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HYPERTHYROIDISM IN CATS  INFORMATION FOR PET OWNERS AND A GUIDE TO TREATMENT USING RADIOIODINE WHAT IS HYPERTHYROIDISM? Hyperthyroidism is a malfunction of the thyroid gland in which too much thyroid hormone is produced. The most common cause of the disease is a benign growth on the gland (which may be felt as a small lump in the neck) WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? Thyroid hormone has many functions in the body. When there is too much hormone, many effects can be seen. Your cat is likely to have at least some of the following symptoms: HOW CAN HYPERTHROIDISM BE TREATED? There are three options: -
Medical treatment daily, for the life of your cat -
Surgical removal of the abnormal gland -
Radioactive iodine treatment None of these treatments are perfect for all patients - your Veterinarian will help you to select the best option for your cat  LYNFIELD VETERINARY CLINIC & CATTERY is proud to be a quality provider of referral treatment for your cat's hyperthyroid disease.
HOW DOES RADIOACTIVE IODINE WORK? Radioiodine (131I) is a radioactive form of the iodine found in nature. Iodine is used by your cat's thyroid gland to make thyroid hormone. Therefore when 131I is given to your cat - it will be concentrated in the diseased thyroid gland. Radiation released from the 131I kills this part of the gland. Most of the radiation travels less than 1mm in body tissues, so only diseased gland is affected - the rest of your cat's body is spared any effects. WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF 131I TREATMENTS? -
SAFETY - there is no need for surgery and there are no side effects -
PAINLESS - the 131I is given via a single painless injection -
EFFECTIVENESS - around 95% of cats are cured after one treatment. We offer a unique free re-treatment service (click for further information).
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The treatment is EFFECTIVE FOR ALL CAUSES of hyperthyriodism HOW SAFE IS THE RADIATION? The total dose of radiation is very low. There are no side effects and no damage to your cat's other organs. All radiation must be treated with care. So even though the amount of radiation is low, your cat is required to stay in our quarantine facility for around 7 days. The radiation disappears quickly (131I has a short "half life") so within 3 weeks your cat is radiation free. WHAT DO I NEED TO DO AT HOME BEFORE THE TREATMENT?
Please avoid feeding fish to your cat in the two weeks prior to the treatment as it would reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
WHEN CAN MY CAT COME HOME? Your cat can leave the quarantine area usually after 7 days. For a further 2 weeks you will need to follow some simple guidelines to avoid any residual radiation. These include: -
Avoid close contact with your cat for long periods (a few minutes at a time is fine), sitting on your lap or sleeping on your bed should be avoided -
Avoid your cat licking you and wash your hands after handling your cat -
Take extra care when cleaning up any urine/faeces left by your cat - wear gloves and wash the area thoroughly A full list of guidelines is provided when your cat leaves the clinic If you feel that you are unable to follow these guidelines or if someone in your family is pregnant - you may wish to board your cat here for the additional 2 weeks. This would be in a non-quarantine area and you are able to visit your cat during this time. ARE THERE ANY RISKS? Hyperthyroidism can cause many changes in your cat's body. One of these is kidney damage. On rare occasions following correction of thyroid disease, the kidneys are unable to cope with the change and kidney failure can occur. Your veterinarian will do their best to assess this risk before the treatment is given. If they feel that there is a significant risk, they will advise against against radioiodine treatment. WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON MY CAT'S THYROID FUNCTION? In 95% of cats treated, the diseased gland is killed by one dose of radioiodine and your cat's non-diseased thyroid gland returns to normal function. The remaining 5% of cats do not respond and require a second radioiodine dose. Rarely, the cat becomes hypothyroid (2% of cats treated) and in this event, medication can manage the problem. CAN THE HYPERTHYROIDISM EVER RECUR? This is rare. Studies have shown that, once cured, the disease will recur in only 2% of those cats during the following 6 year period. WHAT COSTS ARE INVOLVED? The standard fee* for treatment includes: -
Admission consultation and assessment -
Radioiodine treatment -
Up to 7 days quarantine** -
Pre-discharge blood tests of kidney function
*Standard radiation dose fee $630.
Additional charge may apply for patients requiring higher doses
(This fee is payable on admission of your cat to the treatment centre)
** Should you wish to board your cat for the additional 2 weeks post-treatment, a $18.50 per night fee applies As your cat will be in strict quarantine, should any other medical treatment be required during their stay, this will be conducted with your consent, at our normal rates. IF YOU WISH YOUR CAT TO RECEIVE THIS TREATMENT, CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN TO ARRANGE A REFERRAL THANK YOU! LYNFIELD VETERINARY CLINIC & CATTERY 122 WHITE SWAN ROAD, LYNFIELD PH: 09 626 4335 FAX: 09 626 6360 If you have further questions, please see our FAQ section “HOT GUARANTEE” WELL RECEIVED
Since 2004 we have been offering our unique free re-treatment service. This applies to cases that fail to respond to their first radiation treatment (around 5% of those treated).
Clients are telling us that they feel much more comfortable committing to the expense of radioiodine when they know their cat is going to get better (while 95% is a pretty good success rate – with the possibility of a 2nd treatment the overall success rate is as close to 100% as you can get).
This is our commitment to ensuring that your cat remains healthy and happy!
If you think your cat needs re-treatment, the first step is to consult with your usual veterinarian. They will check that your cat falls within the following conditions and if so can arrange the 2nd treatment.
Description of guarantee:
- Guarantee is applicable to all cats treated with radioiodine after the 1st of November 2004 (Cats treated before this time are still eligible for the reduced price re-treatment – contact the booking office for more details).
- Treatment failure is defined as: total T4 > upper reference range of testing laboratory or a positive T3 suppression test, and having clinical signs of disease, greater than 3 months and less than 12 months after first radioiodine treatment date.
- Guarantee provides for the cat to be re-treated once with radioiodine. All costs associated with the treatment will be covered by the treatment centre except: additional treatment for other problems arising during the quarantine period, additional boarding time after 7 days quarantine.
- A final decision on the suitability of the patient for re-treatment will be at the discretion of the treatment centre veterinary staff. Should any medical contra-indications exist, the re-treatment will not be conducted.
What the guarantee does not cover:
- Costs to treat other undesirable treatment outcomes such as hypothyroidism (2% risk).
- Costs for other hyperthyroidism treatment modalities where re-treatment with radioiodine is contra-indicated.
- Recurrence of hyperthyroidism more than 12 months after the original treatment date (2% chance)
- Treatment failures where gross breaches of pre-treatment protocol have been observed (eg: administration of antithyroid drugs within 10 days before treatment date, administration of extraneous sources of concentrated iodine within 2 weeks before treatment date.
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