Depending on the dose, radioactive iodine can kill a portion, or all, of your thyroid. If thyroid disease is a possibility, your veterinarian will likely order a blood chemistry panel and an analysis of thyroid hormone levels. To help your cat gain weight, you need to increase the protein and . Nearly all cats will be cured by a second treatment. This may take 8 to 12 weeks or longer. The advantages of medication are that the drugs are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Ultrasound of the heart (called echocardiography) may be recommended based on your cat's condition, especially if there is any concern about cardiomyopathy. We love them, too! These include surgical removal of the thyroid gland (thyroidectomy) or treatment with radioactive iodine. A prescription diet is available that lowers thyroid hormone, but for it to work your cat can't ever eat any other food. The total effective dose equivalent to individual members of the public from the licensed operation does not exceed 1 mSv in a year, exclusive of the dose contributions from background radiation, from any administration the individual has received, from exposure to individuals administered radioactive material. The medication can be given life-long or to stabilize the cat before other treatment. But those instruments are quite expensive and are not readily available in stores. I-131 is normally a health concern after the . He rejected the Fancy Feast stuff and gobbled the baby food along with eating a little variety of the many dry foods we tried in an effort to find one that he really liked. Cat Articles | Why? . Now that he's back home, he still exhibits the behavior of wanting food all the time but I wonder if it's a habit he picked up before treatment or perhaps the symptoms won't completely gone away until the treatment has time to take hold. We found out about the radioactive iodine treatment and after lots.of research decided this was the way to go. This cat is showing weight loss and poor coat - typical signs of hyperthyroidism. There are several hypothesized causes of hyperthyroidism. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. . Lifelong administration of methimazole can control the effects of an overactive thyroid gland. . 2000-2023 TheCatSite.com. Weight seemed to stabilize in the long-term setting, with minimal increases between 8 and 12 months and at 24 months after radioactive iodine treatment. Iodine-131, Hyperthyroidism, and Radioactive Iodine Therapy Iodine-131 (I-131) is a radioisotope of iodine with a physical half-life of 8.02 days; its primary decay emissions include a 606 keV - particle with 89.6% abundance and a 364 keV -ray with 81.5% abundance (Knolls Atomic Power Lab 2010). As to your question about "home-testing equipment" and "something else to monitor and determine (your) exposure," there really are no good options for that. If surgery is the chosen treatment method, the anti-thyroid medication methimazole (Tapazole, Felimazole) may be prescribed for several weeks before the operation. Subscribe to always know when we add new material! If these tests are not diagnostic, athyroid scan (thyroid scintigraphy)can be performed at a veterinary referral center, or the TT4 can be measured again in a few weeks. Does radioactive iodine treatment cause weight gain? However, since wild-caught flaked Alaskan salmon is the first ingredient, it provides a lot of moisture. Of course some cats treated with radioiodine for their hyperthyroidism will go on to get cancer, but in the same proportion as hyperthyroid cats treated with methimazole or surgery. Number of cases per 100,000 persons exposed to a single dose of 0.1 Gy. What are the risks of my cat becoming hypothyroid? Hays M.T., Broome M.R. Your veterinarian's instructions regarding separation for the two weeks are simply doing the same thing we do with people. Surgical removal of the gland under general anesthetic was another option. 35(3): p. 204-209. Supporting Cat Health with Information and Health Studies. Site Help | The word "individuals" in this context means "people". About 25% of cats with hyperthyroidism become hypertensive. Recurrence of hyperthyroidism is rare after I-131 therapy. There are currently no known preventive measures for hyperthyroidism, but early diagnosis decreases the secondary problems and improves the prognosis. Do not allow your cat to sleep against your body. Many times the only symptoms these other conditions cause are weight loss. Thyroid scintigraphy may also be recommended to confirm a diagnosis and determine the size of the organ before surgery or radioactive iodine. This lowers the amount of radiation exposure to your bladder. It is acceptable to feed your feline products containing at least 30% protein and less than 15% carbohydrates. Most of the extra radioactive iodine is eliminated in your urine. The inaccurate repair of DNA is rare, but can cause a cell to act wildly or grow into a cancer. Most cats with hyperthyroidism have elevated levels of the thyroid hormone T4 in their bloodstream, but a small percentage of cats with hyperthyroidism have T4 levels within the normal range. What this means is that occasionally we invest clients economic and perhaps more importantly, emotional resources in treating and resolving hyperthyroidism is cats with other, currently unknown diseases. If left untreated, a hyperthyroid cat can exhibit many, if not all, of the following signs: extreme weight loss, excessive appetite in most cases, but decreased appetite in some, muscle weakness, heart disease (increase in the size of the heart, increased rate, changes in heart rhythm, cardiac arrest), intolerance to stress, and eventually death. To answer these questions we have to separate the risks associated with internalizing (i.e., ingesting) radioactive iodine from the risks of being around a patient that has been treated with radioactive iodine. But there are clear reasons for the precautions that the veterinarian has given you and I also recommend that you follow them. Since hyperthyroidism can predispose a cat to other conditions, it is important to evaluate general health, with particular focus on the heart and kidneys. With your cat's diseased thyroid, after methimazole treatment failed, large doses of iodine might have proven effective. The AVMI radioactive materials license utilizes release criteria and precautionary instructions specifically based on the evaluation of the relative exposure levels to clients following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroid cats treated with I-131. Hence additional separation between the patient and children are unnecessary. For this reason, some cats with hyperthyroidism may require additional treatment to control secondary heart disease. Risks from hyperthyroidism. Even after treatment it may take a long time to reverse weight loss and muscle loss that occurred before your cat's diagnosis. You may feel a lump on your cat's throat under his jaw. Why isn't there a study directly linking medical imaging and cancer? As stated above, it may also be used for a few weeks to stabilize a cat at increased surgical risk because of cardiac complications. If you know that your cat has hyperthyroidism, you probably have already seen your vet in order to have this disease properly treated. Before treatment he was ravenous and losing weight -- typical of cats with that disorder I'm told. Only certain facilities perform this procedure, which consists of giving your cat a shot of radioactive iodine, which gets rid of abnormal thyroid cells without harming normal ones. Prognosis Treatment usually requires one or two weeks of hospitalization at a veterinary hospital licensed to administer radiation therapy. Radioactive iodine treatment is a therapy that your veterinary surgeon may recommend if your cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The advantage of surgery is that it is likely to produce a long-term or permanent cure in most cats, and therefore eliminates the need for long-term medication. Hair loss. Methimazole is also given before surgery to determine if the cat has a secondary medical condition, such as kidney or liver disease masked by hyperthyroidism. Both cardiomyopathy and hypertension are potentially reversible with appropriate treatment of the disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2006. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. The food isnotmedicated. Although this procedure is usually very effective, it is more expensive and requires the cat being . 197(2): p. 125-136. This may be particularly useful in cats with medical conditions that make other treatment options impossible. He also can't sleep with you during that time, and the facility will inform you about special arrangements you'll have to make for disposing of his litter. However, it may not be the best treatment for your particular cat. In almost all cases, your thyroid hormone levels will return to normal or below normal after radioactive iodine treatment. Diagnosis The veterinarian's recommendations are to isolate my cat for at least two weeks. One study looked at patients with Graves' disease who were treated with RAI over five years. 101(4 Pt 1): p. 717-9. When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. Only the bare necessitiesfood and water and quick litter cleanupsare provided by veterinary technicians during your cat's hospital stay. Some hyperthyroid cats have thyroid cells in abnormal locations calledectopicthyroid tissue (thyroid tissue under the tongue, further down the neck, or all the way to the base of the heart), and they may remain hyperthyroid after surgery. Thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy may develop because the heart enlarges and thickens to meet the increased metabolic demands. Remember that theNRC regulationsrequire that release criteria and discharge instructions provided to owners of hyperthyroid cats prevent exposures of more than 1 mSv. Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH; Krista Williams, BSc, DVM; Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, DAAPM; Ernest Ward, DVM. There are four treatment options for feline hyperthyroidism: medication, radioactive iodine therapy, surgery, and dietary therapy. Some people also feel flushed. Because metabolism is altered in hyperthyroidism, its important to monitor your cats weight and muscle mass. It is also common for hyperthyroid cats to exhibit increased vocalizing, particularly at night. This treatment is appropriate for cats with more surgical risk due to other health problems or who are exceptionally old. The more common symptoms are an increase in thirst, urination, and appetite, as well as weight loss. Some places realize that the stress of being away from home for so long is not good for older cats. What happens after my cat is released from the hospital? In an effort to put some weight back on him we are still feeding him turkey and gravy baby food in the morning to supplement the dry food. Ultimately of course, these conditions can be diagnosed. All three have risks and benefits. The injection has no direct side effects. of the radioactive iodine into your body because, just like the cat, any 131I intake you have will result in an uptake by your thyroid and in larger quantities could result in significant thyroid dose. In addition to reporting for a major newspaper chain, she has been published in "Horse News," "Suburban Classic," "Hoof Beats," "Equine Journal" and other publications. Generally, about 5 to 10 pounds of excess weight can likely be attributed to the lack of thyroid hormones that occurs in people diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Hence for a transient period following radioiodine therapy, the patient's urine contains excreted radioiodine which will emit beta particles as it continues to decay. Lack of appetite. Hypertension develops due to the increased pumping pressure and elevated heart rate that occurs with hyperthyroidism. For some cats, a veterinary therapeutic diet low in iodine may be all thats required to control symptoms. Once the correct dose of radioiodine has been determined and administered, most of the time the tumors responsible for causing the elevated thyroid levels resolve and the cats are cured. Gradual weight gain and return to healthy body condition are expected. The cats heart rate and blood pressure may also be checked. and Turrel J.M., A Multicompartmental Model for Iodide, Thyroxine, and Triiodothyronine Metabolism in Normal and Spontaneously Hyperthyroid Cats. People may take RAI . Exposure limitations: The radioactivity carries no significant risk for the cat, but precautionary protective measures are required for people who come into close contact with the cat. Design and methods: Five hundred and four patients over 40 years of age with diffuse toxic goiter were treated with MMI for 18 months. Radioactive iodine is an effective and safe treatment option for children and teenagers with an overactive thyroid gland, but will usually be given as a second-line treatment after a reasonably long course of antithyroid medication. Rarely, people can feel pain in their neck. There are virtually no side effects, and there is no pain associated with 131I treatment. Clients frequently have the following 2 questions when considering radioiodine therapy for their cat's hyperthyroidism. The risk to these cats is the simple fact that many cats in the age range when cats develop hyperthyroidism (8+ years) also develop other diseases. Within one year after discontinuation of MMI, hyperthyroidism recurred in 104 patients. Overall, weight gain was associated with development of hypothyroidism despite levothyroxine replacement . Fewer than 2% of hyperthyroid cases in cats involve malignant thyroid gland tumors. Most cats respond to treatment within weeks, although some take up to 6 months to gain the full benefit. One way to treat a cat with hyperthyroidism is with an oral medication that contains methimazole. The current Nuclear Regulatory Commission radiation dose limits for individual members of the public are listed below. Radioactive iodine may also affect a woman's ovaries, and some women may have irregular periods for up to a year after treatment. Slater M.R., Komkov A., Robinson L.E., et al., Long-Term Follow-up of Hyperthyroid Cats Treated with Iodine-131. Thyroidectomy (largely replaced by radioactive iodine . Pediatrics, 1998. Too cold? Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in cats, and mostly afflicts cats middle-aged and older. The average US total radiation exposure (all sources) is 6.2 mSv/yr which is an increase from 20 years ago (3.6 mSv/year) when CT scans were much less common. However, these options tend to be expensive and not possible for all pet owners. 4. Although the thyroid gland enlarges in hyperthyroidism, it is usually a benign or non-malignant change. If this is accompanied by clinical signs such as lethargy, obesity, and poor hair coat, then thyroid hormone supplementation may be required. Studies have shown that cats treated with I-131 live longer than those treated with pills, added Mosenco, citing a study where I-131-treated cats lived an average of four to five years following treatment, versus an average of only two years for cats on medication.Dec 19, 2016. Mean baseline age was 12.7 3.0 years and mean baseline BMI SDS was 0.003 1.18 kg/m 2. Since fewer than 2% of cats with hyperthyroidism have cancerous growths of the thyroid gland, treatment is usually very successful. hypothyroidism was only treated if it was associated with clinical signs like excessive weight gain, lethargy, and skin problems. 2. They may develop periodic vomiting or diarrhea, and fur may appear unkempt. Weight change was analyzed in only 228 patients and 84% gained weight by 1 year after radioactive iodine therapy. Treatment for hypothyroidism in cats is . All bodily fluids in the cat will have trace amounts of radioactive material within them, but it will be most prevalent within the urine. Surgery or radioactive iodine therapy to regulate overactive hormone production can sometimes leave cats with the opposite problem: their levels of thyroid hormone are now too low. Surgical patients may become hyperthyroid again if abnormal cells are missed during surgery or if new abnormal cells develop. These positive ions, or free radicals, can cause damage to DNA. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Over ten years of clinical nutrition research revealed that by controlling dietary levels of iodine, the hyperthyroid cat's body would resume normal thyroid hormone production. Since hyperthyroid cats are usually over eight years of age, there is a degree of risk involved. However, unless the retinal detachment is treated immediately, permanent blindness can occur. Although many cats diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease already have kidney disease, untreated hyperthyroidism can also cause kidney disease due to the damaging effects of hypertension on the kidneys. All rights reserved. 15(1): p. 47-51. They do not take into consideration individual risk factors including lifestyle (smoking, diet, exercise, etc. Thank you! Certain studies suggest that in some hyperthyroid cats, limiting the amount of iodine in the diet may be a viable option for treating this disease. Their hyperthyroidism won't come back, and they don't need ongoing medication. Hyperthyroidism is too much thyroid hormone that causes weight loss so kitty should gain some weight back to a normal amount after treatment. Many times the only symptoms these other conditions cause are weight loss. Domestic airline pilots are exposed to an additional 2.2 mSv per year, about the same dose as a brain CT. As you can see from the table below, the estimated risk of developing cancer from exposure to 0.1 Gy (= 100mSv), while it varies with the age of the individual, is something less than 1% for adults. If your cat does not have elevated T4 levels but your veterinarian still suspects your cat has hyperthyroidism, additional tests may be recommended. A standard Chest x-ray is 0.1 mSv. Some cats may experience side effects from medication, however, including vomiting, anorexia, fever, anemia, and lethargy. The only method to estimate that dose is to measure the radioiodine within your own thyroid and the types of equipment to measure that uptake are very expensive and difficult to interpret. The remainder is gone in about the next two months or so. Treatment This treatment involves administering an injection of iodine with a radioactive substance attached. Weigh the pros and cons of various treatments and discuss options with your vet. I-131 therapy does not require anesthesia and eliminates the need for daily medication. Before treatment he was ravenous and losing weight -- typical of cats with that disorder I'm told. You should talk with your veterinarian about what diets may be best for him in this case. The other conditions that cats can develop at this age are numerous and varied. Get exceptional Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Feline Hyperthyroidism services from highly experienced & loving pet care professionals in Downers Grove, IL. Secondary Problems Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society. The treatment lowers or eliminates hormone production and may decrease the size of the goiter. It is important to drink fluids after your treatment and for the next 2 days. This helps us offset the costs of running this site, so thank you for your support! Many doctors recommend that women avoid becoming pregnant for 6 months to a year after treatment. Now let's deal with the issue of radioactive iodine released by the cat, which I believe is actually the bigger concern. Keeping your pets food temperature just right. The most common clinical sign of hyperthyroidism is weight loss due to the increased rate of metabolism despite an increased appetite. Studies show that weight gain is inevitable after radioiodine-induced hypothyroidism. Note that the reference above excluding licensee's from considering "exposure to individuals administered radioactive material" in their compliance with the NRC regulartions does not apply to animals. A veterinarian who suspects a cat has a thyroid problem will conduct a physical examination and palpate the cats neck area to check for an enlarged thyroid gland (see Figure 2). Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. When clicking a link here and buying, we may be able to make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. I'm sure if he is still underweight, his body will be telling him to eat, eat, eat. It takes several weeks for methimazole to restore thyroid hormone levels to normal. Of 135 patients with documented pubertal status . Montreal. In a cat treated with radioactive iodine, the drool will contain radioactive materials. Why is the average risk of developing cancer so high? The average age of cats with hyperthyroidism is approximately 12 years and about 5% of hyperthyroid cats are younger than 10 years of age. Weight gain was similar for patients who received antithyroid drugs or radioiodine treatment but was significantly greater for patients who had been treated with thyroidectomy (5 kg vs 10 kg; P = 0.007). There are two types of radiation exposure that your vet is trying to minimizeexternal exposure from the radioactive material within the cat's body, and the radioactive materials in the cat's urine and other bodily fluids released by the cat that you may come into contact with and may end up being ingested or absorbed by you accidentally. Because each cat is different, your veterinarian will advise you on the best treatment for your cat. Natural background radiation exposure accounts for an average of 3.1 mSv/yr with variations depending on where you live. Learn more about radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism, Learn about radioiodine therapy for thyroid carcinoma, Learn more aboutSamariumtherapy for primary or metastatic bone tumors. Answer posted on 30 March 2019. First we need to put this exposure level into some context: How do x-rays increase your risk for cancer? Dr. Heinze is an employee of Mark Morris Institute and has provided professional serviceshas done consulting for Lafeber and WellPet, given sponsored talks for Nestl Purina PetCare and the Pet Food Institute, and provided professional services to Balance IT.com and Mark Morris Institute. This is why one of the first signs of thyroid disease may be a change in weight weight gain if the thyroid is underactive and weight loss if the thyroid is overactive. Even after treatment it may take a long time to reverse weight loss and muscle loss that occurred before your cats diagnosis. Rarely, a permanent reduction in thyroid-hormone levels called hypothyroidism occurs after radioactive iodine treatment. Radioactive iodine therapy offers a cure through a simple injection that returns thyroid function to normal levels. Prior to the onset of symptoms he was eating a high quality dry cat food but when he started losing weight and begging for food we were told we could . Cats treated with radioactive iodine for their hyperthyroidism have several risks unrelated to the radioiodine therapy itself. In some of these cats, blood pressure can become so high that retinal bleeding or retinal detachment will occur, resulting in sudden blindness. Long-Term Follow-up of Hyperthyroid Cats Treated with Iodine-131. The slow onset of signs means that cat owners will often miss these changes until the late stages of disease. Side effects may include fluid retention, weight gain, elevated . The thyroid cells are damaged or destroyed, but that's the whole idea other cells are left untouched. Dr. Linder has received speaker fees or research fudning from Hills Pet Nutrition, Nestl Purina PetCare, Royal Canin, and Virbac, and has provided professional services for Mark Morris Institute. AAFCO Doesnt Approve Pet Foods, A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients, Its Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy. The first step is determining the blood level of one of the thyroid hormones calledtotal thyroxine (TT4). Did she have stage 1 prior to treatment for hyperthyroidism or did the stage 1 unmask after treatment started and then jump to stage 4? And, if you destroy your thyroid gland, it turns out that that may have consequences on your metabolism. During that time, the ravenous appetite should subside, your cat will probably gain weight, and her blood pressure and heart rate should normalize. Because the radioactive iodine used (known as iodine 131) may expose those around you to the effects of radiation (and theoretically negatively affect their thyroid glands), you will be given guidelines on how to prevent such exposure.
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