What is Hyperthyroidsim?
Hyperthyroidism is a very common disease of older cats usually caused by a benign tumour of the thyroid gland. This tumour secretes excessive thyroid hormone and leads to a variety of symptoms including overactivity, heart disease, high blood pressure, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhoea. Without treatment, this disease is eventually fatal. However, there are very good treatments available
I-131 versus other treatments
Too much thyroid hormone causes many serious problems for these cats, so some form of treatment is needed. The medication traditionally used to treat hyperthyroidism has to be given every day. Most cats do not like being medicated, either with pills or topical drugs. They also need to have frequent blood tests for monitoring. This can be stressful for the cats and the owners, not to mention the economics of this ongoing, life long treatment. Diets used to help manage the disease have to be fed exclusively. I 131 is a one off treatment, no medications need to be given at home and no continuous monitoring is needed because the treatment is usually effective and permanent. It is painless and there are no side effects. This is a wonderful curative treatment.
Why choose I-131 Treatment at BVSC for your pet?
At BVSC, we have two purpose built lead lined Cat Capsulas available for treatment of hyperthyroidism. Whilst in hospital, your pet is under the supervision of a veterinary specialist and the patient care team and they will receive the very best of care.
In most cases, the best recommended treatment is radioactive iodine (I-131). This is a relatively simple treatment involving the administration of a single dose of radioactive iodine by oral capsule. The radioactive iodine is then taken up by your cat’s thyroid gland and destroys the abnormal tissue. Success rates are in excess of 95%. In contrast to other treatments available such as anti-thyroid medications, this treatment is curative rather than just controlling the symptoms.
What does I-131 Treatment mean for your pet?
One of the most common questions asked is regarding side effects. There are no side effects for your cat when receiving radioactive iodine. However, there are precautions that need to be taken to ensure human safety as treated cats do emit radiation for a short period after treatment. The most crucial time for this is the first week and it is required that your cat is hospitalised in a specialised radiation facility.
5-10 days after the treatment has been administered, your cat will be ready to go home. Some routine precautions need to be taken for two weeks at home after discharge. However, after this time, your cat can be treated as normal. In the vast majority of cases, thyroid levels return to normal after 1 to 2 months and no ongoing medication is required.
For more information please email Dr Darren Fry or phone Brisbane Veterinary Specialist Centre on 07 3264 9400 to make an appointment.
