15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Emily Nightingale — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 20:22:48 GMT

Thank you- we're in North Essex/Suffolk borders... and I am pretty sure the owner wouldnt want to travel that far, but will talk to her about it when I see her and Clawed next week. Thanks for all your help.

Emily

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 02:02:58 GMT

I think the I-131 centre in Ripon (sorry, can't remember the name of it) will let cats go home after a week as long as certain guidelines are met?

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Emily Nightingale — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 21:06:51 GMT

Thank you all for your input. Very helpful. I have outlined all the options for the owner, and we have agreed that 40mg Vidalta SID is what we are going to try, failing that it's Felimazole. Surgery and Radio-i3 not an option for the client as she is not keen on either. Will keep you posted on how we get on.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Braden Collins — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 03:40:50 GMT

Lack of palpable goitre doesn't necessarily exclude it as a surgical candidate. I've seen them before in the thoracic inlet so couldn't be palpated but could be found and removed. I would be looking at this as a surgical candidate. If doing a biopsy to see if it is a carcinoma, it might as well be an excisional biopsy.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

salome2001 — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:19:34 GMT

Agree with Sarah on this one... I'd be worried about thyroid carcinoma and I think the advice to biopsy is spot on.

And maybe speak again to the client about the relative welfare impact of pilling a cat daily and still having chronically unstable disease, compared to a three week stay in a cattery (of sorts).

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Rob Loxley — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:04:35 GMT

[quote user="Emily Herskind Nightingale"]parted from him for 3 weeks[/quote]

Apparently the hyperthyroid cat centre can have them home in a week.
If it is a carcinoma, IIRC, only Langford are able to deal with these by radioiodine.

I'd consider exploring to find the enlarged thryoid

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Sarah Keir — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 11:28:14 GMT

There is evidence emerging that the bengin thyroid ademonas that initially cause the hyperthyroidism convert to carcinomas over time - perhaps you should biopsy the goitre in this cat. Another good reason for thinking of curative treatment options first in a younger hyperthyroid cat.

Sarah

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Thomas Johnson — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 09:50:45 GMT

Would he be a candidate for y/d? I've used it successfully in a couple of cats. The owner does have to very strict about what the cat eats though.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

ChrisBVSc — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 09:35:36 GMT

[quote user="Utlendigur"]

I've also had quite a few cats that have been on 20mg vidalta with minimal effect but have responded well to normal doses of felimazole for some reason.

[/quote]

I've had this happen too, & would definitely give Felimazole a try before anything else. Don't ask me why it happens though!

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Andrew Kent — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 08:18:10 GMT

I have used 45mg vidalta in one cat and had a couple more on 40mg so I wouldn't be too worried about increasing the dose further.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Michael Woodhouse — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:49:30 GMT

Try Felimazole before you do anything else rash.

Is it conceivable that the liver has uprated its enzymes and the cat is clearing the once daily treatment quickly? Twice daily Felimazole seems such a simple step.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Emily Nightingale — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:13:13 GMT

Hi Rob (always have to resist urge to think you are Sir Robin of Loxley as in Robin Hood.. with a name like that..)

Iodine option not something O wants to do as cannot bear thought of being parted from him for 3 weeks (AHT recommendation)

Surgery not an option either as doesn't have a palpable goitre..

Does that change your response?

Thanks for the input- much appreciated.

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Rob Loxley — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:04:57 GMT

If they'd go for I-131 that'd be my 1st choice, if not surgery

Re: 15 year old Hyperthyroid cat

Utlendigur — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 22:27:48 GMT

Not a feline medic or clever (especially not on a Fri eve!) , but just thinking about a few similar cases I've seen over the years. One cat proved impossible to control either medically or surgically and was PTS. I xrayed its chest afterwards and it had what looked like miliary mets all through its lungs - no histology done so only guessing they were thyroid tissue but the T4 was sky-high despite having had bilateral thyroidectomy with no palpable regrowth and increasingly massive doses of meds. I've also had quite a few cats that have been on 20mg vidalta with minimal effect but have responded well to normal doses of felimazole for some reason.