Pet Owner Question: Our 14-yr old cat has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. We have tried him on medication but he has a severe reaction to it and is not able to keep any food down when taking it. He has now developed a large thyroid tumor and loss of appetite. The vet recommends a radioactive iodine treatment. We were wondering if there is a holistic treatment that would help this condition? Thank you.
Claire
Cromwell, CT
“Dear Cat owner,
We had a 19 year old cat that also was unable to tolerate medications for hyperthyroidism. Eventhough our own practice uses a lot of alternative treatments we still decided to do the radio active iodine as any other is really not going to be as definitive a treatment. That was 18 months ago. As early as three weeks after treatment he bounced right back and seemed seven years younger. He is reaching the grand age of 21 and continues to do very well with a healthy appetite and able to keep weight on.
Good luck”
Annie
River Oaks Animal Hospital
Longwood, FL 32779
“No holistic treatment exists that works for hyperthyroid cats, although if she wants to avoid medication she should consider radioactive iodine therapy, as most cats don’t need any medication after the therapy. Most cats that are younger or healthy otherwise are good candidates for this treatment. I am a feline practitioner and have 2 cats that have had I131 treatment personally.”
Lori L Coughlin, DVM
Arlington Cat Clinic
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
Radioactive Iodine is a great treatment. No holistic remedy works. Laser surgery for the tumor is also less expensive, quick and surprisingly safe. I have operated on about 50 of these cats over 14 years of age with about 95% permanent cure, and no anesthetic deaths.
Mack L. Barney, DVM
My own cat had the radioactive iodine treatment at age 13 and within 2 weeks after she was a new cat. Friends who saw her after the process said she looks and acts like a 6 year old cat. This procedure is very safe and if your worried about elements affecting your cat…don’t be. The active material is “tagged” to affect only the thyroid gland and has a very high success rate. No alternative medications can give you those kinds of results. I also (from personal experience) have had to manage a case in which a cats thyroid gland was surgically removed and she is experiencing complications. The problem with some surgical approaches is that the parathyroid gland is imbedded adjacent to the thyroid glands. Sometimes the parathyroid glands (accidentally) get destroyed or removed with the thyroid gland. This is a problem because the parathyroid gland is essential for the maintainence of calcium levels in the body. Therefore I feel the best option is to elect for the radioactive treatment. It works well, no more medications, and you and your cat will both be happy. P.S. I always recommend a cardiac ultrasound exam prior to treatment especially if she has had this condition for awhile. Hyperthyroid disease can cause severe changes and pathology to the heart. It’s just my recommendation though, ultimately it’s your decision. I hope I’ve helped and best of luck to you.