Thyroid Medicine Making Cat Sick

[cc0000]

My cat, Tigger, was recently diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and placed on Felimazole. He has only been on it a week, but, it is upsetting his digestive system.

Is there an alternative medicine for this? I know about radioactive iodine therapy, but, I don't think he could put up with being alone for a week or 2.

Thanks.

 

[abyeb]

Can you call your vet to let them know that he isn’t doing well on the Felimazole? Then you could ask what they would recommend regarding alternative medicines and treatments.

Here’s a fairly recent thread that you might find helpful: Hyperthyroidism And Treatment Options?

 

[cc0000]

I'm going to call the vet. I just want to know if anyone has personal experience with this and found a suitable alternative other than radioactive iodine therapy or surgery. Or, if initially it upset some cats stomachs and stopped after.

 

[Antonio65]

If the pills give upset stomach to your cat, ask your vet for transdermal gel with methimazole.
Your vet can write a prescription for the compounding pharmacy.

When my cat needed it, I asked the vet for gel with 25 mg/ml. You rub this gel inside your cat's ears and it doesn't pass through the digestive system.
Anyway, the radio iodine therapy is the gold treatment for this disease. My cat had it on last August and now she's fine, her thyroid levels are back to normal.
My cat is very shy and sensible and I thought she would have left her die, alone in the cage for a week, but she came out of the clinic as fine as before.

The methimazole isn't curing your cat, it's just coping with the effects of the disease. Furthermore the med gives damages to kidneys, liver and heart.
So I think you want to reconsider your point of view.

 

[cc0000]

If the pills give upset stomach to your cat, ask your vet for transdermal gel with methimazole.
Your vet can write a prescription for the compounding pharmacy.

When my cat needed it, I asked the vet for gel with 25 mg/ml. You rub this gel inside your cat's ears and it doesn't pass through the digestive system.
Anyway, the radio iodine therapy is the gold treatment for this disease. My cat had it on last August and now she's fine, her thyroid levels are back to normal.
My cat is very shy and sensible and I thought she would have left her die, alone in the cage for a week, but she came out of the clinic as fine as before.

The methimazole isn't curing your cat, it's just coping with the effects of the disease. Furthermore the med gives damages to kidneys, liver and heart.
So I think you want to reconsider your point of view.

Do you know the cost of the gel vs. the pill? Also, I want the iodine therapy, but, I don't think my cat could handle it. He's old and freaks out just being in the car for a short ride to the vet. He's also never been left with anyone else, let alone for weeks. It's not that simple to have it done. And I know it's healthier and cheaper in the long run.

 

[Antonio65]

Do you know the cost of the gel vs. the pill? Also, I want the iodine therapy, but, I don't think my cat could handle it. He's old and freaks out just being in the car for a short ride to the vet. He's also never been left with anyone else, let alone for weeks. It's not that simple to have it done. And I know it's healthier and cheaper in the long run.

As for the costs, please see the post I have just written in the "changes on felimazole" thread.
Everybody knows their cat better than anybody else.
My cat was 16 years and 3 months old when was treated. And because in my country we have no radio iodine facilities, we had to go abroad and I had to drive 12 hours to go to the clinic.

 

[Kjl]

We had the same reaction when my 14 yo boy got the hyper thyroid meds..sadly BOTH forms have made him sick now I'm at a loss as to what to do. We can't afford the iodine treatment, and don't want to put him thru anymore added stress since he has a significant heart murmur. Gonna take him to the vet tomorrow or Tuesday to see if there are any other options. Sadly, I don't think he has much more time left with us
As for the gel...it was pretty easy to administer and I think if you can get a script from your vet you can order it online for under $30..thru my vet, I believe I paid around 30

 

[cc0000]

We had the same reaction when my 14 yo boy got the hyper thyroid meds..sadly BOTH forms have made him sick now I'm at a loss as to what to do. We can't afford the iodine treatment, and don't want to put him thru anymore added stress since he has a significant heart murmur. Gonna take him to the vet tomorrow or Tuesday to see if there are any other options. Sadly, I don't think he has much more time left with us
As for the gel...it was pretty easy to administer and I think if you can get a script from your vet you can order it online for under $30..thru my vet, I believe I paid around 30

Thank you for the information about the gel. I'm sorry to hear about your cat. I hope there is something that can be done. I've had cats for years and it seems like, no matter what you do, when your cat gets older it is going to get thyroid issues, IBD, cancer, kidney issues, or any combination of these problems. And, there is never an easy solution. Everything has side effects and requires many expensive tests, medications, and surgeries. The only options besides surgery and iodine therapy I've been told now are this pill or the ear gel. Also, the Hills thyroid food can be given. My vet said I could try cutting down on the amount of medicine my Tigger is given and monitor him to see how it goes before using the transdermal. He is at the early stages now. Both he and his brother are dealing with chronic diseases as they are seniors. My other cat, Brillo, has IBD which has been very difficult to control. I think dry cat food leads to these issues. It hooks cats and is an unnatural diet for them.

 

[laura mae]

My 17 year old Scooter had a terrible time with methimazole the first time around. I had to syringe feed him because he was so lethargic and wouldn't eat. I tried it again a couple of years later and it's going better. I have to let him eat his meal first before giving him the medication. Vets still can remove the thyroid nodule causing the problem if a cat gets rejected for the "gold standard" treatment and that's still expensive beyond reason, but less beyond reason expensive than the radioactive thing.

 

[cc0000]

My 17 year old Scooter had a terrible time with methimazole the first time around. I had to syringe feed him because he was so lethargic and wouldn't eat. I tried it again a couple of years later and it's going better. I have to let him eat his meal first before giving him the medication. Vets still can remove the thyroid nodule causing the problem if a cat gets rejected for the "gold standard" treatment and that's still expensive beyond reason, but less beyond reason expensive than the radioactive thing.

Thanks. I was mixing the pill with food, but, I didn't think about having him eat first as to not upset his stomach. That makes sense and could stop the stomach issues. I've also read a lot about the iodine treatment as that is something that sounds like a dream with its high cure rates. But, besides being pricey (that's not the main issue for me), it also involves separating the animal not only during treatment, but after as well. Cornell University states that the treated cat should be separated from your other cats for 3 weeks. They can't use the same litter boxes or food and water dishes, and you have to be cautious and wear gloves and dispose of waste a certain way since the cat is spilling radioactive material. I have 2 other cats. What am I supposed to do with them for 3 weeks while caring for the treated one?

 

[Antonio65]

You could simply give your cat a separate room, possibly with tiled floor rather than carpet. It's a short period of time, after all, it will be over before you realize
As for the waste, a bin outside your home, or on a balcony, it is fine.
I had a bin in the backyard, I threw the used litter from the tray in that and let it sit for three months. As a matter of fact, the third months was right before Christmas, it got very cold outside, so I thought it's no harm to let it sit there for some months more...
You also have to interact with the treated cat as little as possible. In my case they told me not more than 10 minutes a day.

I totally disregarded it, I could leave my cat alone in another room. She's very sensible, she wouldn't have understood and she would have starved...