What is not taken up by the thyroid will be present in the cat's bodily fluids and will primarily be voided in the cat's urine (in those first four days at the vet hospital). You must log in or register to reply here. The majority of cats treated with radioactive iodine have normal hormone levels within one to two weeks of treatment. When choosing the best therapy for an individual cat, many factors must be considered. Until then, the radiation safety guidelines of Michigan and the NCR are followed. The veterinarian's recommendations are to isolate my cat for at least two weeks. About TheCatSite.com. Thyroid hormones affect nearly all of the organs in the body; therefore, thyroid disease often causes secondary problems. What they are trying to prevent is the intake (ingestion, etc.) There are several hypothesized causes of hyperthyroidism. I have a cat also and I know when she is happy and purring while sitting on my lap getting strokes, she drools. Your veterinarian's instructions regarding separation for the two weeks are simply doing the same thing we do with people. These medications do not provide a cure for the disease, but they do allow either short-term or long-term control of hyperthyroidism. Radioactive iodine (I-131) is a very safe and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. With this therapy, you take radioactive iodine (radioiodine) by mouth. They were randomized into 2 groups for continuous antithyroid and radioiodine treatment. Did You Know?
American Academy of Pediatrics. It takes several weeks for methimazole to restore thyroid hormone levels to normal. The coat of affected cats may appear unkempt, matted, or greasy (see Figure 1). When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. Clients frequently have the following 2 questions when considering radioiodine therapy for their cat's hyperthyroidism. Annual blood and urine tests are important in all cats seven years and older to detect hyperthyroidism before potentially irreversible damage occurs. The word "individuals" in this context means "people". The most common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, increased appetite, and increased thirst and urination. For the first two weeks after I-131: Keep your cat indoors or supervised when outside to prevent contact with other people. Thus, individuals who opt for . The 1-month level thyroid may be slightly high, low or normal.
Levothyroxine and Weight Gain: How to Manage Weight - EndocrineWeb The principle advantage of Radioactive Iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism is that it tends to have a much higher success rate than medications. Dr. Deborah Linder, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, is the head of the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals and has had articles appear in Eating Well, the Boston Globe, AARP, SHAPE, and XM Sirius Radio Doctor Channel. This may be particularly useful in cats with medical conditions that make other treatment options impossible. To help your cat gain weight, you need to increase the protein and . The treatment a cat receives for hyperthyroidism will depend on specific circumstances, including the patients overall health status, the owners ability and willingness to medicate the cat regularly, and financial considerations. While the treatment is fairly expensive, over the long term it could be cheaper than medication and is on a par with surgical treatment. Our cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and has been back home for about two weeks. Hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid, is a common disease of older cats. 2000-2023 TheCatSite.com.
Feline Radioactive Iodine Treatment Houston Thyroid & Endocrine Specialists - Weight gain after therapy for Despite the extensive blood and urine tests, chest x-rays and physical exams that we require before . The AVMI radioactive materials license utilizes release criteria and precautionary instructions specifically based on the evaluation of the relative exposure levels to clients following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroid cats treated with I-131. If DNA is damaged, there are three possible outcomes: This cat is showing weight loss and poor coat - typical signs of hyperthyroidism. Before treatment he was ravenous and losing weight -- typical of cats with that disorder I'm told. Consider Hyperthyroid Treatment . 2004. An anti-thyroid medication, like methimazole. 4. 101(4 Pt 1): p. 717-9. This is more common if you still had a large part of your thyroid gland when you have radioactive iodine treatment. The most common clinical sign of hyperthyroidism is weight loss due to the increased rate of metabolism despite an increased appetite. The radioactive isotope, Iodine-131 ( 131 I), is administered as a one-off injection. Affected cats produce too much thyroid hormone. 1 INTRODUCTION. The inaccurate repair of DNA is rare, but can cause a cell to act wildly or grow into a cancer. He rejected the Fancy Feast stuff and gobbled the baby food along with eating a little variety of the many dry foods we tried in an effort to find one that he really liked. Dr. Linder has received speaker fees or research fudning from Hills Pet Nutrition, Nestl Purina PetCare, Royal Canin, and Virbac, and has provided professional services for Mark Morris Institute. You may feel a lump on your cat's throat under his jaw. Further, the litter will be radioactive as most of the radioactive iodine will be excreted via this route. The thyroid takes up the radioactive iodine, which destroys cells in the thyroid. Natural background radiation exposure accounts for an average of 3.1 mSv/yr with variations depending on where you live. Radioactive Iodine Therapy The injection has no direct side effects. A blood chemistry panel and urinalysis will provide information about other organs and provide your veterinarian with an overall picture of your cats health. We love them, too! The study followed people for 26 years after two or more treatments. When this occurs, a second test, usually afree T4 by equilibrium dialysis (FT4 by ED)or aT3 suppression test,is performed. Even after treatment it may take a long time to reverse weight loss and muscle loss that occurred before your cats diagnosis. Weight gain after RAI is typical. However, the risk is minimal if your cat is otherwise healthy, and the initial diagnostic tests and treatment did not reveal any underlying conditions. Because the thyroid needs iodine to produce hormones, the thyroid takes the radioiodine into the thyroid cells and the radiation destroys the overactive thyroid cells over time. However, an overactive thyroid is quite common. Did she have stage 1 prior to treatment for hyperthyroidism or did the stage 1 unmask after treatment started and then jump to stage 4? As a cat owner, I completely understand your desire to get your cat back to his normal routine as soon as possible. When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. But those instruments are quite expensive and are not readily available in stores. Blog written by Dr. Daisy Spears in conjunction with Dr. Linder. However, because your cat will be radioactive for several days after receiving the shot, precautions must be taken during and after the treatment. GFR results are used to determine the functional status of the kidneys, and identify cats with subclinical renal disease. Radioactive iodine is an effective and safe treatment option for children and teenagers with an overactive thyroid gland, but will usually be given as a second-line treatment after a reasonably long course of antithyroid medication. In cats > 95% of the radioiodine is excreted in the urine. All middle-aged and senior cats should receive a complete physical examination by a veterinarian every six months. What are the risks of my cat becoming hypothyroid? Radioactive iodine therapy is becoming the treatment of choice for felines with hyperthyroidism. Excessive weight gain. 7. Is radioactive iodine treatment safe? Until then, the radiation safety guidelines of Michigan and the NCR are followed. It has the advantage of being curative in most cases with no ongoing treatment. Thus, pate is a better choice for your cat than gravy food due to the latter's higher . Jane Meggitt has been a writer for more than 20 years. Discuss these issues with your veterinarian when considering dietary iodine restriction as a treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats.
These positive ions, or free radicals, can cause damage to DNA. The outcomes following most hyperthyroid therapies are usually excellent, and most cats have a very good chance of returning to a normal state of health. If you know that your cat has hyperthyroidism, you probably have already seen your vet in order to have this disease properly treated. This is very important meaning that cats rarely develop an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) after radioiodine therapy. (8,9) Replacement hormone products currently on the market, both synthetic and glandular, are not comparable to our own hormone, and in some people, never feel "right". Too cold?
The food isnotmedicated. Lifelong administration of methimazole can control the effects of an overactive thyroid gland. The Disadvantages of Radioiodine Therapy Treatment for Cats, American Veterinary Medical Imaging: Feline Hyperthyroidism, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Radioactive Iodine Treatment of Hyperthyroid Cats, Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine: Hyperthyroidism in the Cat, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: Hyperthyroidism in Cats. NRC Regulations The cell repairs itself with mistakes (rare). Cats are homed in our spacious, purpose-built radioactive iodine unit and cared for by our dedicated team of radioiodine nurses. Once his radiation levels come down and you can bring him home, you still have to keep him away from young children and pregnant women, as he'll pass small amounts of radioactive iodine through his urine for approximately two weeks. Most of the extra radioactive iodine is eliminated in your urine. For this prescription diet to work, it must be the only food fed, which means no cheating with treats. Out little Nera was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 4-5 months ago. Hyperthyroid cats suffer overactive thyroid glands, circulating too much thyroid hormone through their system and affecting nearly every organ.
A medication called methimazole, which interferes with thyroid hormone production, is less expensive but requires daily administration. Chance of significant, unhealthy weight gain is increased. Radioactive iodine therapy offers a cure through a simple injection that returns thyroid function to normal levels. AAFCO Doesnt Approve Pet Foods, A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients, Its Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy. Hyperthyroidism may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, and hyperactivity. Surgery
Should radioiodine now be first line treatment for Graves' disease If left untreated, a hyperthyroid cat can exhibit many, if not all, of the following signs: extreme weight loss, excessive appetite in most cases, but decreased appetite in some, muscle weakness, heart disease (increase in the size of the heart, increased rate, changes in heart rhythm, cardiac arrest), intolerance to stress, and eventually death.
Radioactive iodine for cats - is it worth it? - Vet Help Direct The only method to estimate that dose is to measure the radioiodine within your own thyroid and the types of equipment to measure that uptake are very expensive and difficult to interpret. Actually it is quite safe, because the radioactive iodine is absorbed only by thyroid cells; no other cells in the body are exposed to the radiation. How does airline travel expose me to radiation? As with surgery, you may need to take thyroid hormone . Risks from other illness. They do not take into consideration individual risk factors including lifestyle (smoking, diet, exercise, etc. Radioactive iodine therapy is a very effective way to treat hyperthyroidism (I-131). Iodine is an element normally taken up in large amounts by the thyroid gland, even more so in cats that are hyperthyroid. Hence people who's hyperthyroid cats are treated with radioiodine would be expected to have a potentially increased risk of developing cancer over the remainder of their lifetime as the result of that exposure of no more than 1/100th of 1 percent. Symptoms include weight loss, muscle wasting, increased appetite, increased thirst and urination, vomiting, unkempt appearance, and sometimes hyperactivity. So excited we decided to go this route and cure her instead of just treating with daily medication. Conveniently, the main use of iodine in the body is the production of thyroid hormone, so a deficient diet shouldnt cause any other health issues in a hyperthyroid cat. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Surgery will be performed if your cat successfully undergoes the initial treatment without complication.