Questions To Ask Vet About Hyperthyroidism?

[liddle_spiders]

It's looking very likely that one of our 9 year olds has hyperthyroidism. We had to hospitalise her last week for 4 days with severe dehydration and constipation that was due to an uncommon bladder infection. Due to her age and overall health they checked a T4 upon admittance and it came back in the 'grey zone' and because she wasn't doing great they want to recheck after the holiday to make sure it was reading accurately. I was all set to blow it off as a false reading due to her health at the time, but since getting her home and confining her so I can watch her more closely (multiple cat home) I am alarmed at how much she is consuming and am now expecting a completely positive recheck for it. 2 to 3 cups of food and 3 to 4 cups of water per day! She is otherwise perky and acting normal.

Just wanted to check and see if there are any questions I should be asking if (when?) the test comes back high. I know to ask about her heart and her kidneys. I know that oral medication will be used to start and we are thinking about irradiation or surgery for long term control although I am undecided as to which of the three treatments would be best for her. She is a peach to medicate at least! We also think this just started as she had a normal exam in June and her kidney values were normal while she was hospitalised .

I was also wondering if anyone had heard if hyperthyroidism runs in families and if her siblings and mother are at any higher risk? Her mom was a stray I managed to grab when she was 8 weeks pregnant and we kept them all. A brother and sister are still with us (we lost their other sister to FIP a couple months ago) and my mom still has their mom. I will be asking the vet as well, but having a heads up will be beneficial in case it would be better to get them all checked on a regular basis going forward.

 

[Antonio65]

Hi, my cat has been hyperthyroid. She was diagnosed last year in September, she was put on methimazole, pills first, transdermal gel later, and due to a series of "misunderstandings" with my vets and the lack of I-131 facilities in my country, she was treated with radio-iodine only in August this year.
She's better now, on that side.

Ask your vet to have both fT4 and T4 checked. Kidneys and liver might not be affected in the early stage of the disease. They could be involved later, especially after some weeks of meds.
I think I have understood she's eating and drinking more than her usual. This is normal with HT, though there are uncommon cases, like my cat, when a cat is HT but eats less and less.
Wasting is also normal in HT cats. That's why you need to know for sure the stage of her HT and start with a medication right away. As soon as your vet sees how your cat responds to the treatment, you will be able to look for a I-131 clinic and give them all the details.

HT is not hereditary in cats, as far as I know. The causes that trigger the disease are still mostly unknown, but chemicals in food and household are the main suspects.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Although I couldn't find anything that stated hyper(or hypo)thyroidism is actually inherited, there were a few that seem to indicate some sort of genetic component. That would certainly be a good question for your vet. As would be what to watch for that might indicate her treatment needs adjusting.