{"id":900,"date":"2012-07-30T22:45:14","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T22:45:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.net\/blog\/?p=900"},"modified":"2012-07-30T22:45:14","modified_gmt":"2012-07-30T22:45:14","slug":"feline-hyperthyroidism-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/07\/feline-hyperthyroidism-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment\/","title":{"rendered":"Feline hyperthyroidism: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormone, is relatively common in aging cats and may explain changes in behavior, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, among other signs, writes veterinarian Andrew Riebe. Findings from a physical exam including a heart murmur and palpably enlarged thyroid gland along with a blood test measuring hormone levels provide veterinarians with a diagnosis. Dr. Riebe explains the advantages and drawbacks of available treatment protocols for feline hyperthyroidism, including a new food that alleviates the condition if fed exclusively.<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/r.smartbrief.com\/resp\/dNdbCertqOCebfboCidbaFCicNbxym?format=standard\" target=\"_blank\">WANE-TV (Fort Wayne, Ind.)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Clinical Signs:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are various clinical signs or \u201csymptoms\u201d that a cat with hyperthyroidism may display.\u00a0 Some of the most common signs include weight loss, changes in appetite, gastrointestinal disturbances (e.g., vomiting and\/or diarrhea), and changes in urination.\u00a0 Affected cats may also show changes in activity level and attitude.\u00a0 If you ever notice any of these signs in your cat, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian immediately.\u00a0 These clinical signs are caused by the over-production of thyroid hormone by the cat\u2019s thyroid glands, which are small endocrine glands located on the cat\u2019s ventral neck, just adjacent to the windpipe (trachea).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Diagnosis:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In many cases, a veterinarian will become suspicious of hyperthyroidism based on a history of common clinical signs and findings from a complete physical examination.\u00a0 Some of the most common findings on physical examination include evidence of weight loss, dehydration, and the presence of a heart murmur.\u00a0 In some cases, the veterinarian will be able to feel a lump or enlargement on the thyroid gland itself.\u00a0 To confirm a diagnosis of feline hyperthyroidism, blood tests are used to measure the levels of thyroid hormone circulating in the cat\u2019s blood, which will be elevated in affected cats.\u00a0 Remember that all cats need to have a veterinary examination performed at least once each year so that diseases like hyperthyroidism can be identified as early as possible.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Treatment:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>There are a few different treatment options available for cats with hyperthyroidism, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages.\u00a0 Traditionally, the most common method for controlling hyperthyroidism is the administration of anti-thyroid medications that help to suppress the production of excessive thyroid hormone.\u00a0 These medications are often effective and are relatively inexpensive, however life-long treatment is required and some cats will develop significant side effects.\u00a0 A more definitive treatment option is also available, which involves the administration of a radioactive iodine injection to the cat. The radioactive iodine is only absorbed by the overactive thyroid tissue, which results in the destruction of this abnormal tissue.\u00a0 This procedure is very safe and typically very effective, however it is associated with higher initial costs and requires the cat to be hospitalized in a specialized facility for several days.\u00a0 More recently, a new therapeutic diet was developed for cats with hyperthyroidism.\u00a0 The therapeutic food has restricted levels of iodine, which is an essential component for thyroid hormone production.\u00a0 Therefore, by limiting the cat\u2019s intake of iodine you are also able to limit the amount of thyroid hormone that the cat can produce.\u00a0 This option offers the ease of providing treatment by simply feeding the cat, however, the cat\u2019s diet must be strictly limited to the prescription food, which can sometimes present a challenge in multi-cat households or in cats with picky appetites.\u00a0 Finally, surgical removal of the thyroid gland itself is also a method for treating hyperthyroid cats.<\/p>\n<p>No matter which treatment option is selected, many hyperthyroid cats can be effectively managed and will often show improvement, if not resolution, of their clinical disease.\u00a0 Nevertheless, long-term monitoring and regular veterinary checks are important for affected cats.\u00a0 If you have any questions about this disease or if you think your cat may be showing signs consistent with hyperthyroidism, contact your veterinarian immediately.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormone, is relatively common in aging cats and may explain changes in behavior, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, among other signs, writes veterinarian Andrew Riebe. Findings from a physical exam including a heart murmur and palpably enlarged thyroid gland along with a blood test measuring hormone levels provide veterinarians with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cats","category-medical-issues"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Feline hyperthyroidism: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment | The Animal Health Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.animalhealthfoundation.org\/blog\/2012\/07\/feline-hyperthyroidism-symptoms-diagnosis-and-treatment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Feline hyperthyroidism: Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment | The Animal Health Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormone, is relatively common in aging cats and may explain changes in behavior, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea, among other signs, writes veterinarian Andrew Riebe. 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