Q re feeding of hyperthyroid cat

lucyrima

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Hi, posted before (and thx for all replies) but have a new question- vets seem reluctant to try methimazole because of potential side FX and because T4 is in normal range, however cat is still ravenous, if wt and coat are good. Is there anything wrong with feeding 'on demand' (I'm here most of the time anyhow), e.g. he's 'hungry' almost hourly, so I've been giving him spoonfuls of food (no dry stuff/nothing with iodine). Can't afford radiation, his eyes apparently looked OK to vet and apart from huge litter box amts, he seems OK for 15.
 

Furballsmom

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Hi, if he had enough blood drawn the previous vet visit you could have his Free T4 tested, that's what was the definitive thing regarding being hyper-T in my Poppycat's situation, which was very similar to your kitty.

There's nothing wrong per se with what you're doing, but you need to get the thyroid more controlled. High blood pressure and other things can occur from a thyroid running rampant.

The vets should have explained that if your cat has any sign of liver issues the methimazole can make that worse.

So, with all that said, ask the vet to ok Hills thyroid care cat food. The kibble is currently available (the canned is manufacturer backordered, with no eta yet). You can order it from chewy, Amazon, and possibly also PetSmart and Petco. You put in an order, they send a note to your vet who oks it and they ship it.

It works. Poppy's appetite became normal and his weight stabilized.

Additionally Weruva and their brands are low to very low in phosphorus which is good for kidney kitties, but some are also low -ish in iodine. Their website is wonderfully transparent and if you want, you can find canned/pouch foods that may fit for your cat.

If you make his diet consist of mostly the hills y/d with a bit of Weruva, and test his thyroid levels regularly you may be able to manage this quite well.
 
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lucyrima

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Thx for reminding me of the Y/D, tho' it's expensive in Canada.. and never heard of Weruva here but he doesn't get kibble anyhow - dental issues and they stick in his throat. Will try to find more of the Y/D.
 

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You don't have much room to work in. If the y/d kibble is all that's available you will have to find a way to moisten it so you can use it. High blood pressure et al is a very real concern.

You could consider raw/home cooked but be aware that you will need to know the exact iodine content of everything including the add-ons.
 
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lucyrima

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Thanks again... can't do kibble, and just found out the Y/D is $4.50/can here(!) so may just continue on as I've been... will post again if something changes.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. I didn't go back and read your other thread post-by-post, but his T-4 at 47 (last number I saw) is definitely within normal range, so he probably really shouldn't be treated as if he has hyper-T. Maybe his T-4 should be monitored, but that would be about it. For the most part cats as old as yours should have the T-4 regularly checked with their semi-annual blood workups.

Do you know how many calories he is consuming on a daily basis?

I presume your cat was also checked for diabetes? How about malabsorption - usually from a B-12 deficiency. The latter is a specific, separate blood test. Neither have to have the 'weight loss' side effect in all cases. Feeby was very low on her B-12 test, but it wasn't affecting her weight. There are always 'typical' symptoms for most any ailment, but there are also cats who don't have typical symptoms.

The thing about giving a cat food that is specifically for thyroid issues is that it really isn't necessary if they don't actually have an issue - not to mention those foods are generally of lesser quality due to all the 'junk' in them.
Why Is My Cat Always Hungry? | PetMD
Polyphagia (Increased food consumption) in Cats (petplace.com)
 

Furballsmom

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Be absolutely sure you have him tested regularly, and consider raw (although with caution). No matter what is said otherwise, it appears to me that you may not be getting the iodine low enough or he wouldn't be so ravenous.

Please please be more careful about this. Please.
 
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lucyrima

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While I know to be vigilant about iodine, are you saying it's 'everything' in hyperT? I'm tending to lean a bit (at this point tho' with no other real evidence) to possible early dementia provoking the constant 'feed me's. Are you aware (which I'm not) of iodine (or high sodium) in e.g. Whiskas, Fancy Feast and Friskies cans (or trays for the last) with no seafood/fish?
 
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Furballsmom

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are you saying it's 'everything' in hyperT?
It is, I'm on my phone but I'll get you more info as soon as I'm back at my desktop later this am.

The "regular" T4 test isn't sensitive enough, which is why I suggested having the lab (if his latest blood draw was recent and they still have enough) to test for Free T4 to confirm whether your cat is hyper-T.
 
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lucyrima

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Just found out a Free T4 would cost $235 - and there's no blood left btw, so new test would need doing, apart from his having to be in the largish carrier x 20 mins each way and throwing up in there (always) as well. Just haven't got any money remotely close to this - had to finance appt ? 2 wks ago and pay off x ? mos for it. Kinda PO'd they didn't do some of the tests anyhow - they took the T4 from previous test few mos earlier somewhere else.
 

Furballsmom

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eesh. I'm sorry!

Something to keep in mind for the future, I don't know if Canadian veterinary schools do this, but maybe check and see if you could receive care for your cat at a reduced rate.

not to mention those foods are generally of lesser quality due to all the 'junk' in them.
No doubt. Given that your point had to do with cats that aren't yet diagnosed, I'm not arguing, but those cats such as my Poppycat don't have a choice. There's no wiggle room and no other options, --not even raw, really, without extreme care.

In any case, I apologize, my internet went down so I'm just now getting back.
Are you aware (which I'm not) of iodine (or high sodium) in e.g. Whiskas, Fancy Feast and Friskies cans (or trays for the last) with no seafood/fish?
I don't see indepth nutritional information on whiskas, friskies or fancy feast. If your products are coming from the States and therefore are regulated by the AAFCO, the minimum iodine would be 0.6 mg/kg and for comparison the Hills y/d canned is 0.1 ppm, (ratio is 1:1).

Other than Weruva, only one other commercial cat food company I talked to keeps the iodine in their foods at the minimum, everyone else is a lot higher. If you can, maybe you could see if you can obtain Feline Natural Chicken and Venison, but note that the phosphorus content is higher than perferable for kidney kitties. I don't have their sodium content however.

From felinecrf.org
"To achieve beneficial effects, the recommended phosphorus levels for foods used to manage CKD are 0.3 to 0.6% Dry Matter for cats." Feline Naturals chicken and venison phos content unfortunately is 2.1.

In any case, to the point of iodine and thyroidism;
I'm quoting from vet.cornell.edu
Consumption of an iodine restricted diet by a hyperthyroid cat decreases production of thyroxine by the thyroid gland by limiting the amount of iodine necessary for thyroid hormone production.

I know I mentioned raw above, although it's not necessarily the perfect answer either since meat contains naturally occurring iodine but websites such as Healthline, when talking about low iodine diets for people, list a total of 6 ounces of chicken in a day. Something else to consider in the future might be talking to a nutritionist.

presume your cat was also checked for diabetes? How about malabsorption - usually from a B-12 deficiency. The latter is a specific, separate blood test. Neither have to have the 'weight loss' side effect in all cases.
As was mentioned above, did you and your vet talk about B12?

I'm tending to lean a bit (at this point tho' with no other real evidence) to possible early dementia provoking the constant 'feed me's.
And there's this too.

Without further testing, my suggestion is to try and be aware of phosphorus, sodium and iodine. See if you can find a way to navigate all this. There are organizations that provide financial help for pet care in the States, maybe there's something like that where you are, or maybe your vet, or a different clinic, would be willing to work out a payment system if you haven't already.

Also, check with them regarding a calming product that might help your cat's stress.
 
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lucyrima

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Well, going backwards here - already mentioned that I financed last visit, so will pay so much/mo. for next few mo's. It's called Petcard, but is really just a reg. finance co. that lets you pay instalments. If there were other options I think I'd know of them by now. FWIW I'm on an old age pension and have other things to deal with at almost 80, but can't afford (either) Feliway for stress or anything much else. Did not talk about B12 (which I take, and while I'm not opposed to doing raw (actually have raw hamburger as one of his go-to's) and you're correct that it can be hard to find out all of the nutrients in comm. foods, but they're what's available that I can afford.

His coat is good, wt is good (considering he's eating like a horse) so I'm just trying to keep things going without worsening, tho' I know it's likely to happen over time. He may have some CKD but I can only address one thing at a time and he's asymptomatic there except for a good drink after eating and many large litter lumps (I use Tidy Cats, unscented). And I don't know if brands I use come from the U.S. or are made here... tho' I can and should find out.

Thanks again, just really wanted to know if feeding more often than sched'd - except for afternoon 'coma' time which he still sticks to - is inherently a no-no as it seems to be keeping his wt up and anything much else down. Will see how things go.
 

Furballsmom

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just really wanted to know if feeding more often than sched'd - except for afternoon 'coma' time which he still sticks to - is inherently a no-no as it seems to be keeping his wt up and anything much else down.
I apologize, I missed the previous financial option you'd done.

Feliway for stress
I meant so that if you're able to work things out, maybe the vet has something such as gabapentin to help her stress when you head in to the clinic.

In any case, I can't think of any issues with feeding more frequently, as a matter of fact some nutritionists and other cat experts suggest that this might be a better approach :)
 
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