Nope.
Hubby took a radioactive pill that killed his thyroid. The cats and I had to move in with my mom for a few days, because hubby was radioactive right after he took the pill. It would be a difficult option for a "normal" human family because no one could get close to care for the cat after he had the treatment. In our case, though, Tim would be able to be around him without much risk. We asked about that as an option for Trickster, but the vet said it's very expensive because you have to have someone who's certified for dealing with radioactive meds give him the pill. I'm sure the pill itself is not cheap either.
We also asked about surgery, but the vet said he didn't like to do it unless the gland was very swollen. He felt Tricky's throat when we had him in for the blood test but didn't remark on it feeling particularly enlarged. Doc said the throat has so many important features that make surgery there difficult.
So, our option is to give him Tapazole, a medication that helps suppress thyroid output. I believe hubby was on that for a few months when he was first diagnosed.
The Good - it's non-invasive.
The Bad - risks of side effects; twice a day dosing of a cat that doesn't like pills; and $400 to $800 annual cost, depending on the dose.
I think we're going to try it for a while, though. We're not ready to say goodbye to Trickster. He's a little punk, but we love him.
2 comments:
Hi! Dorian from Catster here! My cat, Pimp, has hyperthyroid, too. He was diagnosed not long ago and we just went for a follow-up on Saturday and his levels are now down to normal. Yay!
I am feeding him Hill's Prescription y/d food. It is not cheap, but it might be cheaper than medication. The only thing is that it is the only thing they can eat. It controls the iodine in their system, which is what triggers the thyroid to go into overdrive.
I wrote about it a couple times on my own blog, Your Daily Cute, if you want to see. It is much easier than giving him any medicine!
http://www.yourdailycute.com/2012/03/two-cats-tuesday-pimp-has.html
http://www.yourdailycute.com/2012/06/two-cats-tuesday-update-on-pimps-health.html
I haven't written about his latest results yet, but I did share on Facebook when the vet called. :) Good luck with Tricky!
Thanks for visiting and sharing your links, Dorian. We took Trickster to the vet last weekend for his first follow-up since being on the Tapazole, and his thyroid levels are now in normal range. He has seemed a bit more lethargic than normal, but he's been having a lot of allergy problems (as have mom and dad), so that could explain his slowdown. Best of luck to you and Pimp!
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