Regardless of the medication, blood tests should be conducted periodically during treatment to evaluate whether the therapy is effective and to monitor kidney function and for potential side effects. The effectiveness of this transdermal gel is acceptable in most cases. Antithyroid medications are also available in a gel that can be applied to the skin. Lifelong treatment, usually involving twice-daily oral dosage, will be required, and for some owners and cats, this dosage schedule may be difficult to maintain. Some cats may experience side effects from medication, however, including vomiting, anorexia, fever, anemia, and lethargy. The advantages of medication are that the drugs are readily available and relatively inexpensive.
These medications do not provide a cure for the disease, but they do allow either short-term or long-term control of hyperthyroidism. The treatment a cat receives for hyperthyroidism will depend on specific circumstances, including the patient’s overall health status, the owner’s ability and willingness to medicate the cat regularly, and financial considerations.Īnti-thyroid drugs act by reducing the production and release of thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland. Each treatment option has its advantages and disadvantages. There are four treatment options for feline hyperthyroidism: medication, radioactive iodine therapy, surgery, and dietary therapy. A blood chemistry panel and urinalysis will provide information about other organs and provide your veterinarian with an overall picture of your cat’s health. Since hyperthyroidism can predispose a cat to other conditions, it is important to evaluate general health, with particular focus on the heart and kidneys. If your cat does not have elevated T4 levels but your veterinarian still suspects your cat has hyperthyroidism, additional tests may be recommended. Most cats with hyperthyroidism have elevated levels of the thyroid hormone T4 in their bloodstream, but a small percentage of cats with hyperthyroidism have T4 levels within the normal range. If thyroid disease is a possibility, your veterinarian will likely order a blood chemistry panel and an analysis of thyroid hormone levels. The cat’s heart rate and blood pressure may also be checked. The coat of affected cats may appear unkempt, matted, or greasy (see Figure 1).Ī veterinarian who suspects a cat has a thyroid problem will conduct a physical examination and palpate the cat’s neck area to check for an enlarged thyroid gland (see Figure 2). Hyperthyroidism may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, and hyperactivity. The most common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism are weight loss, increased appetite, and increased thirst and urination. Thyroid hormones affect nearly all of the organs in the body therefore, thyroid disease often causes secondary problems.Ĭats afflicted with hyperthyroidism usually develop a variety of signs that may be subtle at first but that become more severe as the disease progresses.
Although the cause of feline hyperthyroidism is not known, possible contributing factors include deficiencies or excesses of certain compounds in the diet and chronic exposure to thyroid-disrupting chemicals in food or the environment. Some rare cases of hyperthyroid disease are caused by malignant tumors known as thyroid adenocarcinomas. In most cases, enlargement of thyroid glands is caused by a non-cancerous tumor called an adenoma. Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in cats, and mostly afflicts cats middle-aged and older.Īlso called thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase in production of thyroid hormones (known as T3 and T4) from an enlarged thyroid gland in a cat’s neck.
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