Radio iodine for hyperthyroidism

[BiggerBrighterBetter]

Hi, my cat has just been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and the vet has given 4 possible options of treatment.

The best one seems to be radio iodine treatment but I'm concerned about the aftercare and whether my house is suitable for the setup needed. Also there's the not inconsiderable cost associated with this, though insurance should cover a large portion of it.

Has anyone ever gone down this route and can tell me if it's a nightmare please? Or has anyone's cat had surgery to remove half the thyroid, which is the second option?

I'm really struggling to make a decision as to what's best. Thanks.

Anderson moores a radioactive iodine clinic has this page which has a summary of all the advantages and disadvantages of each method of treatment.

Thank you. I've done some reading around it, I just wondered if anyone had any personal experience of managing afterwards as it seems quite labour intensive and I'm not sure my home setup would be suitable.

There is a current thread by someone whose cat has just had it. I think is the 'my cat is in hospital thread'

Aww poor cat. I (a human!) have a hyperactive thyroid. I wouldn't have RAI due to the increased cancer risk in the future. I don't know if it's the same for cats?

@BatshitCrazyWoman really? I've not read anything about that somaybe different. I hope you're ok.

It may be different for cats - much less radiation maybe? I don't know. I'm currently in remission (I was on carbimazole) so I'm good 🙂