Thyroid problems in cat

[Adollop]

My 11 year old siamese cat has just been diagnosed through a blood test with thyroid problems. I took him to the vets because he had diarrhoea and despite changing his food it wouldn't clear up.

I'm going back tomorrow to discuss options.

In the meantime, is it normal for a siamese to sleep most of the time at his age or could this be due to thyroid problems?

The blood test also showed raised liver test results, which the vet said could ber linked to thyroid too. My worry is that as a kitten a blood test showed raised ALT results and they never got to the bottom of what caused it, but another blood test later showed they'd gone down again, although not as far as they should. He's been fine, not often ill, although his eyes dart around a lot, all the time, but I understand there isn't much that can be done about that, he's always been like that as long as I can remember, the vet has never been worried about it.

What can I expect to change if he's given tablets for the thyroid problem and how soon?

And here's the obligatory picture

He's always eaten a lot, I don't know what is normal.

Will the diarrhoea go away once he's settled on meds? It's almost unbearable, difficult to clean up, as I usually just scoop out the clumps and put them down the loo, but diarrhoea doesn't clump! It smells awful, the whole house smells.

Adollop, it sounds like you’re having a hard time. I don’t have any experience with thyroid issues in cats, so I can’t advise, but if you are unsure about the medication and if he’s on an appropriate dose, could you consult another vet? You could also ask whether the diarrhea is temporary or if you can do anything to improve it? It must be very stressful. Really hope things improve for you

@Adollop Ah, he most probably is overdosed then if his level is only 70 😕 My cat started showing symptoms after a week so be prepared - she got on much better on the lower dose of slow release Vidalta tablets (10mg) which only brought her levels down to the 40’s (should be under 55) but unfortunately tableting her every day damaged my relationship with her to the point that she would run away from me and not eat so that’s why she’s on the gel now (I can rub it inside her ear as if I’m just making a fuss of her lol).

Oh and regarding the diarrhoea - have you had any tests done about this or did the Vet say it was just down to his hyperthyroid? I know it can be a symptom although I’ve been lucky and not experienced that with my Dcat. If so I would assume that once the thyroid is under control this should subside- if not it would be worth them testing a sample to rule things out. I’m assuming he’s up to date with his worming treatment? Otherwise, have you thought about trying him on a pro-biotic paste? I always give this to my Dcat if she has an upset tummy and it works a treat! I use Pro Kolin+ paste, usually buy it from Amazon, it’s not expensive, it’s easy to dose and lasts for 6 months after opening...

Thanks. I'd tried him on chicken, steamed fish, different foods, the diarrhoea didn't go away, so then they did a blood test and diagnosed hyperthyroidism. I have prokollin but when I gave him some he was sick so I've been loath to give him more.

Can I just reduce his dose of Thyronorm? Halve it for example? I don't want to give him tablets, he's terrible at taking them. And he's had a lot of problems with infected itchy ears so I wouldn't really want to run something on them either.

I hate it when you trust the vet, but they don't think about dosage etc. It's fairly obvious that different cats and different levels of thyroid need different doses!

Forgot to say, yes he's wormed.

Ah OK, so they haven’t tested a stool sample? It might be worth asking them to do this if it doesn’t clear up soon - the thyronorm may not actually be in his system long enough otherwise. Has there been any improvement in it since actually starting the thyronorm? How has he been in general? As you would expect it to slow his system down and cure it if it is indeed the cause. It’s a shame about the prokolin, but I can understand why you’d be loathe to give it to him again.

I don’t see why you couldn’t half the dose, I would have myself if I knew then what I know now. Just make sure you tell your Vet your concerns when you take him back for his bloods next time.

I have to say I’ve been really shocked at the treatment and Vet opinions I’ve encountered over the past few months since my Dcat was diagnosed. It’s caused me no end of anxiety and shaken my faith in the whole industry, which isn’t great when you have a pet and have to rely on it when they get sick. It’s put me off ever having another animal... 😔

Thanks. He isn't going on his litter tray a lot, maybe twice or three times a day, but when he goes it's very runny (sorry).

Yes, I'll take a stool sample with me next time I go if it hasn't cleared up by then.

He doesn't seem any different really, but his main symptom was the diarrhoea. He's sleeping a lot, not playing at all like he used to. He's always eaten a lot, but I don't know if that's because he already had hyperthyroidism now He has lost a kg in weight, but that's since he was last weighed a year ago, but again he was overweight and also had diarrhoea for weeks, I was feeding him less for a while, because him and my other cat were sick a few times along with the diarrhoea, which I initially put down to the stress of moving. I don't know what to think now. I'm not impressed with my new vets, they don't seem to ask enough questions and I don't ever see the same one, so I think I'll change to another. I'm on an extremely tight budget too, which isn't helping.

Anyway I'll give him half the dose and hope for the best.

My mum has 2 hyperthyroid kitties. One has been on medication for I think at least 2 years and is getting on fine with it. It does however seem that her eyesight is going which they thing may be connected. The other has been diagnosed more recently, she was initially put on the medication which resulted in something apparently called a thyroid storm. The emergency vet actually thought it was heart failure.
She is now on a special prescription diet instead. This does however give her a very upset stomach which at the moment doesn't seem to be going away so it is possible that the two issues are related. Wishing your boy all the best.

Thanks. I saw that you can get food for this, but I have two other cats and it would be extremely difficult to feed them separately, and if it's not going to solve his upset stomach then I'm loath to go down that route at the moment.

If the medication works as well as the food would then there's no point, mum has to separate them all day so they can have access to separate food and if they refuse then they both go unfed while she's at work. The only reason she switched to the food is because she couldn't have the medication. She was originally going to have the radioactive iodine therapy but by the time she had to pay for the aftermath of the thyroid storm there was no way she could afford it.

Oh bless him and poor you for having to clear that up 2 to 3 times a day! 😷

That’s one of things I’ve found the hardest - what changes will occur after they are medicated? My Dcat has always been nervous and skittish, since the day we’ve had her. She’s never slept much for a cat, is very vocal and just generally ‘hyper’. Always had a good appetite too, loves her treats. I guess that’s why I didn’t pick up on her illness, it was the Vet who expressed concern when I took her for her annual booster as she’d lost over a kilo in weight too. Trouble is, she’d also always been overweight and I just assumed it was old age weight loss as she wasn’t exhibiting any other symptoms (she’s somewhere between 15 and 18 years old).

Your Vets sound like my old practice! 🙁 I took her in once when I was worried about her and the Vet didn’t even check her over, just looked at me as if I should have all the answers! 😠 It’s been an absolute nightmare - I also hate the fact that she constantly has her neck fur missing, because as soon as it just starts to look like it’s growing back to the same length as the surrounding fur, she has to have another blood test! 😢

You definitely need to be happy with your practice so I hope you can find one that gives you the help and answers you need. Yes the cost is a constant worry, especially when a simple blood test is nearly £100. My Dcat is insured, which I am grateful for as we’ve spent about £1500 by this point, most of which have been various tests! 😫

Adollop, what a stressful time for you. It really seems like you’re not happy with your new vet and if that’s the case I think you should definitely try to get an alternative opinion. I don’t think it sounds good that they haven’t asked sufficient questions. Good luck with the medication and hope you see some improvement soon

@Adollop hopefully things will get better on half a dose! Our cat is on the 0.5ml twice a day but her levels were over 200 so it was extreme. I felt incredibly guilty for having not taken her sooner but at 16 we just assumed she was slowing down and getting more vocal as a part of generally getting older.

Her sickness/diarrhoea got better after about a week. She's still vocal but a little less dramatic! Her most recent blood tests showed her levels at 110 which is still high but going in the right direction. We have declined any further blood tests as she scratched her skin raw after the previous ones which meant she was on steroids for 6 weeks

Definitely look at changing your vets if you don't feel happy. The vets themselves are great at mine but the nurses not so, unfortunately. They failed to mention that I can't actually administer the medication as I was (very visibly!) pregnant. It wasn't until I read the box myself that I saw all the warnings re pregnant women

Hi Adollop,
How are you doing? I hope things are improving. You have made great progress getting him to vet. Really hope things start to improve.