Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: Claire123 on September 10, 2012, 21:03:48 PM
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Hi,
My cat was diagnosed with an over active thyroid several weeks ago and put on vidalta. Unfortunately he is only 6 which my vet said is very young for this condition. He was started on 10 mg Vidalta. His T4 was 70 and I'm sure the vet said his first maintenance result was that his t4 was 11. Should his dosage not be decreased now?
Also the vet has recommended he has the iodine injectine which I can understand is probably the best treatment and after reading the long term use of the medication I think it would be best for Mickey but I'm worried about the 4 weeks away as he's a very timid cat and also if it isn't successful it's a lot of money. Has anyone got any experience of the radioactive treatment?
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Sorry cant help but think that trigger is considering this for one of her cats.
Sending lots of good vibes for Mickey :hug: :hug:
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Hi
Firstly my thoughts are with you on this - it's not nice to have your kitty diagnosed with anything long term especially not that young.
I've got no direct experience but my Chelsea was diagnosed with the same thing earlier this year and I did a fair bit of research.
It's a fairly standard treatment in the US but not so over here mainly due to the fact that iodine treatment is not a licensed treatment and involves radiation so can only be undertaken in a few specialist locations. The Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield Herts is one.
Treatment is simple - its just an injection but its the need to keep puss in quarantine due to them being radioactive which is the hard thing as you need to leave them in hospital for up to a month.
I would have definitely gone down this route had she been ok even though she was 18 as it would have been the best for her (personal view only) as she hated taking tablets but you have to weigh up the separation against the fact that it is expensive if you are uninsured along with the fact that it is one of the few cures for an overactive thyroid as vidalta will be a life long treatment (similarly expensive in the long term as regular blood tests are required to check thyroxine levels).
I looked into all sorts of alternative remedies and you can treat this with homeopathy - look up Ainsworths - and there is a US medicine which is supposed to work according to the reviews on the various websites but you can 't get it here so your best bet would be to see a homeopathic / holistic vet who would at least be able to give you a view as to whether you can get something similar formulated for you.
Good luck and if you need to chat about it please feel free - I was frantic when Chelse was diagnosed (which was how I found all these lovely people on Purrs) so know how you must be feeling.
Louise
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my Trigger was diagnosed this summer, and I immediately decided to go for the I131 treatment, as he is 11, and would face many years of medication, and possible side effects - your cat is very young to be diagnosed at only 6, so this applies even more to her
Trigger is currently on Felimazole, and on the advice of the mostly American Yahoo HyperT group I started him low, and increased after 3 weeks when he was still only just under the top of the range - he has just had another test and has dropped another 10 points, and more importantly no hidden kidney disease has been revealed
I thought I would have to take him to Langford in Bristol for the I131, which would have meant two separate trips for assessment and treatment, a three week stay, and a bill of £2000 or so - but have now found a newly opened (2011) facility in Wootton-Under- Edge, which is a two week stay, only one trip required, and a bill of £500 less - also being a dedicated animal treatment hospital, with no students and no research, I suspect the care will be all the better for it - and another big plus is that the vet in charge was happy to speak to me before hearing from my vet, something the bigger places will not do
I think 2 weeks out of a 6 year old's life is well worth it, as she should have 10 or more years ahead of her - a timid cat is not going to like the regular blood tests and daily dosing for all that time, even if you can keep her well all that time - my Trigger will not like being in isolation, nor will he like the 3 hour journey, but I am using an animal courier to give him stretch room, and I have no worries about it, as I would have had had I opted for an operation (not a good option for him anyway, as his thyroid gland is not very palpable, meaning there could well be thyroid tissue in his chest, which would not be touched by removing the gland)
do sign up to the Yahoo group - there are some people on there who know more about HyperT in cats than most vets in the UK, and collectively have a great deal of experience
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:welcome: to Purrs Claire, six years is very young indeed :hug: I have no experience of the iodine treatment, my cat was in her mid teens when she became hyperthyroid and I opted for daily meds which went on for nearly 5 years! In hindsight I would have probably opted for the operation but I was worried she was classed as 'old' and it would be risky for her. I think if I was in your shoes I would seriously consider the iodine treatment. Especially if it can now be as little as two weeks - you go on holiday for longer than that by the time you think about dropping off/picking up from a cattery!
I thought I would have to take him to Langford in Bristol for the I131, which would have meant two separate trips for assessment and treatment, a three week stay, and a bill of £2000 or so - but have now found a newly opened (2011) facility in Wootton-Under- Edge, which is a two week stay, only one trip required, and a bill of £500 less - also being a dedicated animal treatment hospital, with no students and no research, I suspect the care will be all the better for it - and another big plus is that the vet in charge was happy to speak to me before hearing from my vet, something the bigger places will not do
I think 2 weeks out of a 6 year old's life is well worth it, as she should have 10 or more years ahead of her - a timid cat is not going to like the regular blood tests and daily dosing for all that time, even if you can keep her well all that time - my Trigger will not like being in isolation, nor will he like the 3 hour journey, but I am using an animal courier to give him stretch room, and I have no worries about it, as I would have had had I opted for an operation (not a good option for him anyway, as his thyroid gland is not very palpable, meaning there could well be thyroid tissue in his chest, which would not be touched by removing the gland)
Hope everything goes well with this trigger, is he scheduled in already or is this future planning?
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just waiting to be given a date, now - this facility at Wootton-Under-Edge takes 4 cats at a time, and Trigger is their third booking so they may wait until they have a fourth - I am guessing they like to be full so they can profitably cover their staff costs
he is a doddle to pill anyway, so I am not in a tearing hurry - I suspect he would take a dozen pills a day if each was wrapped up in Webox!!
I'll put up the link as it took a lot og Googling to find it, and my vet had never heard of it http://www.rowevetgroup.com/referral-services/iodine-radiation-therapy.aspx
the other places which do it are more easily found
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It looks very impressive - air con, special cat frequency radio, TV - better than some hotels! :wow:
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Thank you very much everyone for the useful info. I will definitely give the Wootton under edge hospital a call tomorrow? £500 is very reasonable I was quoted £1500 plus vat by a vets in Ripon which is the closest. Will definitely give them a call tomorrow.
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I read it that it was £500 less than the £2000 quote so sounds like its the same sort of cost as the one closest to you, although I wonder if trigger's quote includes VAT?
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I was quoted £1300 plus VAT - which is around £1500
I don't think anyone does it cheaper in the UK
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That sounds about right I think. The RVC charge about £2000 but its the hospital stay which bumps the price up.
Good luck to you both.
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He was started on 10 mg Vidalta. His T4 was 70 and I'm sure the vet said his first maintenance result was that his t4 was 11. Should his dosage not be decreased now?
I thought a cat needed to be stabilised before either operation or iodine treatment and I thought "normal range" was 25 to 60 so going from 70 to 11 doesn't sound too stable? :hug:
I am not a fan of vidalta (bad personal experience with one of my cats who was diagnosed borderline hyperT). I too have heard cats do better on low dose medication which is slowly increased and this is easier with felimazole as 10mg is lowest dose of vidalta. Just allows the body to adjust more easily. It's different of the T4 result is very high.
I understand a T4 reading of 70 is really not that high at all. My mom's cat had a T4 of 80 and is doing very well on 2.5mg of felimazole twice a day. She is 17. In fact she has been able to fight off any attempt to retest her bloods but is putting weight on, grooming and generally looking a great deal better than a couple of months ago so vet has decided not to stress her out.
I also understand that norm and high depends on age of cat and HyperT is anything but a simple condition. I think iodine treatment will only be considered if the cat concerned is otherwise healthy esp kidneys as hyperT can mask kidney probs. I would read as much as I could and have a heart to heart with your vet and if at all possible with one of the vets at any centre that would carry out the iodine treatment.
I am not a vet of course and you must do your best to get comprehensive advice that you fully understand.
Very best of luck to young Mickey :hug: :hug: :hug:
I will definitely give the Wootton under edge hospital a call tomorrow?
Ooops, apologies. Missed that :-[
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I get my vet to email copies of all test results, and would urge you to do the same, Claire
then you can get to grips yourself with what the numbers mean - you are going to be living with them for a long time, hopefully, and will be much better armed then to discuss future treatment with your vet
as Rosella says, a drop from 70 to 11 so quickly would not normally be considered a good thing, although the main reason behind wanting to be cautious over dosage is in case there is latent kidney disease, which is unlikely in a 6 year old
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Yes, you definitely need to see the results and keep track of progress and - coming from someone with an underactive thyroid - learn to understand them ;)
Meds should be increased slowly as basically what is happening is that everything in the body is speeding up and to slow it down too quickly can have an adverse effect.
Rosella is spot on with her comment that the doseage and levels of T4 will be different from cat to cat and so you will need to keep an eye on her for small changes and also that they won't treat a cat if there is kidney disease present as well.
Whilst there is nothing on there for animals if you have a look on Thyroid UK there is a list of symptoms for both hyper and hypo which can help with understanding the massive impact an out of balance Thyroid can have on the body.
The positive here is that from my experience vets seem to be able to deal with this better than most doctors can ;)
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just to clarify - I have booked Trigger in to the Wotton-under- Edge hospital for his radioactive iodine treatment - he goes on 26 September - and the price of £1300 includes VAT, so it is definitely cheaper than most if not all the other centres offering the treatment
that is because they keep them two rather than the usual three weeks, so there are a few more rules about how to handle the cat and litter once home, but as long as no one in the house is pregnant, or has very young children, they are not a real problem
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:hug:
Good luck and hope Trigger gets on well. I would definitely have done the same thing.
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thanks Louise - I'll add an update when he's had his treatment for the benefit of anyone else going down the same route
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Sending lots of good wishes for Triggers treatment and hope he comes back as good as new :hug: :hug:
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Thanks for all the advice! I think we are fairly decided we are going to go for the iodine, with Mickey been only 6 I think it's what is best for him. My bosses sister is a vet and she said for her medication wouldn't even be an option for a cat of 6. My vet has sent his results to the centre and is going to call the centre tomorrow to speak to them about Mickey and see if he's suitable for it and what we should do next with the pills. We have started giving him 10mg every other day now as apparently 10mg is the lowest the Vidalta will go so hopefully that will stabilise his levels. The other thing my bosses sister said was to check with the vet that they are 100% sure that an overactive thyroid is an accurate diagnosis but I guess the centre will make sure they have done that before admitting him.
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Best of luck for Trigger, please do post how he gets on I would be very interested how he gets on.
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I get the impression that vets have a tendency to assume their clients prefer Vidalta as only one tablet a day is simpler than two. Felimazole comes in lower doses although involves 2 tablets daily.
I am posting NOAH links to both drugs which gives an overview of each. The impression I have always had is that it is best if possible to keep dosing on an even basis and Vidalta releases into the system over 24 hours compared to 12 hours for Vidalta. Not therefore sure of 48 hour dosing for Vidalta but better that than too much :hug:
http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/MSD_Animal_Health/Vidalta_10_mg__ACY-amp_ADs-_15_mg_prolonged-release_tablets_for_cats/-58685.html
http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Dechra_Veterinary_Products_Ltd/Felimazole_ACY-reg_ADs-_2_5_mg_Coated_Tablets_for_Cats/-40419.html
I think your boss' sister is right to suggest you are 100% sure of the diagnosis.
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Trigger has taken umpteen doses twice a day of his Felimazole wrapped up in a piece of Webbox, without the slightest bother - they are small and I have been cutting one too
he can't have any more now as the hospital wants him off them for a fortnight before assessment, and I'm almost looking forward to having Mr Greedy back, instead of Mr Fussy
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This morning I have noticed on Mickeys head what looks like scratches on his head! They look moist but no blood when put a tissue on them! He seems to be sleeping more but still eating. Does anyone know if it could be a side effect of the Vidalta?
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increased lethargy and itching are indeed side effects of HyperT drugs, Claire - the decrease in his T4 was probably too swift, and his dose needs to be decreased
I would suggest you speak to your vet about switching to Felimazole, which is easier to adjust than Vidalta, and try a dose of not more than 2.5mg a day for a couple of weeks, and then have him retested
- although if you are definitely going for the I131 treatment and can get an early booking you may be able to take him off any medication now
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Itching is definitely a Hypo symptom so I would say that Mickey may be over medicated.
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See the NOAH link I posted for Vidalta - this is under adverse reactions............
"Dermatological signs (pruritus, moist dermatitis, erythema, alopecia) have also been reported"
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Thanks I just spoke to our vet and she's not going to be there now till Monday so got him an appointment for Monday and if it gets worse i will take him tomorrow to open surgery but would rather he see his usual vet. Hoping now we have started giving him the 10mg every other day he will improve but will speak to her about trying the felimazole if he's not going in for the I131 soon
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If I might encourage you to go to open surgery rather than wait till Monday? :shy: :hug:
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Do you think thats necessary? I just chose Monday because he gets stressed waiting around in the waiting room so thought would be best with an appointment and so that he can see the vet who knows his history etc. He seems fine in himself, still eating well and they haven't got worse, look slightly better if anything
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This morning I have noticed on Mickeys head what looks like scratches on his head! They look moist but no blood when put a tissue on them! He seems to be sleeping more but still eating. Does anyone know if it could be a side effect of the Vidalta?
Just to say I have 2 cats on Vidalta who are doing fine, one has been taking it 3 years now and the other a year. It is normal to feel less hyper when you take anti-thryoid meds, I've taken them myself and I just felt much more relaxed once the thyroid was under control so sleeping more isn't necessarily a bad thing your cat might just feel better. I can tell if ever my cat hassn't take his med he starts pacing. Not sure about the scratches though :hug:
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Do you think thats necessary?
I have no idea to be honest as I'm not a vet :shy: My experience of Vidalta was not a happy one and I am biased against it but, as Jane can testify, many cats do well on it. My main concern is always the potential effect on the liver so personally I would err on the side of caution when starting treatment for HyperT and go for low dose (which is possible with felimazole), increasing as necessary based on blood results. The fact his T4 results went from 70 to 11 would concern me :hug:
I can however see there would be a case for starting on higher doses if the initial T4 results were very high but Mickey's were not or at least I am assuming 70 is not that high for a 6 year old cat. I repeat again.... I am not a vet; just a cautious cat slave. I would hate to be responsible for worrying you unnecessarily and putting poor Mickey through a stressful vet visit for no reason. It is good that he is still eating OK and hopefully the problem on his head is no worse this morning but obviously you are better placed to decide whether to leave the vet visit till Monday.
Did your vet speak to the centre yesterday as intended? If so, did she discuss with you what was said when you spoke to her?
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She phoned them but she said Andrew the man she had to speak to was in surgery so they are going to speak on Monday!
I am definitely going to ask about changing his meds though as everything I have read supports that he should have been started on a lower dose to start with.
We are waiting until Monday to take him in as he's got no worse and would rather speak to the vet I've been dealing with. The vet on duty today is the one that put him on the Vidalta and said that she thought medication was best for Mickey not the iodine which confused me as everything I then read said iodine would be best for a 6 year old otherwise healthy cat so was glad when we then saw this other vet and she then suggested the iodine so going to stick with her when we can.
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have you joined the Yahoo group, Claire? http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-hyperT/
6 is unusually young for HyperT, and it's quite possible your vet has never had to deal with a cat so young before - you will find lots of good advice from this group, and in a way you will be tapping into all the collective experience of the members' vets, for free!!
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Sounds like a plan Claire. I too would be very reluctant to go and revisit a vet that suggested long term HyperT medication was better than Iodine treatment for such a young, otherwise healthy cat.
At Mickey's age I think it is probably a no brainer to go the iodine route if you can afford it or have appropriate insurance. Long term medication can often be seen as the cheaper alternative but the tablets are not that cheap and it soon mounts up with follow up blood tests and consultation fees.
Sending the young fella a :care: and you a :hug: It's always such a worry when our furries are unwell. We are just coming through a cat flu outbreak amongst our fully vaccinated "hoard" during which our Bobby became very unwell. He is fine now but it will take me a while to catch up on lost sleep so I do sympathise.
Please keep in touch to let us know how you get on. Personal experience is so helpful to people in similar situations.
Good advice from Trigger. I joined the group for a time when I was going through a similar quandary with our Tom RIP some years back but he was coming up to 19 and therefore very much older that Mickey. I did however learn to question medication levels following a "borderline" HyperT diagnosis which I am sure has helped my mom's cat.
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Ive just posted a message on there, thank you!
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Just to update mickey has been given antibiotics for the sores, she said it was more than likely caused by the vidalta so she said to stop that immediately. I said I was concerned about it been an accurate diagnosis and she said she was thinking the same and they she wants to be as sure as we can be before he has the radiotherapy so is going to speak to the centre and see if they think keeping him off any medication is an option for a month and see if it elevates again. Apparently a cat can have a virus which can elevate the levels slightly for a while. Thanks for all the advice and I will keep you posted!!
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well done, Claire, in getting your vet to slow down a bit and consider other alternatives
what centre are you considering for the I131?
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This sounds good Claire :hug:
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We are looking at the Ripon centre, it's about 90 minutes from us so not to far.
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Just had results of mom's cat's T4. Apparently they managed to take blood last week. Susan (cat) upset my elderly mom with her cries :( T4 gone from 80 to only 9 in 11 weeks. She was on 2.5mg felimazole tablets twice a day which is lowest dose and vet (a man of very few words) has now reduced to 1 tablet a day.
I know this is a difficult condition to get right dosage initially esp if cat won't play ball on blood tests but sometimes you get the feeling that there's a lot of guesswork going on. Am going to see if my vet will chat with me today about a hypothetical case as I would feel happier suspending meds for a week or so. Interesting that T4 levels can be raised with a virus but Susan's weight loss, despite much eating, did point towards HyperT symptoms.
Best of luck with Mickey :hug:
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my vet thought 2.5mg twice a day was the way to start, but after all the warnings given by the Yahoo group on starting with too high a dosage, I persuaded my vet to let me cut 2.5mg in half to give two doses of 1.25mg each day, as the effects of Felimazole apparently only lasts 12 hours - I used a simple pill cutter bought from a chemist
the warnings about not cutting the pills are only for human safety, and I used tweezers to handle the half tablet, and always washed my hands after dosing Trigger with it squished into Webbox
from what you say it sounds as if this might be the best way forward - and I think you are right about guesswork - vets in the UK seem to be rather uninformed about HT - your mum's vet should certainly be aware Felimazole should be given in two doses each day
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Just spoke with our vet. Naturally she cannot offer advice about Susan as she hasn't seen her but ............ She says
-reducing to 1 tab a day in Susan's circs sounds OK
-reason splitting pills not recommended is also due to very bitter taste of the drug which cats do not normally tolerate. Need to bear in mind that my mom is 90 years old Trigger and it's been a bit of a climb getting to the stage of routine pilling with Susan so can't expect her to split and hide pills
-possible effect of a virus is usually to lower T4 hormones level not increase
-"normal range" of T4 also varies depending on lab chosen to do tests
She also recommended that I try and persuade mom to get Susan's blood tested again in a reasonable time (say a month) and not just leave her on this dosage. Mom not keen so will need to work on that one.
I don't mean to hijack Mickey's thread Claire but thought above info might be of interest.
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I seem to get the impression that vets are still learning quite a lot about the thyroid. My vet admitted she was been guided by Andrew at Ripon vets where he would have the iodine treatment done which im not sure if thats because of Mickeys age. It was Andrew who wanted Mickey off the treatment for a month and then re tested incase the increased levels were caused by a virus and they won't consider him for it until we have done this. My vet had already stopped the treatment because of his allergy to it and said he can't have the other medication for it if needed as they all contain the same ingredients, if this is correct does anyone know why Felimazole would have been better for Mickey?
His sores are looking better already and my vet took pictures of them, not sure why though.
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Maybe she is going to report back to the company?
The ingredients cant be the same..............suggest you do a search online for the leaflet info.
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as I understand it, Vidalta converts in the body into the same constituents as are in Felimazole, so both would cause the allergy - the advantage of Felimazole is that it can be administered in smaller doses than Vidalta, thereby reducing any side effects
Mickey's levels came down so fast though that I'm sure, given his young age too, that he can safely be off any medication for a month without any drastic deterioration in his health - Trigger has now been off the Felimazole for a week and the only sign is his appetite is increasing again (not helped by my giving him loads of treats and all his favourite foods because I already feel guilty about the upcoming two weeks in quarantine)
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It was Andrew who wanted Mickey off the treatment for a month and then re tested in case the increased levels were caused by a virus and they won't consider him for it until we have done this.
I thought ALL potential patients had to be taken off medication for a time prior to Iodine treatment? It is such a complicated condition. I would try and speak with Andrew direct and keep a pen and paper handy to jot down notes while you speak to him. Also write up questions for him prior to any discussion :hug:
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Thought I would add about our treatment of a lovely hyperthyroid cat we had in. Her name is bella, she was picked up as a stray and is a least 15 years old. She tested for hyperthyroid and also had elevated kidney results and a heart murmer (both of which can be caused by the hyperT).
Initially she was on felimazole (2.5mg twice daily) but that wasn't working much and she hated taking the pills and would find them disguised in food. our vet recommended and then performed an thyroidectomy, removing her thyroid from one side. She improved from it quite quickly and was tested 2 weeks later and her thyroid values were much better. her heart murmer was gone and her kidney values still elevated. It also means we can now treat her kidney problem and have put her on renal food. Anathestics are so much better these days that our vet wasn't worried about perfoming the op at all. Bella came back that day and was dancing at the pen door as she normally does. It has also meant we have been able to rehome her quicker as we wanted her condition to be stabilised before she went to a new home.
Would a thyroidectomy suit Mickey as he's so young? The vet said that when they open the cat up an enlarged thyroid is easy to spot and they either remove one or both sides. There is thyroid tissue elsewhere in the body so that the cat doesn't have a problem with them being removed.
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Just to add the other side of this op...............why is nothing ever straight forward?
Kocka had a tumour on her thyroid it was benign and the thyroid removed, she was about 15/16 years old and before the op she did not have kidney probs.
After the op she had kidney probs and she lost her weight and was never really healthy ever again sadly.
Admittedly this was over 10 years ago and maybe things have changed
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that's why they have to be on medication to get the thyroid levels down enough to reveal any kidney problems, as an overactive thyroid is actually good for failing kidneys
I didn't consider an op for Trigger, because his thyroid is not prominent, which suggests he has ectopic tissue which would continue to cause problems after his gland(s) were removed - also the possibility of damaging the parathyroid glands makes many vets reluctant to operate - my vet says no thyroid removals have been carried out at her surgery for some years
but in skilled and experienced hands it is still an option, though maybe not much cheaper than I131, which is the only permanent cure
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Trigger is off tomorrow morning to Wotton-Under-Edge Veterinary Hospital for his radioactive iodine treatment, and all being well I shall be back for him on October 12
it seems such an age, but a outright cure has to be better than years of drugs and blood tests for an otherwise fit 11 year old
we're going by animal courier, which he's already travelled well in to my local vet on three previous occasions, and I hope this will make the journey as stress free as possible for both of us, as I plan to let him out of his carrier so he has the interior cage to stretch out in, and can have a reasonable sized litter tray in there too
I shall miss him, though :(
and Tiffany and Tosker are going on a strict diet while he's away, so they'll be glad to have him back, I suspect :sneaky:
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Just saw this after posting on Alisons Thread. Spooky or what! Sending every :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: for you both
Hoping Tiffany and Tosker don't miss their pal too much :hug:
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Sending loads of good wishes for Trigger and hope he comes back right as rain and happy as Larry :hug: :hug:
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Hope everything goes smoothly with both the journey and his treatment :hug:
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Best of luck for trigger today! Does he have the iodine today?
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good luck!!!!
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just got home from delivering him - he was as good as gold on the journey, and his blood pressure and heart rate were normal, so I don't think being in a strange clinic or having a new vet examine him phased him much at all
all being well he will have the iodine injection on Friday, and come home a fortnight after that - his behaviour so far suggests he will cope just fine with being poked, prodded and then isolated so I refuse to worry about him until and unless I am forced to
which will leave me plenty of time to worry about my next credit card bill!!
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Your so good, i think I will be a mess if Mickey ends up having to go. Fingers crossed he's been ok without vidalta so far but I'm not sure how quickly he would Start showing symptoms again! He's vomited a few times but I guess that could be antibiotics but he's getting a lovely glossy winter coat so shall see how he goes. Do you have to call for updates or will they call you?
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they will let me know the results of the tests done today and tomorrow, and confirm (or not) that the iodine injection is going ahead
I have told them that after that they can contact me if they feel there is something I need to know, but otherwise I am happy to assume no news is good news - it's not as if I could do anything to help him were he in trouble, and I know he's in good hands, so I think it best to leave them to do their job, and be patient
but had he got himself into an awful state on the journey or after getting there I might well not be so stoical about it
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My goodness you are brave and probably very sensible but I would be demanding a phonecall every day if not twice a day :Crazy: :Crazy:
He sounds like he is being very laid back and hope the other two have got their food back and are not missing him.
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That's a very good way to deal with it.
Hope all goes well and Mickey is back safe and sound in a couple of weeks...just leaving you with all the special instructions to follow!
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vet called to say Trigger's tests have revealed nothing worrying other than his overactive thyroid, so he is having the injection tomorrow as planned
I asked if he had eaten, and he said yes, though I'm not sure the head vet would know - but I daresay if there were any worries on that score they would be delaying the treatment
for all I know he is having the time of his life, with lots of young nurses and cat TV on all day - plus his favourite Gourmet food and the packets of Webbox and Dreamies I left with him :ok:
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Sounds good and hope Trigger is very happy :hug: :hug:
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That's such good news Trigger. He's only a baby of 11 years so it's a no brainer that you are doing the right thing.
Am so interested in all this and hope he does as well as they say :)
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Glad everything is going to plan, hope the days whizz by and he'll be home before you know it :)
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all being well there should be no more updates until I fetch him home, but I'll come back with a report of the post I131 treatment as it may be useful for someone else in the future
Hyperthyroid seems to be on the increase, and with younger cats getting it now, more owners are likely to opt for the I131 route - though it would be interesting to know how willing insurance companies are to fund it - Trigger isn't insured :( so that hasn't been an issue for me
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I crumbled today and sent an email asking how he was doing - got a reply from the head nurse within half an hour to say he had been very quiet for the first two days but now was alert and eating and drinking well, and they have no concerns about him
and encouraging me to ask whenever I want to - which I won't, but glad to know this is a place which doesn't treat concerned owners as a nuisance - I'm really glad I stumbled upon it
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I am pleased that the answer was good and sounds honest and they respect the owners feelings too. A sign of a good place ;D ;D
I know when my cats are in hospital at my vet I am encouraged to ring at any time 24/7. I think they also like to know that the owner is concerned and interested in their cats wellbeing and treatment.
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Can't believe you lasted as long as you did, very restrained! :hug: Pleased to hear the news is good, not long now and he'll be back home - hopefully completely fixed :)
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Delighted to hear he is doing so well well Kay :) :) :) Agree with Gill that the response sounds like an honest one which is so very reassuring :hug: :hug: :hug:
Roll on 12 October .................
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Only one more sleep til Trigger comes home :wow: :waiting:
Hope the journey goes well tomorrow and that he settles back in soon enough :)
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Lovely to think that Trigger will be home with his ma tomorrow :) :) :)
Am wondering how Mickey is getting along? :shy: Hope all is well?
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I keep looking for updates on Trigger, hope he can come home tomorrow as planned!
Mickey is doing great thank you, so much so we have put his blood test back a couple of weeks and he's having it on the 26th October regardless of how he is. His sores have healed well, he's getting a lovely glossy winter coat, eating well but doesn't look like he's losing weight and no vomiting ( inside at least ) so hopeful but not getting our hopes up to much until after the blood test! He's certainly back to his old self after stopping all the medication!
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So pleased to hear about Mickey and will have everything crossed on 26 October for good results from blood test :) Glossy winter coat eh? Sounds good :wow:
Do you have weighing scales? I've never regretted getting the scales we bought. If you do, I would suggest a weekly weigh in whilst you are concerned about him :hug:
Sending a :catlove2: to the young man
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Triggs is home :yayyy: :yayyy: :yayyy: :yayyy: :yayyy: :yayyy:
and was he thrilled to find himself back in familar surroundings again ;D
he seems very well and has put on 400 grams whilst away - his first post I131 blood test won't be for another 4 weeks, but there is nothing to suggest at this stage that the treatment hasn't been a total success
it hasn't been cheap, but the separation was easier for me than I had expected, because I suppose I didn't have to worry about him, and he has come through it without any problems
Tiffany, on the other hand, took one sniff of him, hissed very loudly, and ran off to hide outside - I expect her back in by teatime though ;) ;)
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Brilliant and so pleased he has put on weight, I hope the blood test provesw that it has been an unmitigated success ;D ;D ;D
I am sure Tiffany will get to love him again..................when he gets his home smell back ;D
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Great news that Mickey is doing so well ;D Fingers crossed for the test on the 26th :crossed:
As for young Trigger.... :welcome: home Trigger :wow:
So pleased it all went so smoothly, hope Tiffany gets over it soon! When Riley stayed at the vets for one night Lu was hissing at him for quite a few days after so she might still be a bit off with him for a while yet but tell him not to worry :care:
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Just home from work and came on to check :)
Hey Trigger lad :wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: Home at last! Blimey that was a long time without snoozles :catlove2: :catlove2: :catlove2: :catlove2:
Everything crossed that 4 weeks time will show the right results :)
Sooooooo...... come on Kay........... leave him alone for second :innocent: and tell us what is involved in his care for next few weeks. Is he radioactive? Does he need to be kept apart from his pals for while or what? So interested in all this.
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the only rule is that the litter he uses, and what he uses it for, of course, must be binned and kept for 4 weeks before it is put out for the usual refuse collection - if a flushable litter is used it can be put down the loo
and close contact with the cat should be avoided for a week or two - longer for pregnant women and very young children
but to be honest the stress on these precautions is very light, and they are government strictures laid on to veterinary centres doing the iodine treatment, so I get the feeling no one really believes there is any risk if they are ignored - they are not, after all, released until the radiation level has fallen to acceptable limits, and in the US the maximum time they are kept isolated is 3 days
but I have set up a separate bin for the litter, so will abide by that rule - but he is going to get all the :cat rub: and :ahh: he wants
Tiff thinks I have brought a new cat into the house behind her back, and is having a big sulk - but as he ignores her just as much as Tosker does when she hisses at him, she'll has no option but to get over it
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Oh that's not bad at all. I thought it was so much more restrictive.
What a wonderful treatment. From what I hear, it is almost always successful. You must be over the moon Kay :)
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I just wish I had kept up his insurance :( - but at least I have Tiffany and Tosker insured now
I would be interested to know how willing insurance companies are to fund I131 though, and if the age of the cat is taken into account by them - I don't know what surgical removal costs, but as it has a fairly high rate of recurrence, insurance companies may well prefer I131 - and perhaps regular meds over both
Trigger was never a candidate for a thyroidectomy anyway, as even with a really high T4 reading he had no palpable thyroid gland
I'll come back to this thread when he has his next blood test in 4 weeks time, and the outcome of the I131 is known
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Our Tom RIP was incorrectly diagnosed HyperT (he was never anything other than perhaps borderline). Consequently I initially researched everything HyperT related including the Iodine treatment. He was insured with Axa and they confirmed they would fund the treatment if the vet recommended it and that was a few years back.
Problem is of course that HyperT is usually associated with cats older than Trigger and consequently the premiums tend to be very high as they get older. We won't be able to afford to insure all ours as they get older so we are building up a fund to cover such eventualities.
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it's very swings and roundabouts, though, Rosella
HT is more likely in older cats, but then so are other conditions, especially CRF, which would tend to rule out an irreversible cure like I131
I think with older cats, say over 14, their ability to tolerate medication is perhaps the most important factor - some cats cannot tolerate Felimazole or Vidalta, and for them only surgery or I131 are options - and for the older cat surgery might well be considered the more risky procedure, as I131 in itself doesn't seem to pose any health risk, as long as the kidneys don't crash
with a cat Trigger's age, medication for perhaps 7+ years, while the thyroid tumour continues to grow, is not IMO a happy prospect
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Completely agree that Trigger was a perfect candidate (if there is such a thing) for this treatment.
When I was briefly considering it for Tom RIP, we were looking at confinement of about 4 to 6 weeks (2 weeks is so much better) and he was 18 at the time which was a very unhappy proposition. With Fred, his thyroid results weren't that high and helped his kidneys operate a little better which sadly gave in :(. It's a complicated condition and as you say, complicated further with a lot of older cats with underlying kidney problems.
I can just imagine how happy your household is today :) :) :) ............ well .... at least I hope Tiffany will come round soon :innocent:
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sooo pleased to hear Trigger and Mikey seem to be doing very well. ;D
and thank you for the updates its really good to know how the I131 works and how your pussy cats have resonded to it :thanks:
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I think that most of us are eager to know more about this treatment, just in case but as Rosella says nothing is straight forward and the cat must be a purrrrrrrrrfect subject.
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So pleased Trigger is home and happy again. I'm sure the equilibrium will restore once his vet smell has gone. :hug:
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thought I would add to the record that there has been a big improvement in Trigger's poop, post I131
before it was rather pale, rather loose, very smelly and there was rather a lot of it - post I131 all these abnormalities have vanished, even after eating fish, which I had thought he was intolerant to, such was the problem
I had read that HT can upset the liver but I didn't expect such a swift and noticeable improvement
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Thats very good ;D ;D
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This is all really good news, you must be so pleased!
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Posted this in its own topic, but seeing as this is a dedicated overactive thyroid thread I'll just let you all know here that thos of you that have/have had cats with the condition I would be eternally grateful if you filled in this short questionnaire on its treatment for an A-level school project.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X3SXQLB
Thank you!
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Trigger's thyroid level 30 days after his radioactive iodine treatment is right at the bottom of the normal range, which is an ideal result for this first test :wooooo:
he has to be done again after a further 30 days, and as long as there has been no big change he will be considered permanently cured
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Sadly dancing bananas won't post on this PC but just imagine them Kay coz this is dancing banyan news if ever there was such a thing :) :) :)
Absolutely delighted for you both :hug: :hug:
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Brilliant news :briggin:
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Fabulous news, go Trigger :wow:
On behalf of Rosella: :yayyy: :narna dance: :yayyy: :narna dance:
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Thats just brilliant and hope the second test is just as good :wow: :wow: :wow:
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That's great news re Trigger!
Got some good news myself, Mickeys t4 came back at 23 which the vet said was perfect and he has been off all treatment for 6 weeks now :-. She's not sure why he had the original high dosage but said it was more than likely a virus. We just have to keep an eye on his weight, coat and appetite!!
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that's very interesting, Claire - I don't think much is known about reasons other than an overactive thyroid to raise the T4 levels, so Mickey is baffling veterinary science, it seems
I used to think regular bloodtests were too traumatic for cats, but Trigger has had to 6 so far, and doesn't seem to get too traumatised by the procedure, so I am quite a convert now (not sure I'd say the same if it was me having them :scared:)
regular weighing is a good idea too - I hope Mickey stays well, but even if he does end up with a permanently overactive thyroid, perhaps Trigger's experience will come in handy
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The vet did say about getting his weight checked regularly and that the condition of a cats coat says a lot!
She said she hasn't really got a clue as to the high reading and just guessing at a virus! It does make me wonder how accurate the in house testing was, especially as every other test has been done out of house!
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Fantastic news for Mickey too :wow: :wooooo:
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Trigger has had his 90 day post I131 test, and his thyroid levels remain at the bottom end of normal, though he is much livelier than when he first came home
more importantly there has been no deterioration in his kidney function, so he can be declared officially cured
and as an added bonus, the large lump on his front leg which was due to be removed on 10 December suddenly turned more fluidy the weekend before, and has now gone right down - clearly he had decided he'd had enough of being mucked around with ;D
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That's brilliant, ive been wondering how he's been getting on!
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This is fantastic news, Kay. I'm utterly delighted for you. ;D :dance narna:
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Kay that's excellent news!
:hug:
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Great news :wow: I'm chuffed to bits for Trigger, and his Mum :)
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Thats wonderful news, I am so pleased for Trigger ;D ;D
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yay!