My senior cat has uncontrolled hyperthyroidism, hypertension, and seizures. What now?

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!

Do not stop the blood pressure medication without first talking to the vet who is treating Tinker. It sounds like it may be helpful to run some lab work on her to see how well controlled her hyperthyroidism is, and see if that medication needs adjusted. If an adjustment in her dose of hyperthyroidism med is needed, then it MAY be ok to stop the blood pressure mediation once she's on a different dose, BUT DO NOT DO THIS without first talking to the vet who is managing her case. The other concern and possibility here is that there may be a separate issue going on such as cancer. The older they get the more likely we are to see multiple problems arise. Good luck with her! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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.

Hello. I am so sorry for Sophie, but glad that she is in a place where she will get all the care she needs. Kidney problems can always be an issue with hyperthyroidism, as is cardiovascular disease. And , some hyperthyroid cases are actually due to a malignancy in the thyroid gland & this unfortunately can be very troublesome. I do not want to scare or alarm you. She may just be simply sick with an infection, or needs to have her medications adjusted. I hope the ER vets are keeping you updated on her condition & any testing that has been done. Do not be afraid to call & get regular updates on her condition. By staying informed, you become a part of her care team. I hope she is back home with soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Symptoms of hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid) in cats are: weight LOSS not gain, increased thirst and urination, increased hunger and vocalizing especially at night. They can have heart murmurs and arrhythmia. The side effects on not treating is heart disease and weight loss. I recommend treating if her T4 is above the high end of the reference range. Please feel free to post her blood work results. I hope this helps and I wish Sofi the best!

I am sorry to hear that you and Ricochet are having a hard time. Unfortunately, the only way to see if the dose needs to be increased is to do bloodwork to evaluate his thyroid level. It is important to remember that there are other possible causes for him to be yowling at night, besides hyperthyroidism, including behavioral causes, cognitive dysfunction and potentially other metabolic causes and that increasing his methimazole too much will be harmful to Ricochet. I would recommend continuing the dose as prescribed by your vet and talking to them about what can be done to get Ricochet in for a blood test. Some clinics will accept payment plans or work with you to make sure that Ricochet gets the care he needs without putting you guys out of house and home. Again, so sorry you and Ricochet are going through this - you clearly care a lot about him and I hope he feels better soon! Also, to answer your question, the signs you may notice will be resolution of his signs of hyperthyroidism (typically, hyperthyroid cats exhibit weight loss despite voracious appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, among other possible signs). Hyperthyroidism can also affect other organs in the body like the kidneys, heart, brain and eyes, so sometimes we can see secondary disease in these organs with hyperthyroidism.

Oh my. Poor girl. The most pressing issue here is the fluid on the lungs. You need to find out the underling cause for the fluid and hopefully it is something that is treatable. You will have to start with chest radiographs to find out possible causes and treatment options. The hyperthyroidism can be managed with medications until then. Hyperthyroidism in cats is typically treated with either the prescription diet Hill's Y/D or with Felimazole. I hope that your pet Lucy is able to stabilize her condition soon! Best wishes and take care.