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- Sep 6, 2011
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Three weeks ago, my 12 year old hyperthyroid kitty started vomiting bile on an empty stomach, about 2 hours before meal time. Then, about a week and a half ago, he stopped that and began vomiting after eating. I took him to the vet where they noted he had lost 3 pounds in about 4 months (11 lb down to 8 lb) and his heart rate was up from 180 (4 months ago) to 220. His blood work was good with the exception of slightly high neutrophils, slight anemia, and his thyroid levels were a little off. They said they normally treat them around 2.5 and he was around 2.3 or 2.1.
They also mentioned that with his age and the symptoms, it could potentially be a tumor. However, he's been absolutely ravenous so they see him as textbook hyperthyroid. They gave him an anti-nausea injection and an antibiotic injection, and told me to switch from the pill version of Methimazole to the transdermal version to ensure he's getting it consistently (although he takes pills very well). They want to recheck him in about 45 days and then if his levels are still off, we will up his dose from 2.5 mg twice a day to 5 mg twice a day. They said it's pretty typical for a hyperthyroid kitty to need to increase their dose like that.
I would really like to increase his dose now, but I'm also worried about the possibility that it's a tumor. Does this sound like anyone else's experience? If I increase his dose now, how quickly should his vomiting subside? If it's a tumor, are there other symptoms I should see?
There's also the added factor that because he's ravenous, he's eating EVERYTHING and eating it FAST. I'm trying my hardest to keep him away from things, but I have to re-wire my brain to think about things that a cat normally wouldn't eat. He was literally drinking oil from a pan last night while we ate dinner, and he ate through aluminum foil to get to some chocolate chip cookies. Obviously that's not good for him, and the vomiting incidents after that are to be expected and make sense. I've started leaving more food out so he can graze more and hopefully isn't as hungry for breakfast and dinner and won't inhale his food. I may have to start spoon feeding him...
They also mentioned that with his age and the symptoms, it could potentially be a tumor. However, he's been absolutely ravenous so they see him as textbook hyperthyroid. They gave him an anti-nausea injection and an antibiotic injection, and told me to switch from the pill version of Methimazole to the transdermal version to ensure he's getting it consistently (although he takes pills very well). They want to recheck him in about 45 days and then if his levels are still off, we will up his dose from 2.5 mg twice a day to 5 mg twice a day. They said it's pretty typical for a hyperthyroid kitty to need to increase their dose like that.
I would really like to increase his dose now, but I'm also worried about the possibility that it's a tumor. Does this sound like anyone else's experience? If I increase his dose now, how quickly should his vomiting subside? If it's a tumor, are there other symptoms I should see?
There's also the added factor that because he's ravenous, he's eating EVERYTHING and eating it FAST. I'm trying my hardest to keep him away from things, but I have to re-wire my brain to think about things that a cat normally wouldn't eat. He was literally drinking oil from a pan last night while we ate dinner, and he ate through aluminum foil to get to some chocolate chip cookies. Obviously that's not good for him, and the vomiting incidents after that are to be expected and make sense. I've started leaving more food out so he can graze more and hopefully isn't as hungry for breakfast and dinner and won't inhale his food. I may have to start spoon feeding him...
