- Joined
- Jan 29, 2014
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Hi Guys !
I am new to this great board. I have a kitty ( the one in my avatar, Lola ) that has been doing great on Tapazole ( Methimazole ) for Hyperthyroid for six years. She is now ten, no other health problems. She is very easy to pill, we get her blood work done every six months.
The cat vet and I have talked about her having that radio iodine therapy done ( I think its called i-131) where you leave them in a hospital for a few days, they get an injection of radio-active medication that eliminates the hyperthyroid tumors ( benign) and then they come home. He says that although she is doing very well now, at ten, this would cure her and eliminate her need for the meds while she goes into her 'golden years." This is not a necessity right now, but he says its the gold standard treatment for hyperthyroid.
I have seen several comments here and there on the board about this, some from a few year ago or older, and also have read a wealth of information on the internet.
There is no doubt in my mind that this treatment 'works," but I have conerns and would like feedback if anyone can give me some. I would like to hear from people who had this treatment a few years ago, and how is the kitty doing now? Were there any cats that came back and never emotionally adjusted again to the home or stopped eating or got personality problems, etc/ from being away and from the treatment?
TIME N THE HOSPITAL: I see that the time in the hospital and the restricted exposure time at home, seems to vary form state to state. Overall when I checked this treatment out six years ago, to today when I started looking into it again, it seems that the general protocol has really collapsed the times. Used to be the time in the hospital was two weeks ( at least in Florida where I am) . Now its like, five days. I don't remember how long the restrictive time was at home. How much exposure risk to US are we talking about here?
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: To be honest, I am concerned about the ability for the cat to do well in the hospital, with strangers, for five days or so, which is the current time for my state. In addition, I have read here and there that some of the cats don't eat well when they get back and it sounds like some of them are traumatized from being away, etc.
EXPOSURE TO US: Most importantly, I am kind of nervous about the exposure to ME and my family. We have no kids here, etc. but my husband and I are older and I am not sure exactly how much radio-activity we will really be getting. My health is ok, but I have thyroid issues myself ( no cancer )
HANDLING THE WASTE: We can't possibly use flushable cat litter....plumbing will not take it, barely works now. So we would be left with collecting two weeks of cat poop for three months, in a sub-tropical climate ( albeit in AC indoors ) and then hoping it goes thru the radioactive detectors at the city dump. We have the Orkin man in every month as it is and have no bugs...not wanting to get any by attracting to festering cat poop. ( again, we are in south Florida ) Down here, the roaches are like, three inches long. But perhaps with a tight lid on the container.....don't know.
We are kind of at the cross-roads. Yes, she is doing fine now, but one never knows how things will go in the future. Now, I know two vets, including mine, that have had cats that were 23 (no typo, 23) and doing fine on methimazole. Others couldn't take it at all.
I just don't want to get to the point where she gets older, goes downhill and then its too late to do this treatment.
I am in a dilemma and not sure I want a radio-active cat running around my house. I love her very very much, but not sure I want that exposure. This is tough because as of right now, we have choices here. We can also continue on the meds, have had no problems on that for the past six years she has been on it.
Any thoughts ? I would like to hear from people who had this done three or more years ago and what was your experience? Or anyone, really.
I am new to this great board. I have a kitty ( the one in my avatar, Lola ) that has been doing great on Tapazole ( Methimazole ) for Hyperthyroid for six years. She is now ten, no other health problems. She is very easy to pill, we get her blood work done every six months.
The cat vet and I have talked about her having that radio iodine therapy done ( I think its called i-131) where you leave them in a hospital for a few days, they get an injection of radio-active medication that eliminates the hyperthyroid tumors ( benign) and then they come home. He says that although she is doing very well now, at ten, this would cure her and eliminate her need for the meds while she goes into her 'golden years." This is not a necessity right now, but he says its the gold standard treatment for hyperthyroid.
I have seen several comments here and there on the board about this, some from a few year ago or older, and also have read a wealth of information on the internet.
There is no doubt in my mind that this treatment 'works," but I have conerns and would like feedback if anyone can give me some. I would like to hear from people who had this treatment a few years ago, and how is the kitty doing now? Were there any cats that came back and never emotionally adjusted again to the home or stopped eating or got personality problems, etc/ from being away and from the treatment?
TIME N THE HOSPITAL: I see that the time in the hospital and the restricted exposure time at home, seems to vary form state to state. Overall when I checked this treatment out six years ago, to today when I started looking into it again, it seems that the general protocol has really collapsed the times. Used to be the time in the hospital was two weeks ( at least in Florida where I am) . Now its like, five days. I don't remember how long the restrictive time was at home. How much exposure risk to US are we talking about here?
EMOTIONAL ISSUES: To be honest, I am concerned about the ability for the cat to do well in the hospital, with strangers, for five days or so, which is the current time for my state. In addition, I have read here and there that some of the cats don't eat well when they get back and it sounds like some of them are traumatized from being away, etc.
EXPOSURE TO US: Most importantly, I am kind of nervous about the exposure to ME and my family. We have no kids here, etc. but my husband and I are older and I am not sure exactly how much radio-activity we will really be getting. My health is ok, but I have thyroid issues myself ( no cancer )
HANDLING THE WASTE: We can't possibly use flushable cat litter....plumbing will not take it, barely works now. So we would be left with collecting two weeks of cat poop for three months, in a sub-tropical climate ( albeit in AC indoors ) and then hoping it goes thru the radioactive detectors at the city dump. We have the Orkin man in every month as it is and have no bugs...not wanting to get any by attracting to festering cat poop. ( again, we are in south Florida ) Down here, the roaches are like, three inches long. But perhaps with a tight lid on the container.....don't know.
We are kind of at the cross-roads. Yes, she is doing fine now, but one never knows how things will go in the future. Now, I know two vets, including mine, that have had cats that were 23 (no typo, 23) and doing fine on methimazole. Others couldn't take it at all.
I just don't want to get to the point where she gets older, goes downhill and then its too late to do this treatment.
I am in a dilemma and not sure I want a radio-active cat running around my house. I love her very very much, but not sure I want that exposure. This is tough because as of right now, we have choices here. We can also continue on the meds, have had no problems on that for the past six years she has been on it.
Any thoughts ? I would like to hear from people who had this done three or more years ago and what was your experience? Or anyone, really.
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