Hyperthyroidism experience

[catlady76paws]

One of my kitties, Maisy 13 years old, was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and consequently put on medication(thiamazole). She's been on it since May and one of the main things I've noticed is her gait and imbalance. The vet can't really tell me what it means(I've asked a couple) and last week she was so off balance she kind of rolled off the chair and when I stroked her for comfort I practically pushed her over. She is also losing weight again and the vet said put her on double dosage but it only makes it worse it seems.

Someone recognize these symptoms? Any experiences with overactive thyroid kitties?

 

[rubysmama]

At her age, she could be having some issues with arthritis in her back legs. About the thyroid meds, did she have blood work done again before the vet said to double the dosage?

 

[silent meowlook]

You need to recheck the thyroid levels about one month after starting the thyroid medication. Also, was the rest of her bloodwork okay? What dose of thyroid medication is she on?

 

[Antonio65]

Can you tell us the current med dosage?
A vet can change the med dosage only after running a new blood work on thyroid levels and see that they are off and need adjusting.
Did you vet tell you if your cat is a good candidate for I-131?

 

[G-Factor]

One of my cats has been on Methimazole transdermal for well over a year. I have not seen any symptoms as you described, such as gate or balance. I think the only answer would be to recheck blood values, the vet will be able to determine how well the medication is working. I don't know if your issues are related the hyperthyroidism/medication.

Before getting my cat on the medication, his appetite was declining to the point where he wasn't interested in food. He was very skinny and his total T4 values were extremely elevated. Rechecking his bloodwork several months afterwards, and then a year afterwards showed this values normalized. His appetite returned once on the medication and has gained some weight. Methimazole works very well for controlling hyperthyroidism.

 

[neely]

I have not seen any symptoms as you described, such as gate or balance. I think the only answer would be to recheck blood values, the vet will be able to determine how well the medication is working.

When our cat was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism I also did not see any symptoms with gait or balance. He was on the transdermal form of Methimazole and it worked well until we decided to make arrangements for him to get the I-131 treatment.

Just out of curiosity is Maisy taking the pill or transdermal form of Methimazole? I agree with the other members that your cat's T-4 needs to be regularly checked before increasing her meds.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Really hoping that you will see these posts and respond soon.

The big thing that is exposed with treating hyperthyroidism is kidney disease. Hyper-T can mask kidney disease. That will be even more so true if the thyroid treatment is 'overdone'. The reduction of blood to the kidneys, from hyper-T treatment, can cause significant changes to the kidneys, and one of the possible side effects is toxins building up in the system which can cause weakness, especially in the hind legs.

I can't stress enough what the others have said - your cat's thyroid level (T-4) needs to be re-checked. Your cat should have a full scale blood work done (CBC and chemistry panel, along with the T-4) before any more changes are done with the meds.

 

[tyleete]

My gal was recently diagnosed with HT as well. Her doc I told me to put her on 5mg twice a day. But after talking with a Facebook group with HT kitties, I immediately took her off that and knocked it down to 1.25 twice a day. Always work low and go up. She's only been on it for a few weeks, but due to their advice, I also changed her from pills to transdermal.
I was told cats with absorption problems (such as ibd like mine) don't do as well on the pill. And it can affect the kidneys and liver as well as upset their stomach. It might be worth looking into if yours isn't yet.
Also, in case of arthritis, Please don't use solensia. Vets push it, but that stuff can be dangerous. What had worked for my cats is cbd. Cbd is an amazing thing with 2 known spider effects. 1- Sleepiness & 2- Over grooming. The benefits? Helps fight:
Inflammation, nausea, aches & pains (especially associated with arthritis), anxiety & depression, and works as a natural appetite stimulant.
Ellevet makes the best, but it's the most expensive & tastes awful.
Lazarus Naturals has a salmon oil flavored one that's real good.
Cbdmd has a catnip flavored one for the super picky kitty.

 

[catlady76paws]

Thank you all for the responses.

I have been asking around every where and everybody told me to go and check her values so yesterday I went to the vet. Apart from a decline in muscle nothing is out of the order. Her values are still good, they want to keep her on 2.5 mg twice a day and I spoil her rotten in the meantime. She gets yummy treats, she gets on the scratch post herself for her medicine, no fighting.

My vet said her balance and gait are really because she's just old. She'll be 14 next year

Looks like all I can do is care for her and keep her comfy, make things accessible and importantly, love on her big time

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, what was her T-4, if you don't mind me asking? Did you get copies of her blood work?

I know every cat is different, but my 19+ yo cat did not have balance/gait issues ever, not even with her hyper-T, CKD, arthritis and ultimate lymphoma.

Maisy started having those issues AFTER starting the hyper-T meds, so I cannot imagine that old age is the cause, especially not out of the blue. Nonetheless, if her balance/gait issues were tied to old age, that might be due to arthritis, which can cause joint stiffness and discomfort - and there are treatments to help with that.

 

[catlady76paws]

I didn't get a copy, no. Values are supposed to be between 10 and 50 I think she said and Maisy was slap dab in the middle.

And I think she got the issues after starting the meds but I can't be sure. She had lost weight plus she was living in the big group of cats and now she's with a smaller group where I can monitor her, which I continue to do daily. It could be it's noticeable now because there are fewer cats.

I want to know everything and why symptoms appear but veterinary medicine is hard. The patients can't tell you what's wrong. It's all down to observation and examination. Nobody with cats on Thiamazole has heard of these symptoms so is it my luck that these 'side-effect' show up here?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Nobody with cats on Thiamazole has heard of these symptoms so is it my luck that these 'side-effect' show up here?

Balance issues are not common with hyper-T, but not absolutely impossible, although they may be a bit more common with hyPO-T, which could relate to too much thiamazole.

However, thyroid levels can mask kidney disease, which can be associated with hind leg weakness, and weight loss. So, the next question is what are her kidney values (creatinine, BUN, phosphorus, most specifically)?

Inner ear issues, low blood sugar, low calcium or potassium blood levels, even anemia, to list off many possible problems that can cause balance/gait problems. So, those are all things to ask your vet about, in addition to arthritis. Many of these issues, including kidney disease, can usually be identified in CBC and Chemistry blood panels. Some inner ear issues may be identified through an otoscopic examination. Arthritis is generally seen in body/leg x-rays.

I have never heard of a vet just blowing off balance/gait problems to 'old age' and not looking for other likely causes and trying other potential solutions/aids.

 

[neely]

I didn't get a copy, no. Values are supposed to be between 10 and 50 I think she said and Maisy was slap dab in the middle.

When you posted her values are supposed to be between 10 and 50 are you referring to her T-4 levels? The reason I asked is because in the U.S. the normal range for a T-4 level in cats is 0.8–3.9 μg/dL. However, the upper limit of normal may be lower for older cats, i.e. a value of 3.0 μg/dL may be normal for a 9-year-old cat, but too high for a 15-year-old.

 

[FeebysOwner]

When you posted her values are supposed to be between 10 and 50 are you referring to her T-4 levels? The reason I asked is because in the U.S. the normal range for a T-4 level in cats is 0.8–3.9 μg/dL. However, the upper limit of normal may be lower for older cats, i.e. a value of 3.0 μg/dL may be normal for a 9-year-old cat, but too high for a 15-year-old.

Some use what I call the 'international values'.
T-4 results:
Subnormal <0.8 µg/dL (<10.0 nmol/L)
Normal 0.8–4.7 µg/dL (10.0–60.0 nmol/L)
Gray zone in old or symptomatic cats 2.3–4.7 µg/dL (30.0–60.0 nmol/L)
Consistent with hyperthyroidism >4.7 µg/dL (>60.0 nmol/L)

CKD cats, which most are older, tend to need to maintain a slightly bit higher level to balance the blood flow to the kidneys that hyper-T treatments tend to decrease. In Feeby's case a T-4 between 2-3 was preferred more so than a reading under 2.0, which for many cats is just fine.

 

[catlady76paws]

I am in the Netherlands and cat medicine is way behind here. I absorb all kinds of solutions for care and stuff from mostly american sources and most vets here haven't even heard of it.

Not cat related but one time I had a lamb with a broken leg and nothing the vet did helped set the leg. I remembered an episode from Dr. Pol (I know he's dutch but he lives in US), the Thomas Schroeder splint. My vets never even heard of it! So they sedated the lamb for me, set the leg and I applied a splint.

Just so you have an idea

I think my vet means the nmol/L. In that case she would be in normal area. We didn't have her kidneys checked because there are no visible symptoms to show she has kidney disease. No nausea, she wants to eat and her drinking is also normal. The symptoms you named I never even heard about or seen in my kidney cats(both in a too far stadium btw so I had to pts...food or medicine wasn't working....)

I try, I really do but I don't have license or a practice and have to rely on people who have studied and in most cases feel they know more and better than me

 

[Antonio65]

I agree with everything has been said above. Don't settle on the vet's words and always ask for a copy of your cat's blood work. I believe it is your right to have a copy.
Over here, in Italy, vets must give us a copy of the labs once you paid for them. They can't say that they can't give them to you.

From experience, vets might overlook things, and in cases like these ones, the therapy they prescribe might be wrong.
From what I read during the period when my cat was HT, the 2.5 mg dosage twice a day is too high, and it can easily lead to HYPO-T, with consequent weakness, gait and so on.

I am in the Netherlands and cat medicine is way behind here.

I have a dear friend of mine in the Netherlands, he's Dutch, he says that vets are very up-to-date and knowledgeable in his country.

 

[catlady76paws]

I have a dear friend of mine in the Netherlands, he's Dutch, he says that vets are very up-to-date and knowledgeable in his country.

Sadly that's not my experience. Don't know which part he lives but around these parts it is hard to get a vet to listen to you and acknowledge. Most of the time their only solution is pts, especially when it's a little difficult. When I rescued a kitten with a broken leg and flea anemia, not one of them knew what to do! I even called a cat rescue and all they said was pts. I was on my own with the internet as my guide and for a short while he was doing ok. Sadly in the end it was too much for his little body and he passed... When I see what vets do for critical kittens over in US, I don't recognize that.

And we mustn't forget the issue of money. A lot of the vets here have been absorbed by big companies and have driven up prices. I do what I can with the means at hand. For now Maisy is doing ok, she's happy, noisy and enjoying the attention and like I said I keep a close eye. I will go back for testing later

 

[Antonio65]

Sadly that's not my experience. Don't know which part he lives but around these parts it is hard to get a vet to listen to you

My friend lives in Aalten, and his dog had an issue to her leg and the vets fixed it quickly, this is what he told me.

When I see what vets do for critical kittens over in US, I don't recognize that.

Because you mention money, don't forget how expensive vets in the US are.
I couldn't afford a vet in the US with my Italian income. Over here I have a rather high quality service at a very reasonable price.
My HT cat was treated with I-131 in Belgium because there are no such facilities in my country, and I found their fees very affordable.

 

[catlady76paws]

Yeah, Aalten is a 3-4 hour drive from here plus you mention a dog. Vet care for a dog or a cat is very different I've noticed.

I know the expense of vets in US. I've seen the requests for donations by rescues and it is a lot but still it seems as though they have a lot of experience dealing with critical cats and cat ailments.

But like I said, Maisy is being closely monitored and I do take to heart what everyone said

 

[neely]

I know the expense of vets in US. I've seen the requests for donations by rescues and it is a lot but still it seems as though they have a lot of experience dealing with critical cats and cat ailments.

There are many vets in the U.S. who specialize in treating cats only. We were using a feline specialist when our cat was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism and found the vet to be very knowledgeable. Do they have feline specialists in the Netherlands?