Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: jezebel on January 19, 2017, 13:20:40 PM
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Oh, the joy of elderly cats - Drum has Chronic Kidney Disease and now Bass is hyperthyroid!
Has anyone's cat had the operation for this? My vet says she's not keen on it but I'm not sure why (I should have asked but she was going through all the options so there was a lot to take in).
Apparently Bass isn't ill enough to be considered for radioactive iodine therapy, so she's been put on tablets for now (I couldn't believe the price: £45 for 30 days' supply. :Crazy: )
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That's really bad luck, Jezebel. I haven't had experience of either the op or the radiotherapy option, as Paddy was not a suitable candidate for either.
Gill's just going through the radio iodine option with Misa now, and he's away at Langford for around a month.
I found this, if it's any help?
http://www.yourcat.co.uk/Indepth-cat-articles/hyperthyroidism-in-cats.html
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"Surgical removal of the affected thyroid tissue (thyroidectomy) can produce a permanent cure and is a common treatment for many cats with hyperthyroidism. In general, this is a very successful procedure and is likely to produce a long-term cure or permanent cure in most cats. However, surgery will not be successful if 'ectopic' thyroid tissue is present and even after successful surgery, occasionally signs of hyperthyroidism develop again at a later time if previously unaffected thyroid tissue becomes diseased.
To reduce anaesthetic and surgical complications, where possible it is always recommended that hyperthyroid patients are initially stabilised with anti-thyroid drugs for three to four weeks before surgery. Any associated heart disease must also be treated where necessary. Good success and avoidance of post-operative complications depend on good surgical skills, and experience is necessary to achieve good results.
The major risk associated with surgery itself is inadvertent damage to the parathyroid glands - these are small glands that lie close to, or within, the thyroid glands themselves, and have a crucial role in maintaining stable blood calcium levels. Damage to these glands can result in a life-threatening fall in blood calcium concentrations (hypocalcaemia). This is most likely to occur when both thyroid glands are removed at the same time, since this can result in damage to both parathyroid glands. To minimise the risk of this complication in those cats that require removal of both thyroid glands, it may be appropriate to perform the procedure in two stages, removing the most affected gland first and allowing six to eight weeks for recovery of parathyroid hormone production before removing the second thyroid gland.
It is usually recommended that cats remain hospitalised for a few days after surgery so that blood calcium concentrations can be monitored and any treatment given, if required. Clinical signs of low blood calcium include muscle twitches and weakness, which can progress rapidly to convulsive seizures. Treatment is with supplemental calcium by injection and then by mouth. Additional treatment with vitamin D3 is also needed to allow the calcium given by mouth to be used effectively. Once stable, continued treatment can be given at home, but in most cats the damage to the parathyroid glands is only temporary and treatment may only be needed for a few days or weeks."
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And sending very gentle snoozles for Drum and Bass. And you too. :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Are they on felimezole or vitalda as I have some 5mg vitalda s we have no Hyper T's anymore if you want them
Our max had the op and was fine but we waited for bout a year to get the most of the thyroid away and it worked well for a couple of years till the missed bit took over and he went back on tablets
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when my Trigger was hyperthyroid and the vet was discussing various options, she admitted she hated doing the operation as it is a tricky one - and she was considered an experienced surgeon - so I wonder if some vets put owners off this option because they don't want to do it
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Sue: thanks very much for posting that. Crikey, it's complicated!
Liz: Bass is on Vitalda but I think it's 15mg - but thanks for the offer, I'll bear it in mind if the dose is adjusted down.
Kay: I can see why your vet hated doing the op - it sounds horrendous, and not even particularly successful.
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I AM VERY SORRY JEZEBEL :hug: :hug:
OK , NO CAT WITH HYPER T IS NOT SICK ENOUGH FOR RADIO IODINE, BUT ITS VERY COSTLY.
IF YOUR CATS T4 LEVELS ARE STILL LOW AND SHE DOES NOT HAVE KIDNEY DISEASE ITS THE BEST OPTION.
DONT KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE BUT LANGFORD BRISTOL IS THE BEES NEES.
HOWEVER I HAVE HAD A CAT THAT HAD THE OP TOO BUT MANY MANY YEARS AGO AND MAY BE NOT AS MUCH WAS KNOW ABOUT HOW TO TREAT HYPER T THEN AS NOW AND FOR CERTAIN THEIR WAS NO MENTION OF THE KIDNEY PROBS THAT COULD BE THERE.
I DO NOT RECALL A BLOOD TEST EVEN!
THE OP DID NOT HELP AND MY SUSPICION IS THAT SHE ALREADY HAD KIDNEY PROBLEMS BECAUSE WITHIN A MONTH SHE DID.
HAVE YOU HAD A BLOOD TEST AND WHAT MEDS AND HOW MUCH IS SHE ON?
THE BEST WAY TO START MEDS IS A VERY LOW DOSE ABOUT 1.25 TWICE A DAY AND NOT VIDALTDA SP?
THEN DO BLOOD TEST AFTER A MONTH WHICH WILL SHOW IF T4 LEVELS HAVE DROPPED AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO KIDNEY LEVELS........WHAT ARE THE TV AND CREATININE LEVELS NOW?
I TOLD MY VET ON DAY ONE THAT IF POSSIBLE I WANTED MISA TO GET RADIO IODINE TREATMENT AND HE GOT IN TOUCH WITH LANGFORD, THAT WAS BEGINNING OF OCT AND IN A MONTH.NOV...........LANGFORD HAD RUNG ME AND MADE THE APPT. MISA WENT THERE ON TUES AND WILL BE TREATED NEXT WEEK.
THEY DO MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF TESTS FIRST WHICH HAPPENED TUE AND YESTERDAY AND ALTHOUGH HE IS VERY PRERENAL THE RESULTS ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR HIM TO BE TREATED.
THE KIDNEYS DO BETTER WITH INCREASED BLOOD SUPPLY WHICH HAVING HYPER T CAUSES, SO BRINGING THE HYPER T BACK TO NORMAL TAKES AWAY ANY AID FOR KIDNEY DISEASE.....THATS THE LINK.
MISAS T4 LEVELS WERE TESTED ON TUE AND HAD INCREASED MASSIVELY SINCE HE WAS DIAGNOSED AND RUNNING AT 500.
ON MY MISA ILL I NEED HELP THREAD NICOLA AND HEATHER HAVE ALSO WRITTEN LOADS OF GOOD INFO AND THINK I ALSO HAVE A PM FROM NICOLA WITH LOADS MORE INFO.
SADLY NICOLA HAD 2 CATS AT SAME TIME WITH THIS AND NEITHER WERE CANDIDATES FOR RADIO IODINE BUT HEATHERS CAT SYLVIE WAS TREATED AND HER T4 LEVELS WERE HIGHER THAN MISAS AND SHE IS NOW CURED AND A TUBBY LITTLE CAT AGAIN.
MISA HAS LOST ABOUT HALF OF HIS BODY WEIGHT RIGHT NOW AND THEY HAVE PUT HIM BACK ON MEDS COS HIS LEVELS SO HIGH BUT HE WILL BE TAKEN OFF 2 DAYS BEFORE TREATMENT........THEY HAVE JUST RUNG ME TO GIVE ME AN UPDATE.
IF I CAN HELP AT ALL PLEASE LET ME KNOW COS I FOUND IT SUCH A STRAIN I HAVE BECOME VERY ILL BUT EVERYONE ON PURRS HAS HELPED ME SO MUCH.
:hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Thank you Gill.
Fortunately, I think we caught it early. Bass had been eating a lot and not gaining weight (she hasn't lost any either but has always been a slinky little thing anyway!). She'd been howling a lot (which is what made me take her to the vet) but had no other signs - her coat is lovely and glossy, and she's not restless or aggressive.
She's had blood and urine tests, both came back fine apart from the Hyper T. She's on Vitalda - I think it's 15mg - and will have another blood test in four weeks.
TBH, I'm in two minds about radiotherapy treatment. I'm not too worried about the expense - she's insured (at least for the first 12 months of treatment) but I can't bear the thought of her in a cage by herself for four weeks.
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your description of her symptoms sound just like Trigger was - he doubled his food intake without putting on weight, but showed no other signs of the disease - as he was only 11 the radioactive iodine treatment was best for him, because with medication the tumour goes on growing, and so is not a good option for a cat with a good few years ahead of him/her
his T4 level started off at around 60 when he was referred for treatment, and he was basically a healthy cat, so don't understand the comment that Bass isn't ill enough for I-131. I'm afraid it sounds as if your vet is not well up on this condition, and its treatment, and only knows to chuck medication, at too high a level, at it
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PLEASE BE AWARE THATTHE DRUG SHE IS ON IS KNOW TO MAKE CATS VERY ILL AND THE DOSEAGE IS TOO HIGH.
THE FACT THAT ITS BEEN CAUGHT VERY EARLY IS BETTER FOR RADIO IODINE TREATMENT AND SADLY IT IS LIKELY SHE WILL GO DOWN HILL FROM HOW SHE IS NOW.
MOST VETS DO NOT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT THE BEST TREATMENT START THEM ON THIS DRUG OR THE OTHER ONE WITH TOO HIGH DOSEAGE .....MY VET WAS THE SAME COS THEYARE FOLLOWING WHAT BTHEY KNOW TO BE THE GUIDANCE DOSE ON THE MEDS.
MISA WAS ON A LIQUID FORM OF THE OTHER DRUG AND I SPOKE TO THE VET WHO WORKS AT THE COMPANY AND ALTHOUGH THEIR GUIDANCE WITH THE MEDS IS DOUBLE THE DOSE THAT MISA STARTED ON SHE SAID YES THAT IS TOO HIGH REALLY!!
OK WE THEN HADN TO INCREASE IT FOR MISA AND ALSO AGAIN BUT STILL NO GOOD.
SADLY I DIDNT REALIZE THE SHOUTING FOR WATER AND FOOD DURING THE SUMMER WAS AN INDICATION OF ANYTHING BUT ITS WHEN HIS JELLY BELLY WENT THAT BELLS STARTED TO RING. I SO WISH I HAD PICKED IT UP EARLIER.
I JOINED AN AMERICAN HYPER T GROUP BUT HAD A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH ONE OF THEM ON NEW YEARS DAY AND THINK THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW WHICH DAMAGED MY HEALTH SO BAD.
PROTOCALS ON RADIO IODINE TREATMENT BARE VERY DIFFERENTHERE TO IN THE STATES AND WE ARE NOT SO CAREFREE ABOUT THE RADIOACTIVITY AND AS WE LIVE IN THE UK , UK RULES APPLY.
IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE SEE IF THE WILL PAY FOR RADIOIODINE ITS ABOYT £2,200 AT LNGFORD AND IF HER LEVELS ARE STILL VERY LOW IT SHOULD BE A ONE OFF AND THEN COMPLETE CURE.
DIFFERING LEVELS OF IT ARE GIVEN AND MISAS WILL BE INTERMEDIATE AND THEY SAID IF HE NEEDS FURTHER TREATMENT IT WILL BE ABOUT 20% OF THAT.
WONT GO INTO DETAILS OF WHY HE COULD NEED MORE YET BUT ITS HOPED IT WILL FULLY WORK FIRST TIME.
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My vet discussed surgery with me for Silvie and she recommended the RI therapy as it has the greatest success rate, around 97-98%. Surgery can work, but she did tell me they don't always get all the thyroid tissue and it can grow back which means further surgery. She said it is very tricky surgery and a lot of vets do not like doing it. ALso there is always a slight risk of going under anaesthetic, especially in an older cat. The RI is jus slight sedation and an injection under the skin at back of neck. THe only downside is meds first to stablise the T4 and then them having to stay away from home until no longer radio active. I would def recommend the RI - its much safer and a better chance of cure. If after the 1st injection, I was told a very small percent of cats need a further injection, but its very rare. My older cat Tabby who is 21 has been hyperthyroid for a good few years but she is on pills, although the little madam is refusing them at the moment as she has been ill with some sort of infection. She is not insured any more but I wouldnt put her thru leaving home at her age and I couldnt afford it anyway :( You could always ring one of the veterinary centres that do this treatment, I rang quite a few to get more advice about it and they were all really really helpful :Luv:
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The Vitalda does start high and having had 4 Hyper T's started on it can say with no issues and to help with kidney issues there are phosphate binders which can be added to the food to help negate the side effects as well.
My main consideration was always the cat and my 4 just couldn't have done the away from home or the isolation with no handling at all due to the radio iodine and my biggest fear was if they for any reason took a turn for the worst they would never come home and would have to be disposed of as radio active waste, so we went with the tablets for 3 and the operation for one and managed to get all levels stable and happy in fact Max was Hyper T for 10 years before he died last April so we did something right
Iodine is not for everyone's cat or their owners especially if you can tablet the cat and have faith in your vets and yourself to be able to medicate the cat then sometimes tableting is the way to go
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I got the dose wrong, she's on 10mg, not 15. :-[
Liz, I feel the same - just the thought of her being miles away from home for several weeks with no contact horrifies me. She has history of not coping well with change - she hid for the first three months she was with us, and cried and was scared of everything. It's why her nickname is Boo. :) Plus, she's 16 now, and I think she might be just a bit too old to cope.
But I'll talk over everything with the vet when I take her back in a month.
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MISA IS 15/16 WAS AN ABUSED CAT, IS TERRIFIED OF ALL PEOPLE EXCEPT ME AND RUNS AND HIDES.
HE IS DOING REALLY WELL AT LANGFORD AND THEIR CARE IS SECOND TO NONE. THEY ARE ALSO TRYING TO HELP HIS ARTHRITUS AND TAKING SUCH GOOD CARE OF HIM.
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You don't have to decide right now - if you find her easy to dose, and the Vidalta (or Felimazole, the alternative) gets her T4 level down without side effects, you can look at alternatives at your leisure
I decided right away on the I-131 for Trigger because of his age and temperament, but every cat is different
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When I took Silvie to Barton Vets I had a really long chat with the vet there, and he was saying that there are so many hyperthyroid cats around these days, and its a shame most people opt for pills/surgery when the Radio iodine is by far the best. He said that sadly a lot of cat owners cant bear the fact of leaving their cat for up to a month somewhere strange but after a day or so he said the cats they have in (2 a week) have always settled down and are fine. Silvie ,even after she was radioactive was still looked after every day, they go in at least 3 times to see them and after about 4 days they let them out in an exercise area where there are toys, scratching posts etc. He also said he had treated cats of 20 before, as a lot of cats do seem to live much longer these days.
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It's such a complicated condition. Such varied treatments. Such varied levels of illness and symptons. Cats seem to react quite differently to the medication and so important to keep an eye on them for initial week of meds or so and go back to vet if anything seems awry.
Vets experience also seems so varied and more recent advice on dosage levels esp if T4 levels not sky high is lower.
Then of course there is age of cat and temperament.
Given all of that and a worried slave. It's really a very tricky decision to have to make.
Best advice I can think of if med work OK is to take your time and look into everything thoroughly.
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It's such a complicated condition. Such varied treatments. Such varied levels of illness and symptons. Cats seem to react quite differently to the medication and so important to keep an eye on them for initial week of meds or so and go back to vet if anything seems awry.
Exactly!
At her age, I'm not convinced putting her through the isolation of radiotherapy treatment is right. But if she doesn't get on with the pills, I might have to consider it.
Anyhow, from what I've learned about the surgery, I'm not at all keen on it now so at least that's one less thing to think about - thank you!
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I would maybe have another discussion with your vet and talk through your concerns about each of the options available. In the meantime, am sending more snoozles for Drum and Bass to be applied liberally. :hug:
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Thank you Sue! Bass is being quite forgiving at having a pill thrust down her throat every day - probably because she's being spoiled with treats! I hope the pills work soon though, the howling is quite alarming. :scared:
I will be asking lots of questions when I take Bass for her next blood test in four weeks.
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My friends cat had one last year so if you have any specific questions let me know as I am seeing her tomorrow :hug:
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Thanks alisonandarchie - how long since her cat's op and was it effective?
How old is her cat?
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The op was last spring and her cat is 12.
It was effective, saw him last on New Years Eve. He has put on weight since the op.
The only prob she had was he had a very small fit but that was last summer and he has been ok since.
If there is anything else do let me know :hug:
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Thanks, but I don't think there is. With the operation, my main concern is how effective it is long term.
I spoke to someone yesterday at the shelter, and their vet does lots of these ops on the shelter cats - apparently with good results, so I might get a second opinion from him as the practice isn't too far away.
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Good idea.
Let me know if you think of any more questions :hug:
I know my friend is happy so far esp as he has put on weight
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My cat has hyperthriodism And surgery just before we adopted her she was 14. She us also renal failure stage 2 and I suppose that's why she has been 6 months in CP :( until we saw her and fell in love with her given her furever home.
She was ok for 2 years, now she is 17 and was put on medicine as she lost it of weight and her results were not great, and that made her feel better. I hope she will be with us a lot longer❤
She is bit too old to have another surgery so we will try make her feel as good as she can as long as we can.
Also our vet (pets at home) charging us every time different amount for pills last time 14 pills for £20 and first time it was 21 for £30, whatever I got fed up and requested prescription paid 9-10£ and bought online the same thing for £20 for 100!
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JUST TO SAY JEZABEL THAT MISA CAME HOME FROM LANGFORD ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO NOW NERLY 4 I THINK AND HIS T4 LEVEL WHEN ADMITTED HAD SHOT UP TO 400 PLUS SO HE HAD BECOME WORSE VERY BRAPIDLY.
HE DID REALLY WELL AT LANGFORD AND I ELECTED FOR MY HEALTH REASONS FOR HIM TO STAY LONGER UNTIL HE WAS NO LONGERVRADIOACTIVE..........ACTUALLY HE WAS STILL FOR 3 DAYS BUT COULD HAVE LEFT 2 WEEKS EARLIER.
HE WAS GIVEN THE HIGHEST DOSE OF RADIO IODINE THAT THEY GIVE TO NON-CANCER PATIENTS AND THINK HIS TUMOUR WAS GROWING VERY RAPIDLY.
WHEN HE LEFT I WAS SHOCKED AND AMAZED THAT HIS T4 LEVELS WERE NORMAL.
I DONT KNW HOW FAR YOU ARE FROM LANGFORD BUT THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY GREAT WITH CATS.
MY VET DIDNT TBH KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM BUT I SUGGESTED LANGFORD TO HIM WHEN HE OFFERED PILLS FOR MISA AND BEFORE HE WENT HE WAS ON A LIQUID MED THAT I MIXED WITH A BIT OF GRAVEY, WAS CALLED THYRONORM AND IS RELATIVELY NEW.
HE LOVED IT AND IT HAS A HONEY FLAVOUR SO IS SWEET.
MY VET NOW SAYS HE WILL SUGGEST LANGFORD TO OTHER CLIENTS WITH SUITABLE HYPER T CATS.THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE ASSESED BY LANGFORD BEFORE TREATMENT AND THEN THEY PRDER THE IODINE. DUE TO MY HEALTH AND THE DISTANCE WE HAD TO TRAVEL I ALSO ELECTED FOR MISA TO STAY THERE FOR THOSE EXTRA DAYS TOO.
I HAD DAILY REPORTS DURING THE FIRST WEEK AND AFTER TREATMENT TWICE A WEEK. BY THE TIME HE LEFT HE WAS ASKING FOR ATTENTION WHEN THEY WENT INTO HIS LIVING QUARTERS AND HE ENJOYED BEING GROOMED.
ITS ONLY THE 2 WEEKS AFTER TREATMENT THEY ARE IN A SPECIAL RADIOACTIVE ISOLATION AREA BUT THEY ARE STILL MANAGED BY THE SPECIALIST STAFF SO SEE AND MEET THEM DURING THE DAY.
I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT MISA GOING ETC ETC THAT IT MADE ME VERY ILL AND NEARLY 3 MONTHS ON I AM STILL NOT FULLY RECOVERED, MISA HOWEVER IS DOING WELL :innocent:
HE WAS A VERY BIG CAT AND HAS LOST HALF HIS BODY WEIGHT WHILE ILL AND I CAN RECOMMEND THIS TREATMENT EVEN FOR A TERRIFIED OF PEOPLE CAT WHO WAS ABUSED AS A YOUNG CAT.
IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE OR THE MONEY £2300 APPROX THEN IF SUITABLE THIS IS THE WAY TO GO FOR A COMPLETE CURE.
MY THREADS ON MISA WHILE AT LANGFORD ARE IN HEALTH SECTION................IN THE NEWS ONE AFRAID I SORTA DRIFT ALONG AS I REMEMBERED THINGS BUT USED IT AS A DIARY WHEN THEY RANG ME AND QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ETC.
PLEASE GIVE IT A READ.
MISA HAS TO HAVE A BLOOD TEST IN ABOUT 4 WEEKS.............8 WEEKS FROM LEAVING LANGFORD AND THEN BE MONITORED REGULARLY BY BLOOD TESTS FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS UNTIL PRONOUNCED CURED. IF FOR SOME REASON HE WASNT CURED HE WOULD GO BACK TO LANGFORD FOR A TOP UP DOSE WHICH IS VERY SMALL BUT THAT IS NOT EXPECTED AS HE HAD SUCH A GREAT RESULT WHEN HE LEFT.
PLEASE PM ME IF YOU WISH AND WE CAN TALK ON THE PHONE.
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Thanks Gill. I'm pleased Misa has responded so well to the treatment.
We're nowhere near Langford, but there's a centre about 20 miles away which does this treatment.
I had to take Bass back to the vet on Wednesday as she wasn't looking very well - she's got bald patches which seem to have appeared quite quickly. Vet said it could be a (very rare) reaction to the meds, because apart from that she seemed fine. Taking her back in a week just to be on the safe side, and might get her tested again, so while we're still getting her stabilised, we can't plan anything else.
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At Langford in terms of T4 etc they dont have to be STABALIZED AS THEY UNDERSTAND SOME CATS CANT B PILLED...............WISH VETS WOULD UNDERSTAND!........AND SOME CANT TAKE THE MEDS.
SO I WAS EXPECTING A LONG WAIT LIKE 6 MONTHS AT LEAST TO GET A LANGFOR APPT BUT THEY RANG ME WITH A DATE I MONTH AFTER BEING CONTACTED WITH MY VET AND THEY ALSO WILL WORK WITH THE VET.
SORRY YOU ARE SO FAR AWAY FROM THEM AS THEY REALLY ARE A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE............I AM ABOUT 2.5 HRS PLUS DRIVING AWAY FROM LANGFORD BUT IT IS NEAREST CENTRE AND WHEN COLLECTING MISA STAYED AT TRAVEL LODGE ABOUT 9 MILES FROM THERE TO BREAK UP THE JOURNEY.
ITS REALLY WORTH THE TRAVEL IN MY OPINION AND THEY CAN STAY THERE IN GREAT ACCOMODATION AND WELL LOOKED AFTER BETWEEN ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT, YOU WOULD NEED AN IMMEDIATE BLOOD TEST AND THEN ANOTHER AFTER 4 WEEKS OR IS IT 6!......MY THREAD SAYS............SO THE T4 LEVELS ARE MONITORED BEFORE TREATMENT BUT LANGFORD ONLY HAD 2 FOR MISA AND WHEN THEY TESTED HIM ON ARRIVAL, IN 2-3 WEEKS HIS LEVELS HAD ALMOST TRIPLED.................MEDS NOT WORKING OR NOT HIGH ENOUGH DOSE?? IT JUST SO IMPORTANT TO GET THIS ALL UP AND RUNNING ASAP COS HAVE TO THINK IF WE HAD WAITED TOO MUCH LONGER MISA WOULD HAVE IN MORE TROUBLE THAN POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED. :( :(
HOPE THAT YOU CAN GET BASS SORTED OUT QUICKLY :hug: :hug:
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Another recommendation for the RI treatment. My cat Silvie had it last year her thyroid levels were 500 after stopping her meds but that was in May 2016. She is now home and her thyroid levels are now back to normal. She went to Barton Vets in Canterbury, Kent. Def worth while :Luv:
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Canterbury would be my nearest centre.
Heather, how old is Silvie and how long was she away for?
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Silvie was 11 when she had treatment but they did say they had treated cats of 20 before! She was away for 4 weeks and 3 days but had a huge dose of RI as her T4 was sky high and I think it takes a bit longer for them to pass it out. Cannot fault Barton Vet Centre at all, very friendly, updated me every day on their vet type facebook page where you can ask questions and rang me at least 3 times a week. the first week she was away was the worst the 2nd week not so bad and time the 3rd week came round I knew it would not be too long before she was home. (She was also insured) :Luv:
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Thanks Heather.
Bass is 17 this year but more importantly she doesn't cope well with change. She's a quiet little thing, and I don't think she'd be easy for the nursing staff to interact with. When we first got her, she hid under a wardrobe for three months!
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Jezebel, have you looked at Gill's thread on Misa? He is also a shy and retiring cat, but by the end of his stay he was demanding fuss and welcoming grooming, which, I think he was resistant to before. :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Yes I have seen the thread - thanks Paula.
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MISA WAS THE SAME ALTHOUGH HE HAD A GOOD REASON AND HID UNDER A RECLINER, HE STILL HIDES WHEN SOMEBODY COMES INTO THE HOUSE ALTHOUGH NOTB IMMEDIATELY THE DOORBELL GOES ANYMORE,WHICH HE DID BEFORE LANGFORD.
I DONT KNOW ABOUT CANTERBURY BUT LANGFORD HAD SPECIALIST CAT NURSES AND THEY HAD NO CONTACT WITH ANY OTHER ANIMAL AND ALSO THE WARDS FOR CATS WERE SEPERATE FROM THOS OF OTHER ANIMALS.
MISA WILL,BE 17 AY END OF JULY WHICH WAS HIS GOTCHA DAY, SO MAYBE 17 ALREADY.
I THINK THAT BASS WILL BE OK AND I KNOW HOW DIFFERENT CATS ACT WHEN WITH OTHER PEOPLE...........SASA AND LUPIN WITH PAULA FOR INSTANCE LOL.
I WAS TERRIFIED ABIUT MISA GOING, PART WOULD THEY ACCEPT HIM FOR TREATMENT BUT ALSO HOW WOULD HE COPE.............HE COPED FINE I DIDNT AND AM STILL TRYING TO RECOVER!
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Silvie is also a very nervous cat and scared of people,doorbells, noises etc and I was also really worried about her going, but she settled in really quickly. Even didnt bother to wake up sometimes when they went in to see her :evillaugh: I rang Barton vets before going there and had long chat with the vet nurses who were really nice. Its also manned 24/7 so always someone there. I think its run by a different vet group in the evenings.
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At the end of the day, she is your cat, you know her and will do the best you can for her. :care: :care: :care:
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My Trigger was treated at Rowe Veterinary Centre in Wooton-under-Bassett in 2014 - he was there for 16 days
I was told he never made a fuss or demanded attention- just quietly watched everything going on around him
He came back heavier than he went which showed he must have been OK as he was not a big eater
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I think its run by a different vet group in the evenings.
Yes, it is our local Vets Now. I'm not sure how that works with the staffing though.
I have only used Barton Vets when I had an eye referral for Kylie. My vet at the time had spent over year prescribing various antibiotics for her eye issue. I took her to see Vanessa, the eye specialist there.She took one look and said she had an idea what it was straight away. She took a scraping and returned in 5 minutes, saying that after looking under a microscope,her suspicion was confirmed and it wasn't and infection at all, but a an immune system thing (Keratoconconjunctivitis) which we were able to control from day one ;D
PS - We only had one Hyper-T cat. I had spoken to my vet about having the radioiodine treatment for him,but my vet said that with his other health issues, it wasn't possible, as one they have had the injection, they can't treat them for any other issues until the radiation is at a safe level, so it was too risky - not to mention the fact that he was such a daddy's boy, that the vet said he was likely to fret if he was left. I think any decent vet would take everything into consideration- but I think it is probably the best thing for an otherwise, healthy cat.
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Poor Bass isn't having a good time. She's lost some fur from the top of her head - I've noticed her scratching around her head/face - and is looking a bit patchy on her shoulders.
Vet saw her last night and diagnosed an ear infection. I've got some drops to put in her ear, and I have to take her back in a week. If the patchy fur loss hasn't improved, the vet said she will change the medication.
On the plus side, I've heard of a new centre that can do the radioactive iodine treatment in five days - not sure how they manage it. Unfortunately for Bass, it's in Yorkshire - I don't think she'd appreciate the five-hour drive. :shocked: But it might mean it the shorter stay becomes more common.
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I also saw the place in Yorkshire that does it in under a week, but was a bit worried about if I went somewhere like that and she came home early, if there were problems we would have a long journey back again. Canterbury was only an hour and a quarter so a better choice for me. Hope Bass feels better soon :Luv: Coconut oil is good for hair loss, just rub a little bit onto the bald spots.
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DAN POST BEEN STOLEN, WILL HAVE TO REWRITE TOMORROW
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I've had to take Bass off the vidalta.
Initially she did well on it but then there was the scratching and fur loss and now she's really lethargic. She doesn't even struggle when I pick her up (and she hates being picked up). She either sleeps or wanders around looking confused and shouting. And her fur is still patchy.
I rang the vet last night who said to stop the pills for a week to see if that's the cause - I'm pretty sure it is. I'm really worried about her, though.
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VIDALTA IS THE WORST OF THE TWO MEDS AND PROBABLY BETTER OFF ON FEMIZOLE....WELL SOMETHING LIKE THAT BUT THE KEY IS STARTING ON A VERY SMALL DOSEAGE WHICH VETS DO NOT UNDERSTAND AND ALSO AGAINST THE MAKERS ADVICE.
WHAT ARE HER T4 READINGS AND WHEN WAS THAT BLOOD TEST?
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Sorry, don't know the T4 markings. Last blood test was in February.
I don't think there's a smaller dose of Vidalta than 10mg.
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Maybe worth asking for Felimezole as it comes in I think 2, 5 and 10mg tablets sometimes hey can become intolerant to Vitalda I know our Max did and ended up on the Feli whereas Clio did it the opposite way round and was great on Vitalda
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Silvie was on Vidalta and didn't have any problems and Tabby was on Felimazole 2.5 tabs twice a day and then when she stopped eating, she had the ear gel (very expensive though, £62 for a tube) :Crazy: I hope Bass feels better soon, does seem like the meds don't agree with her :(
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Yes, vet say she'll try Felimazole if the vidalta is causing the problems.
But I don't think the doses are comparable because they have different active ingredients.
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YOU ARE RIGHT THE DOSAGES ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT BUT YOU NEED TO GET THE T4 READINGS FROM THE BLOOD TEST AND START KEEPING RECORDS.
THE T4 READINGS TELL YOU HOW WELL THE SITUATION IS BEING CONTROLLED AND HOW GOOD OR BAD IT IS. IT ALSO DETERMINES THE AMOUNT OF DRUGS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN AND TOO HIGH A DOSE IS NOT GOOD,
IT IS RECOMMENDED FROM THE EXPERTS.....NOT VETS LOL...........THAT YOU START ON A VERY LOW DOSAGE AND INCREASE GRADUALLY UNTIL T4 LEVELS ARE STABLE.
THIS IS NOT A STRAIGHT FORWARD ILLNESS AND WHY THE RADIO IODINE IF FEASABLE IS SUCH A GOOD THING.
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I always read data sheets thoroughly when giving the cats medication as it's me who will notice any adverse reactions. It is particularly important the stronger the meds and hyperT meds are strong. NOAH compendium gives data sheets for all meds that I have ever come across.
Sadly it is true what Gill says about vets often seemingly not fully up to date with prescribing for hyperT. It is certainly advisable for you to be in possession of blood results so you can get a feel for how Bass is responding to treatment :hug: :hug: :hug:
You are right that dosages of Vidalta are different to Felimazole too.
I do wish your beautiful girl all the very best :hug: :hug:
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Earlier in this thread you mentioned vet had said that blood results not bad enough to indicate iodine treatment. Putting aside whether or not this is ever the case, it would at least mean T4 levels not seriously high.
I had similar situation with our Tom years ago and his blood tests showed raised liver enzymes after a short spell on 10mg Vidalta and had to stop altho vet was reluctant as I recall. Sadly he had other problems mainly anaemia and was 19 and wouldn't eat so we had to say goodbye so didn't have chance to try other meds.
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When I had Silvie tested for thyroid in June 2015 her levels were normal. As she kept eating at least 4 sachets of food a day as well as biscuits I decided to have her retested in October 2015. (only 5 months later) and they were sky high in that short space of time (around 200) :Crazy:. So even if levels are low at the moment, they can escalate very quickly.
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Thanks everyone. I think Bass is a little brighter today, she's definitely less lethargic. Fingers crossed it was the.Vidalta and not anything else.
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I've kept Bass off the vidalta and she's now a lot brighter - her fur's growing back too.
However, vet has told me it's likely she would have the same reaction no matter which meds she was on, so surgery is now the only option. (I know the radioactive iodine treatment is effective and I've given it a lot of thought but I really don't think she would cope alone for such a long time.)
She's lost weight over the last couple of week, unfortunately, and her levels are now very high (she was tested yesterday) so I've booked her in for next Tuesday.
Will be worried sick all day. :scared:
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good luck with the op- apart from the risk of damaging the parathyroids, which I'm sure you've been told about by the vet, there is little downside to it, especially at her age
some cats have dispersed excess thyroid tissue, which remains after the removal of the glands, and goes on causing problems, but this is more likely when no actually tumour can be felt in the thyroid - so I think you have to go with your vet on this one - if it doesn't work, or further problems occur down the line, you can deal with those when it happens
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Our Max has his removed 2 years after being diagnosed and the vitalda stopped working he stayed overnight after surgery and it looks worse than it is the parents eyes - he had a bald front and legs and a lot of staples holding the wound together, he had a wonderful 18 months before the tiny bit they couldn't access started to grow again and he spent his last 5 years of life on felimezole he was diagnosed at age 8 and died peacefully at 17 after throwing a saddle back thrombosis which sadly killed his brother Merlin 8 months before
We will keep all paws crossed for your girl and are here should you need to chat about the operation and be a shoulder to lean on
As owners we know our cats and what after discussions with our vets we feel is the best route to travel so we wish you well
What maybe best for some is not the be all and end all
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Liz and Kay - thanks for sharing your experiences.
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Don't take offence from Gill after all her cat had the Iodine treatment but won't be having a follow up blood test as she can't get to the vets and seems to be against everyone offering advice or help
At the end o the day you know your baby and have faith in your vets and now have some support if you need it Max lived till he was 17 and had a great run and there are binders and all sorts of things that can be taken to help with any potential damage to the kidneys - Mark is the man to contact re the binders as he has Laz on them for a lot of years with good results
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Thanks Liz. Sorry for my ignorance but what are binders?
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Something to do with binding certain things cats need from their food Hyper T can cause them to rum on through with no benefit the cats need form food as I say IM Mark he is a mine of information on Kidney issues
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I'm sure once the op is done the vet will go through everything anyway so don't worry - Mark is a mine of information about all sorts, he has had a few not very straight forward cats in his time - as have you Liz I'm sure!
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Still have some them as well :) With my numbers as my vets says at least you have most things covered having had 4 hyper T's and know what worked for them as well as 4 diabetics and the rest on stuff to maintain their quality of life and keep them all healthy and happy
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Gill, Jezebel, please see my PM.
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Gill, I'm sorry you feel the op killed your cat, but there are lots of factors in cats that influence things so each cat is different. When I had a hyper-t cat, his was only treated with meds because he was uninsured - in hindsight the best decision as he died from oral cancer 10 months later
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When we had Paddy, he was treated with meds, although they were less than effective as he would continually spit them out, even when we thought we'd successfully got them down him. He wasn't a suitable candidate for the op or Iodine treatment due to other medical conditions. Vet felt it was better to monitor quality of life given his age and other problems, and I believe that was the right course of action.
Every cat needs to be treated on merit, and we can't know what that will be without having the relevant background knowledge of the cat in question.
What we can all do is support a member's choice, and keep our attention focused on a positive outcome, and in this I'm sure we all agree.
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I have been very fortunate, given my propensity for older adopted cats, never to have experienced a Hyper T cat. This thread has been really informative, and should the worst happen would be a really good point of reference.
As has been said, all of our cats are different, have other underlying problems or not which influence treatments and outcomes, we just have to do the best we can with what we have to work with, there is no right or wrong.
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Thinking of you and Bass this morning hope all goes well x
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Best of luck for today :hug:
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Just passing by to wish your beautiful girl all the best for today's operation :hug: :hug: :hug:
Do let us know when it's over and she's recovering. You'll both be in my thoughts today :hug:
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Adding my thoughts and good wishes too, Jezebel, and keeping everything crossed for today. :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Aw, thanks everyone for your thoughts and good wishes. It really means a lot.
Will be taking Bass to the vets in an hour. Poor little thing can't understand why she's not had any breakfast!
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Everything crossed for you both. :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Moray, Malt and Barley Black-stockings wanted to send extra snoozles to Bass, please. :catlove2: :cat rub: :catplay2:
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Extra snoozles much appreciated.
Vet says she will phone after 2 this afternoon. Hopefully Bass can come home later but there's a chance she will have to stay overnight.
It's going to be a long day. :tired:
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I hope that everything has gone smoothly for your girl - and that the time is passing for you more quickly than you feared :hug:
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Everything crossed that Bass flies through the op and can come home today. :hug: :hug: :hug:
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Fingers crossed for her, I know how hard it is waiting for the phone call
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Bass is fine! :wooooo:
The op went as planned and apparently she's awake and standing, although, unsurprisingly, very groggy.
I might be able to collect her this evening, unless they decide later that she needs to stay in overnight.
SO RELIEVED!
Thank you all for your thoughts and good wishes, they really helped me today. :hug:
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glad to hear it! I'm sure you can't wait to get her home :hug:
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You and Bass are very welcome. :hug: :hug: :hug: Sending get home vibes to her. :Luv:
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Yay!!! That's great, Jezebel. ;D
Topping up the gentlest of snoozles for Bass (and a hug for you! :hug:) :catlove2: :cat rub: :catplay2:
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The best news :) If they keep Bass in its usually for the calcium levels to be monitored - that's what happened to our darling Max but he was home the next day x
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Glad the op went well, here's to a full recovery for her now :Luv:
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Aww, so pleased it went well
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Bass is home!
She's just demolished nearly two bowls of food and has finally settled on the sofa with us. She seems fine - she's had Metacam, so probably feeling comfortable. She's in a better state than I thought she'd be.
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Great news!
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Great news x
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Am so pleased for you. :)
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Am so pleased for you. :)
You took the words literally out of my mouth Sue. :hug: :hug: :hug: and lots of gentle snoozles to Bass. :Luv: :Luv: :Luv:
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Such good news :) :) Isn't it brilliant that she's eating so well so soon after surgery :wow:
Hope you get some sleep tonight. Metacam is fab stuff and will keep your baby comfy during the night :hug:
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It certainly is! She's spent the evening going between the sofa and her bowl - she's there now.
She's got a slight cough, I'm guessing it's from the op and whatever they did to her throat.
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Tip-going by to say "Morning Bass. Hope you had a comfy night" - which applies to you, too, Jezebel. How're things this morning?
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Your guess about the slight cough makes sense but obviously best to ring vet to run it by them to put your mind at rest :hug:
Hope Bass was OK overnight.
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I would imagine the cough is from the op, Lucy had one, but because of what she's had done, I'd ring to be on the safe side
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glad it all went well, hope you both had a good night
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Bass slept in her usual place on the bed and snored all night!
She seems fine this morning. The cough has disappeared and she's eaten half a tin of her favourite Gourmet pate, laced with Metacam. :sneaky:
I'm working from home today to keep an eye on her, but I don't think she's going to move far from the bed.
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That's great, Jezebel :hug: :hug:
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Here's my girl taking it easy today on the sofa - the second photo shows a tiny glimpse of her shaved neck, but she was a bit shy about showing it. (She was lucky, she didn't need any external stiches.)
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She is looking good Max was like he had had his throat cut, long may it continue they seem to come back stronger than we are x
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:wow: :wow: Doesn't she look good? And she really is stunning, isn't she? She looks relaxed in that photo. You must be so chuffed! :hug: :hug:
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Very chuffed, I just hope it continues. She had an odd five minutes earlier when she wandered around looking confused and shouting, but the vet said it might be 48 hours before she's back to normal (whatever that is!).
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aww that is such a good update!!
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Aww, that's a very neat scar, glad the cough has gone
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Bass. :Luv: :Luv: :Luv:
How is she now Jezebel? :hug:
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Bass is doing really well, thanks Paula. She had her first post-op check on Saturday and the vet was very pleased with her. Wound is good, with very little swelling, and she's eating well and seems happy.
She's turned into a total snuggle monster - whenever I'm on the sofa, she cuddles up to me, which she's never done before. And something's happened to her purr - it's really loud now and she also has that high pitched, "musical" purr, which I'm sure she didn't have before. Perhaps the vet upgraded her purr when she was operating. :wow:
Seriously, though, I think I'm going to ask the vet if having the growth on the thyroid removed has made it easier for Bass to purr. Or is that complete nonsense? :Crazy:
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I'm so glad the op has gone so well
I'd certainly mention her purring, as either the vet will know why (some alteration to her vocal cords perhaps? HT does make them yowly, after all) or will find the info adds to his own store of knowledge
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Aww, glad she is doing well. The thyroid is near the vocal cords so I suppose it could be connected
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I'm so glad the op has gone so well
I'd certainly mention her purring, as either the vet will know why (some alteration to her vocal cords perhaps? HT does make them yowly, after all) or will find the info adds to his own store of knowledge
Really good point Kay.
Very pleased Bass is doing so well. :hug: :hug:
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So pleased things are going so well and Max's purr became louder as well :)
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More good news!
The vet rang earlier with the biopsy result, and the tumour was benign. Also, it seems that she managed to remove it all (so less chance of hyprT recurring). She said the results were exactly what she was hoping for! :cheer:
I asked her about the loud purr but she'd never come across that before.
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can't tell you how pleased I am to read that :hug: :hug: :hug:
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:yayyy: :narna dance: :dance: That has put a huge grin on my face. :) :) :hug:
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I guess you're purring pretty loudly yourself now :Luv:
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Aww, that's great news
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We're a very purry household now!
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Fab news! Delighted for you both :happy dance:
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That is such good news Jezebel, I can't tell you how pleased I am for you all. :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:
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Thanks everyone! :)
Bass has another check-up on Friday, then in a few weeks a blood test.
Now all I want is for her to put some weight on.
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To help get weight back on we popped ours on to kitten food mixed with Complivit Food supplement my best weight gain was 200grams in a week great stuff is Complivit
Am so pleased all is well
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Great news! So pleased it's all gone so well.
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I also used complivit when amber was going downhill (treating cat flu but actually cancer) and I'm sure it kept her going, it doesn't look very tasty though I have to say!
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Thanks Liz and Dawn, that's a good idea.
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How's are you and Bass doing, Jezebel?
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Very well, thanks Sue. :)
The vet was pleased with her on Friday. Her fur is growing back nicely and she's put on a tiny bit of weight. She's also pretty much back to her strange little self - I'd forgotten how weird she can be (in a good way) sometimes! The other day I found her staring at the side of the sofa. I never did find out why. Sometimes I'll walk into a room and she'll be there to greet me - when I could have sworn I just saw her downstairs. :Crazy:
The next big event will be in a couple of weeks when she has her levels checked. A lot is hanging on those results. :scared:
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:evillaugh: :evillaugh: The old Cat Teleportation trick, eh? I've never worked out how they do that.
Will be keeping everything well and truly crossed that she continues to do well and that her levels will be just fine and dandy when they're next tested. :)
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Yesterday Bass had her first blood test since the op. Her levels are now 32.7 (down from 101), which the vet is reasonably happy with (although she said she would like it a little lower).
She's also put on a little more weight, but is still nearly a kilo less than a year ago so we'll have to feed her more pies!
She still seems like her old self - happy and weird - so I'm cautiously hopeful for her.
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awww great news :Luv:
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That really is good news. ;D
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Happy and weird is good. :Luv: ;D ;D ;D
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Great news and weird is good x
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Great news
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SO PLEASED FOR BASS :hug: :hug: