My cat's hyperthyroidism: Vidalta failed, surgery not an option. Alternatives?

The heart condition is likely a sequel to the hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism speeds up the heart rate, and that increases the thickness of the heart muscle which will enlarge the heart. Please do not experiment with herbal medicines. Hyperthyroidism, if not controlled will cause the heart condition to worsen, so it is absolutely necessary to use medications that will work such as thyreostatic medication (the thyroid medications your veterinarian prescribed). The Furosemide will help your cat get rid of the fluid in her lungs. Please listen to your veterinarian. Your kitty can have a good quality of life with the correct medications. This is one case where herbals will not help.

Luv Bug is so very fortunate to have you as an owner. I am sure that you are one of the main reasons that she is going strong at 17 years of age. Kudos to you for your consideration and compassion for your pet. In terms of hyperthyroidism in cats, there are only three real treatments on the market today. These are methimazole treatment, thyroidectomy surgery, and radioactive iodine treatment. It is believed in the veterinary community that radioactive iodine is the gold standard treatment today. With the information you have provided, I can offer you a few possibilities for future treatment: 1. Perhaps you can get the math him is all in a tablet form to crush it into a fine powder and then mix it with any palatable substance that she likes and then squirt it in her mouth with a syringe. This, however, may cause some behavior problems because she may not like this either. 2. If you are willing to accept the costs and all of the different parts that go with the radioactive iodine treatment, I say go for it because the success rate for that specific treatment is excellent. Thank you very much for your question and I know you will make the right decision on her behalf. Have a great day.

Surgery will be a definitive option and treatment won't be needed anymore in the long term. Unfortunately the down side of it is the cost and invasiveness of procedure. Medical treatment on other hand requires constant monitoring and continue treatment but it is a good option as well. The decision is very subjective, but usually where cat and client are right candidates, I tend to suggest surgery. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

In the majority of cases hyperthyroidism is due to a benign tumour (adenoma )within the thyroid gland. As time goes by, the lump continues to grow with worsening of the symptoms that will require more treatment. It is difficult to be stable on the medications, they wil need adjusting and repeat blood test. There are other more permanent treatment options such as radioactive treatment. I am quite positive about integrating conventional therapies with holistic ones i general, in this case though I don’t see how it would help .

No that is uncommon. Many cats do not do well with diet changes and he certainly had a poor reaction to the food. Continue with his old diet. If you are unable to give oral medication you can have the medication made into a gel that you can rub on the ear flap where it will be absorbed through the skin. A compounding pharmacy can do this for you. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Theo.

I'm sorry you lost your other cat and that Bird is now showing symptoms of another disease. The most common diseases in older cats are renal failure, hyperthyrodism and diabetes. It is really not a wise decision to give Bird any of the other cats medications. Just because you think she looks like she has symptoms of hyperthyroidism doesn't mean she actually has it. As a vet, I have been fooled many times. You could certainly kill her by doing this or make things worse. Even if she is hyperthyroid she may not need the same dose that the other cat was on. If she is that stressed getting to the vet I would ask your vet if they would be willing to make a house call to draw blood as that is the way to diagnose this issue. The other option is to find a mobile vet in your area that could come to your house. I hope this helps. If you have any additional questions please feel free to ask!

If you are having trouble getting the thyroid under control, you may look into the prescription diet Science Diet Y/D. This diet works well for a lot of cats and eliminates the need for medication. You can also discuss permanent treatment such as radioactive iodine therapy. The hair loss could be due to other causes however. I recommend to call you veterinarian for next steps. Best of luck.