Topic: Overactive thyroid (Read 20146 times)

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #26 on:** September 14, 2012, 13:26:44 PM »

See the NOAH link I posted for Vidalta - this is under adverse reactions............

"Dermatological signs (pruritus, moist dermatitis, erythema, alopecia) have also been reported"

LouiseJ · « **Reply #25 on:** September 14, 2012, 12:25:20 PM »

Itching is definitely a Hypo symptom so I would say that Mickey may be over medicated.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #24 on:** September 14, 2012, 11:34:29 AM »

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

Claire123 · « **Reply #23 on:** September 14, 2012, 10:24:12 AM »

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?

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #22 on:** September 13, 2012, 23:28:23 PM »

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

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #21 on:** September 13, 2012, 22:50:43 PM »

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

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.

Claire123 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 13, 2012, 21:25:16 PM »

Best of luck for Trigger, please do post how he gets on I would be very interested how he gets on.

Claire123 · « **Reply #19 on:** September 13, 2012, 21:23:02 PM »

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.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #18 on:** September 13, 2012, 17:42:38 PM »

Sending lots of good wishes for Triggers treatment and hope he comes back as good as new

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #17 on:** September 13, 2012, 17:25:11 PM »

thanks Louise - I'll add an update when he's had his treatment for the benefit of anyone else going down the same route

LouiseJ · « **Reply #16 on:** September 13, 2012, 17:04:17 PM »

Good luck and hope Trigger gets on well. I would definitely have done the same thing.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #15 on:** September 13, 2012, 16:53:15 PM »

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

LouiseJ · « **Reply #14 on:** September 13, 2012, 07:39:49 AM »

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

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #13 on:** September 12, 2012, 23:45:28 PM »

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

Rosella moggy · « **Reply #12 on:** September 12, 2012, 22:59:41 PM »

Quote from: Claire123 on September 10, 2012, 21:03:48 PM

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?

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

Quote from: Claire123 on September 11, 2012, 20:18:41 PM

I will definitely give the Wootton under edge hospital a call tomorrow?

Ooops, apologies. Missed that

LouiseJ · « **Reply #11 on:** September 11, 2012, 22:09:54 PM »

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.

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2012, 22:00:36 PM »

I was quoted £1300 plus VAT - which is around £1500

I don't think anyone does it cheaper in the UK

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2012, 21:48:37 PM »

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?

Claire123 · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2012, 20:18:41 PM »

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.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #7 on:** September 11, 2012, 18:21:59 PM »

It looks very impressive - air con, special cat frequency radio, TV - better than some hotels!

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #6 on:** September 11, 2012, 18:04:46 PM »

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

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** September 11, 2012, 17:58:02 PM »

to Purrs Claire, six years is very young indeed

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!

Quote from: trigger on September 11, 2012, 17:34:40 PM

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?

Kay and Penny · « **Reply #4 on:** September 11, 2012, 17:34:40 PM »

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

LouiseJ · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2012, 12:01:14 PM »

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

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** September 11, 2012, 02:01:39 AM »

Sorry cant help but think that trigger is considering this for one of her cats.

Sending lots of good vibes for Mickey

Claire123 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2012, 21:03:48 PM »

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?

Author Topic: Overactive thyroid (Read 20146 times)