Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in middle-aged and senior cats. If your cat has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, you'll need to decide on an acceptable treatment for him. You have several options.
Methimazole in Treating Feline Hyperthyroidism
Probably the most commonly chosen treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism is a medication known as methimazole. Methimazole is a medication that treats the symptoms of hyperthyroidism but it does not cure the disease. As a result, if you choose methimazole as the means of treating your cat, your cat will need to take the medication for the rest of his life or at least until another option is chosen.
In many cases, methimazole is used to stabilize a cat with hyperthyroidism even if another treatment option is eventually going to be pursued. One of the advantages of methimazole is that the dosage can be adjusted relatively quickly in the event that your cat experiences side effects, such as kidney disease, in treating his thyroid disease.
Methimazole is available as an oral medication and can be compounded easily into a formulation with a flavored base that your cat will enjoy. In the event that your cat is difficult to medicate, methimazole can also be used as a transdermal gel, a gel containing the medication which can be applied to your cat's ear.
Dietary Therapy for Cats with Hyperthyroidism
Recently, a new diet has become available which is iodine-restricted and formulated to treat cats with hyperthyroidism. This diet is known as Hill's Science Diet Y/D®. Like treatment with methimazole, this iodine-restricted diet is not able to cure your cat's thyroid disease and will need to be fed for the rest of the cat's life.
In a multi-cat household, cats that do not suffer from hyperthyroidism should not be fed this diet as they do not have elevated thyroid hormones and thus do not need an iodine-restricted diet. In fact, for these cats, this diet likely would be unhealthy.
Using Radioiodine Treatment to Treat Your Cat for Hyperthyroidism
Radioiodine treatment uses an injection of radioactive iodine (I-131) to kill the cells in the thyroid gland that are secreting excess thyroid hormone.
This treatment is curative and cats treated with radioiodine treatment will need no further medication or special diets in most cases. Cats being treated with radioiodine treatment will need to be hospitalized in a facility that provides the treatment for a period of several days. Because of the use of radioactive substances involved, only specialized facilities offer radioiodine treatment. However, these facilities are becoming more common.
Surgery for the Treatment of Hyperthyroidism in Cats
Surgery to remove the diseased thyroid glands is possible. However, surgery does pose the risk of anesthesia and potential complications.
Many veterinarians believe that radioiodine therapy is the treatment of choice for feline hyperthyroidism. In most cases, radioiodine therapy is a safer option than surgery. However, there may be individual cases where methimazole or dietary therapy may be more appropriate than radioiodine treatment.
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