Hyperthyroidism in cats
Zombie and Dennis are both good examples of some of the various ways it is possible to treat Hyperthyroidism, depending on the personal circumstances of the patient and the wishes of their owners.
Zombie the beautiful tabby is 17 and was seen by her vet for moderate dental disease and weight loss, but routine pre-dental bloods that were taken revealed she was hyperthyroid. Her owners opted for radio iodine treatment, and she had an injection of iodine into the scruff of her neck (like a vaccination), under mild sedation. This cured the hyperthyroidism; there was no need for ongoing treatment. She has now had the dental work she needed and the owners report she is doing fantastically well.
Twelve year old black and white Dennis enjoys being outside, hunting mice. What he doesn’t enjoy is taking medication! His original appointment for a sore ear revealed Hyperthyroidism too, as the vet picked up on his weight loss and ran a blood test. Dennis’ owners opted for surgical removal of one of the two thyroid glands, and after ten days indoors plus a couple more blood samples, Dennis is back to normal.
More information on this condition, including its various treatment methods, can be found here.
