by Cheryl Waterman, CVPM
 
What Can Be Done About It?
Feline hyperthyroid disease is an over-production of the thyroid hormone caused by a tumor-like growth of the thyroid gland. In 96% of cats showing symptoms, the growth is benign (meaning that it does not spread to other parts of the body). This disease may affect cats of all ages, but particularly those over 10 years old.

What Are the Symptoms?

• Weight loss
• Rapid heart rate
• Poor hair coat
• Diarrhea or vomiting
• Behavioral changes
• High blood pressure
• Normal to ravenous appetite
• Increase in urine amount

If left untreated, these signs will become progressively worse, resulting in eventual death. These clinical signs are caused by excessively high levels of the thyroid hormone.

What Should I Do?
Take your kitty or cat in to see your veterinarian. He or she should perform a thorough examination with some blood work to tell her exactly which areas are out of line. Once the results are back, then a diagnosis can be made. Should the results be positive for hyperthyroid disease, there are a number of avenues to look at — and one very new and improved treatment.

Previous Treatment Options?
Until recently, there were only two treatment options. One was oral or transdermal (gel that is rubbed in the ear and absorbed through the skin) medication with a drug named “methimazole.” This was a relatively inexpensive option; however, the drug does not “cure” the disease. The cat would be on this medication for the rest of his or her life, and though it is uncommon, serious side effects are a potential danger with this drug. Therefore, regular and frequent blood tests should be performed on cats on this therapy.

The second treatment available was “radioactive iodine therapy”. This method involved a single injection, which cures 97% of hyperthyroid cases. However, this treatment must be performed at a specialty facility capable of quarantining your cat following treatment due to low levels of radioactivity excreted from the urine. This option, although a much more expensive option to begin with, could prove more cost effective, depending on the cat’s life span.

A New Treatment Option
With only these two options available, until recently, one can understand the excitement of bringing the third option, managing feline hyperthyroid disease with nutrition, onto the scene.

This new therapy is expected to transform the management of this disease, according to Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., which recently launched their new prescription diet “y/d Feline Thyroid Health” in both dry and wet forms just last month.

The company’s research department spent about 10 years studying the relationship between dietary iodine and feline hyperthyroidism. In those 10 years, Hill’s used y/d Feline as the sole therapy to successfully manage about 150 hyperthyroid cats, said S. Dru Forrester, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, director of scientific and technical communication at Hill’s.

Dr. Forrester states that, “once a hyperthyroid cat is eating y/d Feline as the only source of nutrition, thyroid hormone concentrations decrease within three weeks, and most cats are euthyroid within eight weeks. Based on our clinical studies, 100% of hyperthyroid cats have been controlled if they continue eating only y/d Feline.”

Nutritional Choice
Although the nutritional choice is easy and convenient overall, veterinarians will still need to weigh the pros and cons for each individual case. Owners might find the “food” approach a challenge if there are other cats in the household, where different foods may be given to different cats. Also, owners must understand that y/d Feline must be the cat’s sole source of nutrition - no tuna or other treats-for the duration of the cat’s life. This is one area where absolute compliance is crucial in the treatment of this disease.

Dr. Forrester said it’s an exciting time for her as a veterinarian to see this product come to fruition. “In all of the things that I have worked with in my 26 years of being a veterinarian, this is the most exciting project,” she said. “It has the potential to completely change how we manage a condition that is so common in cats.”

So, if you think that your cat is demonstrating any of the symptoms listed above, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your veterinarian. It’s easier than ever to find an option that will improve his or her life and well-being.

Cheryl Waterman is the Hospital Administrator at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County and a long-time cat lover. She has been with the Clinic for the past 13 years, and in 2007 received Certification in Veterinary Practice Management (CVPM) designation. She is a member of the Veterinary Hospital Managers Association and the American Animal Hospital Association. You can contact her at the Cat Clinic of Johnson County, (913) 541-0478.