Mirror is a 12 years old, DSH silver tabby. She is a happy, playful girl who likes her food. She had slow weight loss and then began to jump on the counters to scavenge our food.
Mirror came to the clinic where Dr. Sarah did an examination. Her physical exam was normal except for her weight loss. We performed bloodwork and urinalysis. Her bloodwork showed an increased thyroid level. Her urinalysis results were normal.
Hyperthyroidism is a disease that affects basically all body systems. It is a disease that is fatal but it is also a very treatable disease. There are three treatment options. I 131, or radioactive iodine, is curative. Methimazole or carbimazole is a daily dose (or twice daily dose) of medication to lower thyroid hormone levels. Y/D is an iodine restricted food that when fed as the only food can control thyroid levels as well. While I 131 seems like a larger expense initially if you factor the cost over 5 years it is actually the more affordable option.
When we started her medication she stopped eating for a day, not like her at all. She loves her food. We found out she would be a good candidate for radioactive iodine treatment and scheduled her in for the next treatment group as she was becoming more difficult to pill and we decided it was the best treatment for Mirror’s lifestyle and ours.
We then made the drive to London to the Thames Valley Veterinary Services to have the radioactive iodine treatment performed. We were greeted by very friendly staff who explained that Mirror would receive an oral dose of radioactive iodine. Many of our clients are worried about how stressful it must be for their cat to be away from them for the week after treatment. This was not our experience.
She stayed with them at the hospital for the week while the radioactive iodine made its way out of her system to a level that is safe to be around other animals and humans. We received updates daily on her progress. She was a superstar at the hospital and loved the attention they gave her every day.
Just over a year later, her thyroid levels are within normal range. She has gained weight and maintained it well. She is back to eating normally and is her playful, sweet self.
Today she is 14-year-old, she needs no medication and we will continue with her yearly blood checks.
Written by Park Road Veterinary Clinic
