My eldest fur-baby, Jessie, a 13 year old short-haired tortoise shell cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last August (9 months ago). She was previously living with my mom, who noticed she was losing weight at a rapid pace- she did not have worms, fleas, or anything else that could've been the culprit, and has always been a healthy little fur monster. So, she went to the vet, and we found out that she has hyperthyroidism which is typical for cats her age.
Hyperthyroidism is a result of the thyroid glands (located in the neck) becoming enlarged, like a benign tumor, causing too much thyroid hormone to be released. In turn, this speeds up the cat's metabolism which causes weight loss, eating and drinking more (to compensate for the body burning calories too fast), diarrhea, and can cause hypertension and kidney issues.
Her initial test in August was 8.3
(normal being 1-4, so it was obviously WAY too high) she was immediately put on Methimazole 5mg per day, indefinitely.
In September she was re-tested, her levels were at 3.7....although she was now in the "normal" range, it was still a bit high even though it was a significant decrease in her thyroid levels. Things were looking up!
Today she had another check-up and her blood tested again. The vet said overall she looks really good- no fleas, ears and mouth look good except she needs a good teeth cleaning. The vet said her levels are now at 2.4!!!!!
we'll continue the Methimazole to keep her thyroid under control, but I'm so happy things turned out for the better...
Had she not been diagnosed, she would've continued to waste away and eventually suffer from congestive heart failure. A horrible fate for something that can be relatively easily managed or dealt with. This is why it's so important that when we notice something wrong or different with one of our companions, that we listen to our instincts and get them medical attention ASAP.
Hyperthyroidism is a result of the thyroid glands (located in the neck) becoming enlarged, like a benign tumor, causing too much thyroid hormone to be released. In turn, this speeds up the cat's metabolism which causes weight loss, eating and drinking more (to compensate for the body burning calories too fast), diarrhea, and can cause hypertension and kidney issues.
Her initial test in August was 8.3
(normal being 1-4, so it was obviously WAY too high) she was immediately put on Methimazole 5mg per day, indefinitely. In September she was re-tested, her levels were at 3.7....although she was now in the "normal" range, it was still a bit high even though it was a significant decrease in her thyroid levels. Things were looking up!
Today she had another check-up and her blood tested again. The vet said overall she looks really good- no fleas, ears and mouth look good except she needs a good teeth cleaning. The vet said her levels are now at 2.4!!!!!
we'll continue the Methimazole to keep her thyroid under control, but I'm so happy things turned out for the better...Had she not been diagnosed, she would've continued to waste away and eventually suffer from congestive heart failure. A horrible fate for something that can be relatively easily managed or dealt with. This is why it's so important that when we notice something wrong or different with one of our companions, that we listen to our instincts and get them medical attention ASAP.
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