Hyperthyroidism in Cats.

[Ellie-Louise]

Saw this article today.

We had 2 cats ourselves with thyroid disease, but sadly they passed over the rainbow bridge in the 1990's. Tinker and Jeffrey are both fond memories now.

verywell.com/feline-hyperth...

[bantam12]

We have two hyperthyroid cats, both had surgery but still hyper and proving very difficult to control with meds. The cost of regular bloods and medication is ridiculous.

[helvella Administrator]

Thanks for posting - it could be of interest to those who are responsible for cats.

Don't miss that although rare, cats can suffer from hypothyroidism.

petmd.com/cat/conditions/en...

[wellness1]

I was just getting ready to share something related, when I saw your post Ellie-Louise , so I'll add it here: tinyurl.com/lrh2ce2

It's a very interesting article that explores an environmental explanation for the epidemic of feline hyperthyroidism and asks the provocative question, "If household chemicals are wreaking havoc on the hormones of cats, what are they doing to us?"

[Raventhorpe in reply to wellness1]

Hi wellness1 a very interesting article makes you wonder if there is a link between hyperthyroidism in animals and humans as to wether it is something to do with the environment we both are in. I wonder how many of us who have thyroid problems have had an animal with the same problem I certainly have I had a cat with hyperthyroidism many years ago about the same time as I was diagnosed with Graves desease, certainly food for thought, thanks for posting this

[wellness1 in reply to Raventhorpe]

Cheers, Raventhorpe. I agree, really interesting. It's terrible if we are poisoning our feline friends. And ourselves. Maybe I'll post the article as a separate thread, since some may be interested in the environmental trigger angle, but may not read this if they are not cat lovers. I love everyone's cat stories. The cat who often stays with us is hyperthyroid as well.

[Raventhorpe in reply to wellness1]

Wellness1 I think it's a good idea to post as separate thread as the environmental angle is really thought provoking and there dose seem to be alot of people on here with animals with thyroid problems so maybe there is a link between the environment we both live in. It could be something that needs further investigation.

[Hidden]

Our kitty is hyperthyroid (and has chronic kidney disease). He was diagnosed with the former a year ago (at nearly 16 yrs old) - he was quite poorly, had gotten thin, coat looking poor, yowling etc as well as pretty much camping out by the drinking bowl. The vet put him on 10 mcg Carbimazole daily and it really sorted him out. He's also on potassium for his CKD as well as special kidney cat food. Since being treated he's gone up from 3.2 kg to 4.1 kg! He's now very healthy and as normal as a kitty can be at almost 17. His back legs are weaker than they were, so he doesn't go leaping up as high now.

I definitely think the food they eat (which is high in soya and goodness knows what else) doesn't do them any good, any more than a lot of our food does for us. I try to give him sardines, tuna, chicken etc but he does love his 'junk food' in gravy.

[Rapunzel in reply to Hidden]

LMAO at junk food for cats, Hidden Does that include Gourmet Perle Ocean Delicacies?

[Hidden in reply to Rapunzel]

DARN caught red-pawed!!! How the heck did you know?

[helvella Administrator in reply to Rapunzel]

Have been warned all too seriously to avoid Dreamies.

Just like all products that are being heavily promoted, the shelves laden with them are all the ones at eye level, ends of aisles, etc.

[Rapunzel in reply to helvella]

NOOOOOOOOOOO! There's free samples of Dreamies in my boy's Gourmet Perle at the moment. TYSM Rod x No more of those for the special boy, then.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Hidden]

I'm glad someone else thinks that food causes problems besides myself.

I will NOT buy Felix, because every cat I have fed that to has ended up with cancer in their head or mouth.

Now I feed them on Hills as much as I can, although my old boy (19)...no, Mike I'm not talking about you! Lol...has to take heart pills which he has in Gourmet Gold Pate, mainly because it would be far too dangerous to try administering it by mouth, even though he hasn't many teeth left.

That lesson was learned many moons ago. So now I wait until he's drowsy before clipping his claws, or putting his eye drops in.

[Hidden in reply to Ellie-Louise]

I'm a Hills gal too, all ours had Hills dry food but of course they like to have their wet food as well. Our eldest Pixel died of Chronic Kidney Disease, the other (brother of the last one we have) died of lung cancer if you please. Mind you he was quite the tearaway naughty lad and I expect he used to smoke behind the shed.

I was dreading giving our last one pills as he tends to panic easily but by some miracle he's been good as gold taking carbimazole, which has undoubtedly extended his life. Claws get clipped on his vet visits, we have to take him in for blood tests and a checkup every two months, more than a person would get! Still it's not on the NHS but being paid for so no wonder they are more diligent!

[Gambit62 in reply to Ellie-Louise]

I stopped buying Felix when the cats just started throwing it up all the time

Mine get Hills supplemented with meat.

[serenfach]

I have found vets actively look for thyroid problems, especially in dogs and cats. What a shame that GPs cannot do the same!

[Hidden in reply to serenfach]

Yes this is very true, I tell my cat he is doing far better than I am and he has TWO diseases! He just gives me that superior stare that says 'Well of course I am, I am a CAT and a GOD, not like you mortal human slave!'

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Hidden]

One of ours has the 'stare' which is code for food, the other has a 'stare' for "let me out'.

[Rapunzel in reply to Hidden]

Yeah mine does that look, too. I am his food be'ach, nothing more or less. He often clambers over me, gives me the evils and settles down with THE MAN my DH, looking at him with full on adoration and purring his head off. I love his little bones

[Hidden in reply to Rapunzel]

LOL yes, my partner is absolutely idolised (was by the other two now-departed kitties as well), he is Boss Cat, whereas I am Mere Food Slave. I adore cats, right down to their little toes and white whiskers, so it's a hopeless case I'm afraid!

[LAHs]

This was really enlightening. I never thought of soy in the less expensive foods, I am going to check my cat's food immediately and change if necessary. My poor little 22 year old cat died about 6 months ago - of hyperthyroidism. I kept her alive for a year with the animal equivalent of carbolmazole (sp?) but hyper and old age eventually won, her name was Twinkle. Throughout her illness I did get the impression that the vet was a lot more informed about thyroid disease than my Endocrinologist, they did a lot more tests than I get out of my Endo (after my begging). I even got told off once when I didn't give her her medication before her blood test, I was told to get lost (go shopping) for 8 hours while they kept her and waited until the blood test would be valid. How often does your Endo/doc tell you that?

[Ellie-Louise in reply to LAHs]

Oh no! I'm sooo sorry for your little Twinkle, it's devastating when we have to let them go. We have 6 of ours at rest in our garden. xx

[marsaday]

Our cat was about 7 when he got HyperT.

We use a cream which we rub on his ear. It comes in a pen shaped unit and you click once and the cream comes out on the end which is spatula shaped and you rub it on the inner ear. Very easy to do.

It costs about £35 a month, but we are now doing less applications as he seems fine with less. We don't have bloods done as far too stressful for him.

His bro was put down last week as he had HIV and had developed the condition where the stomach fills with fluid. Such a shame. Billy is doing well though and doesn't seem to be missing his brother which i a positive.

He likes dried food and we get whispers, and purina.

[LAHs in reply to marsaday]

One of my cats (Elliott) contracted HIV. He was a tough old tom cat and used to "go off" for about a week at a time now and again. One time he stayed away for two weeks and I only accidentally got him back because as I was returning home down a nearby street I heard some frantic meowing from some cat somewhere. I approached to see what was the problem only to find Elliot on someone's roof trying to get down! I knocked on the door but no-one answered. I wasn't going to give up so I walked around the stranger's house looking for a ladder - and, wouldn't you know - found one. I knocked on the door again, no answer, so I put the ladder up against the house and started to climb up on the roof. I thought that if anyone called the police, that would be a good thing, they could get my cat down because I was scared to death. Anyway, he finally climbed into my arms after a lot of messing around, you know, shall I, shan't I. And Elliot was home. I left the ladder up against the house, I wasn't going to let go of my cat at this stage.

Anyway, he had contracted HIV, but lived many years to come and did not give it to any of my other three cats even though they shared their food bowls. Sharing bowls was not the original plan, it was just impossible to stop. When he was dying I was supposed to appear in court for a (minor) traffic ticket offense - I told them I couldn't go, my cat was dying! Long story for another time.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to LAHs]

Gosh! weren't you brave, even standing on a chair makes me go funny.

[Gambit62]

Have had 4 hyperthyroid cats - 2 were brothers so we picked up on the hyperthyroidism of the brother who was a the food boss (brother was the territory boss) and hence on the podgy side well before any significant weight loss - he was infamous at the surgery for being the only hyperthyroid cat who was on a permanent diet

Neither of current cuts (or the relatives that seem to think they leave here but actually belong 2 doors down) is hyperthyroid but they are all quite young - think 3 this year.