liver values came back OK there is always the worry about complications. So far, the vet thinks that only one of the thyroid glands is affected.
Buddie has always been eating like a horse, was always slim and a bit hyper. Thankfull he has gained some weight again, so the tablets are working.
Has anybody got any experience with this? Should we go ahead with the op? Has anybody got an idea what questions I need to ask? Thanks Guys.

Author Topic: Buddie is Hyperthyroid - should we get the gland removed? (Read 3537 times)