Hyperthyroidism And Treatment Options?

[ameliashuman]

My (estimated) 10 year old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism a few weeks ago and we attempted to administer the transdermal tapazole, but the poor guy had the side-effect where his face got extremely itchy and we discontinued the medication after he started making himself bleed from itching. According to our vet and the veterinary medicine school they consulted, medicine treatments will likely continue to result in this side-effect and our only options are 1) Surgery 2) Iodine injection or 3) Try dietary/no treatment. Apparently, four weeks of the medicine is preferred to rule out potential kidney problems, but since he had this side-effect we won't know how his kidneys will respond until we take a more permanent solution, at which point we'll have a cat with kidney disease. His BUN was slightly elevated but his creatinine levels were within normal limits.

Has anyone else come across this problem of not being able to use the medications? We are able to afford the surgery or the iodine so that is not a worry, but I have this fear of doing this permanent surgery and our cat suddenly going into kidney failure and all the complications/expenses/pain/fear that would entail...

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Not personally, but there's been recent discussion about this, and I know that at LEAST one member, and I think more, has had wonderful results with the iodine therapy.

 

[Kjl]

we tried the pills for our almost 14 yo kitty and that was an EPIC FAIL..constant vomiting, itchy skin, etc..so we have the trans dermal gel for his ear that we are going to start as soon as he is well from his cat cold. Fingers crossed he has a better outcome with it. The vet also mentioned the iodine therapy, but I am not sure what it entails or the cost. So i guess we will cross that bridge when we come to it. I wish you much luck in finding something that works!

 

[Antonio65]

I would suggest the radio-iodine therapy over the surgery, because it has the least chance of side effects or bad outcome.
The surgery has to risks in my opinion, and it can only be performed if there are no other masses of tumor around. A scintigraphy would assess this.
In the worst case scenario, the radio-iodine will be always the best choice.

I had my cat treated with radio-iodine in past August and things went absolutely fine, she's much better now.
She was on transdermal gel for months with no side effects, and now she's free from meds!

 

[LTS3]

The vet also mentioned the iodine therapy, but I am not sure what it entails or the cost.

Here is more info on the radioiodine treatment:

Centers for the Treatment of Feline Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism in Cats
Risks Associated with Radioiodine Therapy for Feline Hyperthyroidism
Post Treatment Guidelines
I-131 Therapy - MSPCA-Angell

Cost varies. A Google search gives estimates of around $1300. You can request an itemized bill estimate for the breakdown of costs and what might be negotiable. A post-treatment stay of a few days at the vet hospital is usually needed for the radioactivity to wear off to acceptable levels to minimize the risk to you and others. Many vets offer some kind of financial aid to owners who need help with the cost.

No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life
Financial Aid for Pets

 

[crunchie]

My cat was recently diagnosed with Hyper-Thyroid. She was borderline HT last spring so it didn't come as a surprise, in fact I was expecting it. During that time I did lot of reading on HT and when the time came I decided to go straight for the Radioactive Iodine treatment. I had read too much about the side effects of the medication and the constant adjusting to forego that route. My cat is also way too difficult to pill so it would have had to have been trans-dermal gel and my schedule is too erratic for a 2x daily medication routine.
Yes, it was costly, just over $2000, but for me worth the cost. Especially as it is considered cured and I estimated that with medication and constant vet visits it will pay for itself in less than 1.5 years. This also does not include the stress that my cat endures when going to the vet.
We haven't gone in for our 1 month post-treatment check up yet, so I can't say if it has uncovered any other issues at this point. However, I'm happy that I did it and would recommend it as well. Since coming home my cat has not had anymore of the "crazies" where she tears around the apartment and she does seem to be much calmer. (and friendlier as some people have told me).