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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Sparkling Cat and her overactive thyroid...

16 replies

Sparklingbrook · 12/10/2018 13:54

In February she went for her vaccinations and they said she had lost weight. Bllod tests etc said overactive thyroid and possible CKD.

Tablets were started for the overactive thyroid but after a urine sample they said no CKD.

We get 56 tablets at a time (2 a day) for the overactive thyroid, she always has to have a blood test for the next lot to be dispensed.

They had her in for the day to take her blood pressure and take more blood about a month ago and said they thought she had the start of kidney failure. I had to get a urine sample (stressful) which indicated she didn't. But I understand that the thyroid issue makes her prone. But they recommended a prescription diet to try and hold it back.

Going forward what is reasonable? Is this normal for overactive thyroid in cats? We do seem to be at the vets a lot.

I have come back from the vets with yet another lot of that KatKor stuff which she hates and will try and go on the rug instead. And they want the sample 'fresh'.

I guess I am just feeling a bit down about it all. She seems happy in herself and has put weight back on. She's about 12.

OP posts:

DisrespectfulAdultFemale · 12/10/2018 13:57

My cat had a bilateral resection of his overactive thyroid last year. He had his blood checked a couple of weeks ago as part of a routine test and, other than failing kidneys which I already knew about, he is fine.

chemenger · 12/10/2018 13:59

My cat had radio iodine treatment for het thyroid, mostly because she was very difficult to handle. She was probably at leat 12 at the time. Regular blood tests were a nightmare, sometimes she had to be sedated. Once she had the treatment (paid for by insurance) she was fine.

Original poster

Sparklingbrook · 12/10/2018 14:00

Does he still have to have thyroid tablets Disrespectful?

What are they doing about the kidneys?

OP posts:

DisrespectfulAdultFemale · 12/10/2018 14:02

He was never prescribed tablets. For some reason, the vet wanted to go with surgery.

There's not a lot they can do about his kidneys, to be honest, as he's 15. I am treating this as a part of the ageing process so as long as he is happy and comfortable it is all good.

Original poster

Sparklingbrook · 12/10/2018 14:07

chemenger what did it involve? I have heard that they have to go and live at the vets for a month?

He he on a special kidney diet Disrepectful? The one we have reeks and after initial enthusiasm she's not that keen now. Plus it's £££s.

OP posts:

viccat · 12/10/2018 14:11

Usually after the thyroid levels are consistently in the normal range, you can have blood tests every 6 months only. It just takes a while sometimes to find the right dosage of medication. You could ask them about Vidalta instead, it's a once a day pill unlike the Felimazole.

The operation (thyroidectomy) might be a good option but it's not a guaranteed cure - sometimes the thyroid tumour grows back and hyperthyroidism returns, for example.

Original poster

Sparklingbrook · 12/10/2018 14:17

Yes I suppose they need to know how the thyroid is to adjust the medication accordingly. Just like himans.

I am just a bit fed up with bundling her into the carrier and trying to get urine samples what seems like an awful lot.

Since Feb she has been under the care of 3 different vets which hasn't helped.

OP posts:

chemenger · 12/10/2018 14:35

It was nowhere near a month at the vet, probably a week, maybe 10 days. She was part of a trial at the vet hospital (Edinburgh) looking at how to make the treatment more practical. Just after the iodine is given they have to be totally isolated because they are radioactive, then when they come home they can’t be in a household with small children or pregnant women. You have to keep them in for a period until they stop glowing in the dark (joke).
This is all quite a long time ago so things might have changed. From the cat’s point of view it was like a visit to the vet followed by a spell in the battery. Apart from the breathtaking expense it was very straightforward.

chemenger · 12/10/2018 15:18

Here's a link to the Edinburgh clinic for info:
radioiodine

chemenger · 12/10/2018 15:18

battery=cattery above

Lonecatwithkitten · 12/10/2018 15:56

I am guessing Sparkling's overactive thyroid is not yet well controlled hence the regular blood tests.
In general the gold standard is that all cats should have oral treatment or use the y-d diet exclusively initial till stabilised then there are the following options.

Radioactive iodine length of hospitalisation varies from 10 days to three weeks depending on the centre.
Surgery to remove affect gland/glands.
Continue medication or diet with blood tests every 4-6months.

This is a consensus statement taken from a group meeting lead by three RCVS feline medicine specialists with 2000 practicing vets in the room.

spidey66 · 12/10/2018 16:04

My cat was diagnosed with overactive thyroid when he was about 9 or 10. He was PTS this summer....he was 18, so lived a good long life, though despite daily medication and lots of food he was still thin.

Our get was brilliant, she said he could have surgery to remove his thyroid but it wasn't necessary. For one reason and another we decided against it.

My husband was treated for an overactive thyroid for a while, and I've since been diagnosed with an under active thyroid. There's clearly something in our water, noone who lives in our house escapes with a normal functioning thyroid gland.

spidey66 · 12/10/2018 16:05

Vet not get

Lynne1Cat · 12/10/2018 16:13

One of my cats had an overactive thyroid. I felt that tablets would be too stressful for her, so she had a gel stuff that is rubbed into the skin of the ear. That was so much kinder and quicker to use.

She also had kidney failure, and she had some liquid which I simply squirted into her mouth.

As for blood pressure, the vat's nurse couldn't get the cuff onto my cat's paw. I said I wasn't bothered about faffing about making my cat all stressed, so we left it. Tablets would have been more messing about, more stress for the cat.

She was 18 when I had to have her PTS this April, due to heart failure (she was lethargic and had trouble breathing for 2 days)

Lynne1Cat · 12/10/2018 16:15

If it were me, I'd tell them I wouldn't be buying their expensive prescription-only cat food, I wouldn't be messing about getting urine samples, and I would only be doing stress-free medications (As I've just mentioned)

Original poster

Sparklingbrook · 12/10/2018 17:37

Thanks for all the replies. I am very torn because apart from the weight loss at the beginning there have been no symptoms at all. She's the same as she has always been.

I think I need to ask what's going on, it's been 8 months since diagnosis. She has an appointment for a blood test in two weeks and they want me to take a urine sample with me.

I don't really know what they do with her when she's there all day. I was a bit that I had to get the urine sample when she had been with them for that long.

OP posts:

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