My cat's thyroid medicine increased. How long until appetite improves?

Hi and thanks for your post. 1.5ug/dL is not too low. After starting treatment with methimazole, thyroid hormone will generally fall within the lower 1/3 of the reference range anywhere from 0.8 to 2.3ug/dL is normal. Lower than 0.8ug/dL would be a concern, however. The picky eating may be due to a dental problem Tony has to from changing the food too frequently- that may make him a very picky eater very quickly! Try sticking to one food without changing it- he won't starve! I hope this helps! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there. Symptoms of hyperthyroidism generally include things like weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive vocalization, and increased appetite or thirst. I would tend to agree with your veterinarian that if your kitty is not losing weight or having any other symptoms of a problem, there is no reason to change his medication dosage - although an increase may be needed in the future if he starts to have symptoms again.

Yes I would stop the methimazole until you can have him checked again by your veterinarian. If he feels better off the methimazole then the methimazole dose may have been too high. They will check his blood work again for the thyroid level and for the pancreatitis. When changing diets I try adding just a small amount of new food at each meal until he gets used to it. Cats are fussy eaters but if he's still not eating it may be that Jojo just doesn't feel well and it wasn't that he didn't like the food. Once cats get regulated on the thyroid medication usually things smooth out and you'll have less problems. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jojo.

I'm sorry to hear that Cleo isn't eating as well as she normal does. Hyperthyroidism typically causes weight loss despite an increase in appetite, although rare cats may experience a decreased appetite. The change in Cleo's appetite alone may or may not be associated with hyperthyroidism. Other causes of this sudden lack of interest in food and lethargy could be related to a gastrointestinal virus, kidney disease, parasites, liver disease, among many other conditions. If she still isn't eating normally in the next day or two, Cleo should go to her vet for evaluation and likely blood testing. However, if she becomes experiences extreme lethargy, experiences profuse vomiting or diarrhea, or will not drink water, Cleo should go to the vet immediately. I hope this helps and that Cleo feels better soon!

If Rockie's thyroid level is controlled, then his weight should remain stable. There is a special diet for treating hyperthyroidism, but it is used instead of medication NOT in addition to treatment. I am attaching more information about it below. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3348 If Rockie is still eating more than normal and losing weight, then his thyroid level may not be controlled yet, so it would be worth rechecking that blood value. You can certainly discuss a diet change with your veterinarian. If Rockie is on an adult food, he may do better on a senior food. And if he is on a dry food, he may do better on a canned food. Both of those changes may help him maintain his muscle mass. But I suspect that making sure his thyroid level is controlled should be your first step. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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.

When an senior cat is eating more frequently yet losing weight, this can be a sign of hyperthyroidism. With hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is secreting too much hormone which causes an increase in the pets metabolism and subsequent weight loss. Have your vet check Hopes T4 levels to see if she is hyperthyroid and in need of medication to help stabilize her hormones so that she doesn't continue to waste away. This is easily diagnosed and treated with medication (i.e. Methimazole). Your vet will also want to run baseline bloodwork on your pet to make sure no other disease processes are there.