hyperthyroid

[jodi]

My 18 YO cat has had a few health issues lately one of which has been excessive drinking & eating altho she weighs only 5 lbs. She also throws up occ which I contributed to her having a lot of mucous from an upper respiratory inf.

She's been to the vet at least 3 x's in the last 2 months. Vet told me all her test came back normal so I didn't question them. She had to go back to the vet yesterday for urinary tract inf & on going sinus inf. I asked for a copy of the previous blood panel & looking at the results this a.m. I see she does have elevated WBC & others that indicate she does have an infection. Her T4 is 4.0, normal is 0.8-4.0.

Since she is borderline hyperthyroid should I be concerned now or wait & have her retested in a few weeks? The Vet doesn't seem concerned that she is only 5 lbs. Has anyone tried the Science Diet YD food that contains less iodine? Maybe an herbal formula? From what I've read the treatments for HT is worse than the disease. Thanks for your help.

[laurief]

My assumption is that your cat is, indeed, hyperthyroid. As cats age, their normal Total T4 lowers. While 4.0 may be considered within normal range for a very young cat, an 18 YO should have a Total T4 closer to 0.8. Go back to your vet (or better yet, find another vet who will take her condition more seriously) and insist on a Free T4 by Equilibrium Dialysis. The FT4ED will help clarify her thyroid status.

Once you have the diagnosis, it is VERY important that you treat her hyperT. Uncontrolled hyperT can (will) be fatal and can cause very serious illness in the meantime. In most cats, the medications used to control hyperT are both effective and reasonably safe if introduced gradually and dosed correctly (starting with a very low dose and gradually increasing as necessary). HyperT can also be CURED in most cats with a single injection of radioactive iodine (I-131) administered at a specialty clinic. This is an expensive treatment option, but unlike medication, I-131 CURES hyperT and is very safe for the cat. Surgical removal of the thyroid glands is a third treatment option, though the riskiest and not guaranteed to be curative.

Get the FT4ED done and start treating her hyperT. Please post her test results here, along with the vet's recommended starting dose of medication (assuming that her hyperT is confirmed). Many, many vets start cats on too high a dose of medication, which can result in very serious problems for the cat, so please let us know which medication and which dose has been prescribed BEFORE starting her on the medication. We may be able to help you avoid serious side effects and complications.

Laurie

[jodi]

Thank you very much!