2/5/2014
Good morning! 39 degrees and raining.
Today's article is about hyperthyroidism of cats. I did not go into lots of deep detail, there is plenty on the web if you Google it. It is not to replace you seeing your vet. If you have any health concerns for your pet, please immediately contact your vet!
If your cat is diagnosed as hyperthyroid, Do NOT freak out! It is really not a big problem to manage!
Your cat’s thyroid glands regulate the speed at which your cat’s body metabolism works – much like the accelerator on your vehicle regulates the speed of your car. It does this by producing a hormone called thyroxine or T- 4 that regulates the speed of all body processes. When your cat produces too much of it and its metabolic rate sores, it has become hyperthyroid
It is very common in cats, rare in dogs. The average age first diagnosed is 8-13 9 out of 10 cats that develop it are over 10 years old.
Clinical signs associated with hyperthyroidism can be quite dramatic and cats can become seriously ill with this condition. Untreated, hyperthyroidism in cats can lead to heart or kidney failure and can be fatal. However, this disorder is a very treatable disease and most hyperthyroid cats will make a complete recovery. Diagnosing is done by a simple blood test.
Symptoms:
1. Weight loss despite normal appetite, untreated, the cat will starve to death.
2. Increased appetite. it can be dramatic. The cat can be eating all the time because it can not get full and will still be losing weight
3. Hyperactivity, increased energy, nervous behavior
4. Increased thirst and urination (this could also be diabetes)
5. Vomiting or regurgitating.
6. Anxiety, night yowling, confusion, aimless pacing. "All of these behavior signs appear to reflect a state of confusion, anxiety, or restless associated with the increased central nervous stimulation caused by the hyperthyroidism"
7. Diarrhea, soft stools, voluminous stools.
8. Fast respiration rate, panting, difficult breathing,
9. Skin, hair coat and nail changes. Coat is often unkempt, dull and often matted.
Hyperthyroidism can cause your cat to go blind
Treatment is actually very easy, there is medication (more often than not methimazole is prescribed) They have it in pill form or trans-dermal (cream form that you put on their ear). The medication is not expensive. Or you can do radiation therapy.
Keller had the pills for 2 years and had developed a toxic level of the medication in his blood so he ended up having the iodine treatment. He was hospitalized for 4 days until his radiation levels came down. We had to specially handle his feces (double bagging, having them in special container for a month until radiation levels had gone down) gloves etc for 30 days but it wasn't really bad. The cost was approx $1500. When he was retested his blood levels were perfectly normal and have remained that way. If I had known the radiation would work so well and had the knowledge when he was first diagnosed, he would have had the radiation from the start.
Please Vote today for the blind cats in TWO contests :) Both are daily votes
.
1. http://www.shopforyourcause.com/voting-challenge
(category LARGE RESCUE Shelter, Blind Cat )
2. http://www.shelterchallenge.com/
Thank you so much for helping the cats!! Please share with your friends :)
Don't forget to check the cats out today LIVE on http://ustream.tv/blindcatrescue
Tours at noon & 3 pm, There is no chat or boxes tonight.
Today's article is about hyperthyroidism of cats. I did not go into lots of deep detail, there is plenty on the web if you Google it. It is not to replace you seeing your vet. If you have any health concerns for your pet, please immediately contact your vet!
If your cat is diagnosed as hyperthyroid, Do NOT freak out! It is really not a big problem to manage!
Your cat’s thyroid glands regulate the speed at which your cat’s body metabolism works – much like the accelerator on your vehicle regulates the speed of your car. It does this by producing a hormone called thyroxine or T- 4 that regulates the speed of all body processes. When your cat produces too much of it and its metabolic rate sores, it has become hyperthyroid
 |
| Keller |
Clinical signs associated with hyperthyroidism can be quite dramatic and cats can become seriously ill with this condition. Untreated, hyperthyroidism in cats can lead to heart or kidney failure and can be fatal. However, this disorder is a very treatable disease and most hyperthyroid cats will make a complete recovery. Diagnosing is done by a simple blood test.
Symptoms:
1. Weight loss despite normal appetite, untreated, the cat will starve to death.
2. Increased appetite. it can be dramatic. The cat can be eating all the time because it can not get full and will still be losing weight
3. Hyperactivity, increased energy, nervous behavior
4. Increased thirst and urination (this could also be diabetes)
5. Vomiting or regurgitating.
6. Anxiety, night yowling, confusion, aimless pacing. "All of these behavior signs appear to reflect a state of confusion, anxiety, or restless associated with the increased central nervous stimulation caused by the hyperthyroidism"
7. Diarrhea, soft stools, voluminous stools.
8. Fast respiration rate, panting, difficult breathing,
9. Skin, hair coat and nail changes. Coat is often unkempt, dull and often matted.
Hyperthyroidism can cause your cat to go blind
Treatment is actually very easy, there is medication (more often than not methimazole is prescribed) They have it in pill form or trans-dermal (cream form that you put on their ear). The medication is not expensive. Or you can do radiation therapy.
Keller had the pills for 2 years and had developed a toxic level of the medication in his blood so he ended up having the iodine treatment. He was hospitalized for 4 days until his radiation levels came down. We had to specially handle his feces (double bagging, having them in special container for a month until radiation levels had gone down) gloves etc for 30 days but it wasn't really bad. The cost was approx $1500. When he was retested his blood levels were perfectly normal and have remained that way. If I had known the radiation would work so well and had the knowledge when he was first diagnosed, he would have had the radiation from the start.
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| Keller loves cat nip :) |
Boxes
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| Nicky is checking out the boxes Thank you so much for the gifts from our wish lists!! http://blindcatrescue.wishlist.htm Thank you Nancy Fabian for the denamarin! Thank you Mrs. Bente Wilson for the freshstep! Thank you Jill Sparapany for the cozy pet bed! Thank you unnamed for the foods, tunnels and dish washing soap! Thank you Lise Gilliland for the trash bags! Thank you Ema Gilliland for the food! Thank you Michelle Lim for the food! Thank you Dirk for the Revolution, clorox and vaccines! Thank you Michelle & Dundee Kitty for the Amazon gift card! Thank you Sherry Ross for the Revolution! Thank you Marie Archambault for the vaccines! Thank you Vered Bakri for the clorox cleanup! Thank you Lori Woolsey for the gift card! Thank you unnamed for the tower ball toy! |
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| Morris is anticipating opening the boxes |
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| Scotty thinks laying on the boxes is the best part. Contests |
Please Vote today for the blind cats in TWO contests :) Both are daily votes
.
1. http://www.shopforyourcause.com/voting-challenge
(category LARGE RESCUE Shelter, Blind Cat )
2. http://www.shelterchallenge.com/
Thank you so much for helping the cats!! Please share with your friends :)
Don't forget to check the cats out today LIVE on http://ustream.tv/blindcatrescue
Tours at noon & 3 pm, There is no chat or boxes tonight.
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