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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

If your cat is on medicine for hyperthyroidism

116 replies

purpleme12 · 21/12/2021 15:56

.........if your cat is on medicine for hyperthyroidism.....
how often do you have to have blood tests for them to check they're at the right level??
appreicate any responses

also how much is your medicine and how much are the blood tests?

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:08

@Pallando

We went for surgery rather than radiotherapy - firstly our cat gets very stressed at the vet and we didn't think she would cope with 2 weeks away, and secondly apparently there is a reasonably high chance of the cat becoming hypothyroidic afterwards and still needin pills!

This is pretty unusual. Radioactive iodine is curative in about 97% of cases, has a failure rare of about 1% and around 2% (1 in 50) need treatment for hypothyroidism (more cats develop it initially but self-resolve without treatment).

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:12

Depends if I had it accessible in savings.
If I did I'd probably use the savings; if not I'd use a 0% credit card and pay off monthly. I have a 0% credit card for pet emergencies, I don't normally use credit cards but it's our back-up.

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:15

our cat gets very stressed at the vet and we didn't think she would cope with 2 weeks away
It's worth asking about the accommodation for cats in post-treatment isolation. I know RVC built a special ward just for them, with individual spacious cat pens away from the main inpatient kennels. It was very calm and quiet, & designed to minimise stress as much as possible. They shouldn't be staying in a busy hospital ward.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 19:20

@AnnaMagnani

Sorry I can't remember the cost as it was now a while ago. As *@Defiantly41* says it would be less through an online pharmacy which we didn't bother with as ours was insured.

Cat lived 2 years and it was a surprise when she died, I know many live longer.

The cat definitely needs treatment. Meds may be cheaper than the iodine - cat may not live long enough to spend more than the iodine on meds, and the cost of meds is spread out over time.

what age did your cat die? the vet says it would be cheaper doing the radioactive thing in the long run?

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:28

You should be able to work out rough costs.
Ask vets for cost of blood test & consult (or check your bill from diagnosis). You are probably looking at doing that 6 monthly - the RCVS usually recommends vets see patients on long-term meds every 6 months, they'll probably want yo check thyroid levels which can only be done via blood test. Then add cost of 12m meds (again, ask vet for cost). That'll give you a rough annual figure.
Blood tests may be more frequent if hard to stabilise though.

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:30

Your cat may live to 15, 18, even 21 - but no one can predict that unfortunately so it's a bit of a gamble when estimating how much medication will cost for the rest of their life.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 19:32

yes such a gamble god i'm finding it really hard to cope with

OP posts:

gunnersgold · 23/12/2021 19:40

My cat lives for 3 years with it

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:41

My cat has a heart condition and has twice daily medication. She's really good and eats it hidden in a treat & there's no blood test for her condition, only a vet check every 6 months. Her meds are around £50/m and with consults every 6 months probably totals around £670 a year.

It's not too bad as she takes the medication easily, bit of a faff getting a catsitter when we go away but we've found a good one who is happy to give her meds.

She hates the vets though, so if she needed regular blood testing it'd be more stressful, & if I had to actually force the pill down her throat twice a day that'd be even worse.
Unfortunately there's no cure available for her so I'm grateful she takes her medication easily.

How is your cat with the medication?

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 19:44

I haven't started him on medicine for thyroid as the thinking was going down the radioactive route.....

But i'm pretty sure it would be hard to give him a tablet!

OP posts:

Maximuss · 23/12/2021 19:45

If cost is an issue ask your vet about a surgical thyroidectomy, it works for about 98% of cats (unless they have thyroid tissue elsewhere in the body which is unusual) and is often very cost effective, often only one side done at first so some cats will need a second surgery in future but for an otherwise well cat it’s an option to consider if cost an issue, radioactive iodine would always be my treatment of choice but more up front cost although as previous posters have said usually equal to the cost of 2-4 years of medical treatment with drugs and monitoring

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 19:45

Did all your cats who had the tablets for thyroid and died a couple of years later, was that from the thyroid deteriorating?

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 19:49

@purpleme12

I haven't started him on medicine for thyroid as the thinking was going down the radioactive route.....

But i'm pretty sure it would be hard to give him a tablet!

I'd factor stuff like that into your decision - the money is a big factor, but also your stress (and his). If you are having a twice-daily battle to pill him, or finding taking him for blood tests and check ups difficult to juggle around work, then it might be another tick in the "pros" list for radioactive iodine.

Maximuss · 23/12/2021 19:52

Don’t worry too much about tablets as most cats now have a liquid version they don’t seem to mind, tablets are very small if you do go that route and there is also a gel you can apply to the ear if the first two options aren’t easy although personally don’t tend to suggest that if small children in the house

Defiantly41 · 23/12/2021 20:30

With mine, no ... he died of old age at 20

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 20:41

i also don't drive so it's taxi to and from the vets each time which is obviously money on top

OP posts:

Pallando · 23/12/2021 22:12

@purpleme12 probably the best thing to do is have an honest chat to your vet.

For us, the experience was:

Sept - noticed weight loss and enlarged thyroid at check up - put onto pills (2 a day - they are quite small. Had success with glueing them to the back of a dreamie with easy pill or pill assist)

Oct - pills were too strong, put onto weaker dose

Nov - had regained some weight. Options discussed. In similar cases our vet had seem better outcomes with surgery so we went for that. Plan was to take both out if first came out easily leaving parathyroid gland intact.

Dec - operation. Was in observation for a day afterwards then back home (much better for her than 2 weeks away!)

At the moment she is on thyroid tablets as levels dropped too low - these are cheaper though (£8 a month and only half a tab a day). Hoping to wean her off those - but that will be another month or so.

Pallando · 23/12/2021 22:15

In terms of blood tests, one to diagnose, one after first month of pills, one 10 days after opp and I imagine there will be one or two more as we wean her off. When discussing long term pills I think it was going to be every 6 months once dose more or less stable.

Pallando · 23/12/2021 22:16

Our vet was very good at explaining the different costs and also the probabilities of needing Futher treatment etc.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 22:16

I have had a chat with him
it's just i've never been in this situation before and it's just me and it's so hard
and when my mum and stepdad don't approve it's made me rethink even though they don't see animals the same way i do i don't think
and it's so hard

OP posts:

boomboom1234 · 23/12/2021 22:25

Hey OP - we have recently gone through the same process with our cat who is 11. We have decided not to go ahead with the treatments although it was obviously a hard decision. It was too expensive and I also didn't think he would like being medicated daily and I felt it would make him resent us or us having to chase him etc. We have instead started feeding him a lot more wet food and spending lots of nice time with him cuddles etc. I'm sure many will judge me but I have two young kids and couldn't commit to the cost or the trips to the vet.

Melassa · 23/12/2021 22:46

Mine lived over 7 years on tablets, diagnosed at 10. Right up until the last month or so he was bright and doing well then he started going a bit downhill. He died suddenly of a stroke in the end. We got blood tests every 6 months for the first year and a half then once a year thereafter, when it was clear he was getting on well with the drugs.

I’m abroad and you buy veterinary medicine at the pharmacy and not from the vet. If you go to a pharmacy which doesn’t stock vet meds you can use the prescription for the human equivalent which costs much less. We gave Tapazole which has exactly the same active ingredients as Felimazole yet costs €5 against over €40.

Some vet meds are just human meds repackaged and sold at 10 times the price. It’s a scam and awful for pensioners and people on a low income who have pets with chronic illnesses. Many make the decision to pts as they can’t keep up with the cost of medicines. For this reason my vet always gave the option of human meds where appropriate and suitable.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 23/12/2021 23:47

What if i just left him as he is now?

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 23/12/2021 23:51

@purpleme12

What if i just left him as he is now?

icatcare.org/advice/hyperthyroidism/

Untreated hyperthyroidism leads to heart failure. Personally I think that's quite cruel - if you really don't want to treat, then rehoming or euthanasia would probably be kinder.

Why not try the tablets for a month or so and see how you get on? If he's easy to pill and stabilises quickly, it could be quite straightforward.

Original poster

purpleme12 · 24/12/2021 00:04

Thank you for your help i will have to have a think

OP posts:

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