Hyperthyroidism in cats - Symptoms and treatments

Feline hyperthyroidism is one of those diseases that , in most cases, manages to go unnoticed, manifesting only when the cat's health is severely compromised.

This is a very common pathology, especially in cats that have exceeded 7 years of age In itself it is not fatal, but it involves complications that put the life of the cat at risk, by attacking several of its vital organs.That is why Animals and Pets Online presents this article on feline hyperthyroidism, symptoms and treatment .Keep reading!

What is feline hyperthyroidism?

It is a disease that has documentation only since 1970.It is common in elderly cats , especially in those over 10 years, being more frequent in the Siamese race.

It consists of an alteration of the organism due to the overproduction of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4).Detected in time, there are high probabilities of control and improvement, but otherwise, the complications that accompany this excessive secretion of the hormone are deadly for the cat.

Causes of feline hyperthyroidism

The main cause of hyperthyroidism is the increase in thyroid hormone production , both T3 and T4.This increase is due, in most cases, to a disorder caused by a disease related to the thyroid lobes .

The cause is because, as the size of the lobes grows, as a result of the disease, the hormone begins to secrete larger amounts , affecting the balance of the whole organism.

Approximately 10% of the felines affected the disease is caused by the presence of a carcinoma (carcinogenic mass), in which case the prognosis for improvement is reduced.

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism in cats

One of the problems of hyperthyroidism is that, in most cases, there are no clear signs of disease , these begin to occur when the pathology has already advanced.that it is necessary to remain attentive to any abnormality in the behavior and the habits of your feline, to detect this or any other ailment in time.

Usually , the cat's owner realizes that something is wrong when he notices that his partner eats the same or greater amounts of food, but shows an obvious weight loss .

This It is accompanied by other alarming signs , such as:

Chronic diarrhea
Depression
Hyperactivity
Nervous or arch behavior
Frequent vomiting
Inability to jump
Loss of strength
Neglected and knotted mantle
Arrhythmia
Dyspnea
Disorientation
A gresividad
Unusual nocturnal vocalizations

These symptoms do not appear suddenly or appear all together, rather they are shown in a progressive way, so if it is neglected, they may be overlooked.

By increasing the secretion of the thyroid, renal function is directly affected, so a renal failure is the greatest danger, putting the cat's life at risk.

How is the diagnosis made?

In principle, the size transformation suffered by thyroid lobes is usually noticeable with just palpating the cat's neck .This, of course, will not be enough to give a definitive diagnosis.of hyperthyroidism, nor the absence of this sign will mean that the feline does not suffer from the disease.

To be sure, various medical tests are necessary.The most important of all is a full blood test , in which you can appreciate not only the condition of the white blood cells and the health of the feline in general, but also the levels of liver enzymes (essential for detecting a kidney problem).

In addition to this, a electrocardiogram is recommended to assess the possibility of a heart problem, such as arrhythmia and tachycardia.

Treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats

When the results of the studies show a positive for feline hyperthyroidism, there are 3 types of treatments recommended.The choice of each depends not only on your country of residence, as one of them is not available worldwide, but also of the age, weight and health status of the cat, as well as the possibility of hepatic or cardiac complications:

The first option is administer antiroid drugs , a treatment that should be applied for life.The option is not curative, since it does not eliminate the origin of the problem, but it keeps the levels of thyroid hormone stable.It is possible that there are side effects, so They recommend veterinary check-ups every 3 months to review the dose and adjust it if necessary.The second option is a thyroidectomy , which is nothing more than the removal of the thyroid.This measure usually eradicates a large part of the problem, although you exist The risk of mortality is quite high.A therapy with active ingredients is usually applied and then surgery is used, because that way the lethality of the treatment is reduced.This solution should not be chosen if the cat suffers from liver disease or diabetes.The last possibility is the application of a treatment using radioactive iodine , which is considered the best option.However, it is not available in all countries, as there are no nuclear medicine centers to pets.

Radioactive iodine removes abnormally grown tissue, leaving the thyroid gland intact, and reducing hormone secretion levels.Treatment is given subcutaneously and does not represent any risk ; In addition, less than 10% of patients require a second dose, so it is highly effective.

There are pros and cons of applying each of these treatments, consulting with your veterinarian can find the most suitable option for the cat.

This article is purely informative, at ExpertAnimal.com we do not have the power to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any type of diagnosis.We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in the event that he presents any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Hyperthyroidism in cats-Symptoms and treatments , we recommend that you enter our section on Other health problems.

Comments

How to know what size a mongrel dog will be?

When we talk about a mixed breed dog or mixed breed dog , generally we refer to a dog whose ancestry is unknown and that has typical characteristics of two or more breeds.This is usually the result of a non-selective breeding, but generally fortunate, since a mongrel dog can be exactly as good companion as a dog of a certain breed. Due to numerous factors, although here it is worth highlighting the great genetic variability, there are many advantages of having a mongrel dog and it is important to emphasize this point since unfortunately it is usually grant a lower value to a dog of these characteristics.If you are thinking of adopting a mixed breed dog, you are surely gathering all the necessary information, if you are wondering how to know what size a mongrel dog will be I didn't leave It is to read this article of Animals and Pets Online. Is it possible to know the size of a mongrel dog? Of course, estimating the exact size of a mongrel dog is not an easy task, although ...

Why does my dog have arches?

The arcades in the dogs It is common for a dog to have arches as precedents of vomiting , which can indicate, if the episode is repeated or we find another symptomatology, that is suffering from some disorder digestive that we should consult with our veterinarian. Many times a dog that has vomited several times arches without vomiting when it no longer has any content to eliminate in its stomach.But, sometimes, These indicate another type of problem.In the following sections we will explain the most likely causes of why our dog has arches. The presence of foreign bodies One cause that can explain to us why a dog has arcades is that has swallowed a foreign body and it is lodged in the mouth, throat or esophagus.We talk about objects such as bone fragments, splinters, thorns, threads, needles, hooks, spikes, balls and other toys, ropes, etc. If these bodies have sharp or sharp edges can complicate the picture by producing perforations.If our dog begins to show hypersaliva...

Garlic and onion poisoning in dogs

Decide to share our home with a dog means to We are responsible for guaranteeing a complete state of well-being, which includes multiple care, some of the most important is to provide adequate socialization, sufficient company and affection, and optimal food. The feeding of the dog is of great importance, because it directly interferes with your health.In fact, improper nutrition acts as a trigger for multiple diseases.Many owners also decide to provide homemade food to their pet as a complement to feed and, by In this way, they are informed about what foods can be toxic, but it is also necessary to know how to interpret this information. In this article of Animal Expert we talk about the garlic and onion poisoning in dogs , two vegetables that do not have to stop being present in the diet of our pet. The toxicity of garlic and onion For many years and even today it is strongly stated that garlic and onion are toxic to dogs, but it turns out that is only so in excessive qua...

American Akita dog: features, photos and videos

The American Akita is a variant of the akita inu from the northern and mountainous regions of Japan.The American strain is known simply as akita.This variant of the breed shows all kinds of colors unlike the Japanese akita.It is a very cold-resistant breed. If you are thinking of adopting an American akita, you have entered the right place, in ExpertAnimal we will do a general review of everything you have to know about the American akita including useful information about the character, the training, food, education and obviously about weight and height, something to consider. Physical appearance As a main difference we will see that it is thicker and more imposing than the akita inu , it is even somewhat higher in height and weight.It has a triangular head and formed with triangular ears also splitz type The nose truffle is completely black.The eyes are black and small.As a Pomeranian breed, the American Akita has a double layer coat, which protects it very well from the c...

The best toys for parrots

Parrots are very active animals, they need to exercise every day and face mental challenges positively stimulate.In nature, parrots are gregarious animals with very complex relationships with their relatives.They spend the day communicating, playing, climbing trees, feeding and creating new bonds. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk About the toys for parrots, we will see how they should be, what types exist, we will even learn how to make toys for parrots since we can not always afford to visit a specialized store. The importance of parrot toys The lack of physical activity, new challenges, absence of more parrots or other animals with which I empathize can end up causing health problems in our parrot.Symptoms of stress or discomfort in parrots are not usually evident in a principle, then, being prey animals they know how to hide their weaknesses perfectly. If you have one or several parrots at home, you should know that one of the strategies to reduce yo...

Start in Agility

Agility is a very fun and complete sport, suitable for all types of dogs over 18 months of age.It consists in the combination of a guide (owner) that leads the dog along a pre-established route while overcoming various obstacles following a fixed order and time.Finally the judges determine the winning dog based on his skill and dexterity. This sport develops the intelligence, obedience, agility and concentration of the dog in addition to strengthening their muscles and promoting your understanding. Everyone can practice Agility if they are predisposed, want to pass it on.well and enough time, you do not have to have advanced knowledge or a great capacity as a trainer.Read on to know how to start in Agility . FCI Regulation Agility is a type of competition that has an international regulation prepared by the FCI (the Federation Cynologique Internationale ) who is responsible for organizing the championship official and set the basic rules, although around the world there ar...

The language of the horses

Like humans, horses are social animals that need to be part of a community in which to communicate and express themselves freely, with a verbal and body communication system. For this system to work, since horses don't speak, horses have different Ways to communicate information to other members of your own species, as well as to other species, including humans. Are you a horse lover and want to know more about them? We invite you to read the following article of Animals and Pets Online where, this time, we will talk about the language of horses . Corporal lenguage Despite their great size, in nature, horses are considered as animals of prey, this means that it is an animal species that can be hunted or caught in some way or another.For this reason In order not to attract predators, horses at the evolutionary level have developed a communication system based on body language mainly.It is also said that this is one of the reasons why horses have a very limited range of...

Why do cats make a lot of noise when they mate?

If you have seen the mating of two wise cats that do a lot of noise.The truth is that the meows begin when the cats enter into heat, to attract the attention of the males .They also respond with meows and so the procession begins. But it is during the copula that the screams are more obvious and scandalous.Many people wonder why do cats make a lot of noise when they mate? In Animal Expert we will answer your question, you will be surprised. Sexual maturity and zeal Females reach sexual maturity between 5 and 9 months of age.Males, meanwhile, somewhat later, between 9 and 12 months .It is quite evident when cats are in heat.In addition to the characteristic meowing, there are many other signs that a cat is in heat, such as licking, tail lifting, etc. The heat in cats has an average of 5 to 7 days and is repeated once a month .This interval will depend on whether the cat has crossed or not with a male during the heat Other factors that may intervene are the season of the a...

My chinchilla doesn't drink water

If you have recently adopted a chinchilla as a pet you may have doubts about the behavior or the habits of this.The chinchilla is a somewhat reserved and scary rodent, especially the first few days. If you have observed that your chinchilla does not drink water , calm down, then we will explain some possible causes and what you should do to solve this problem. Keep reading this article from Animal Expert to answer your questions: Knowing the chinchillas To begin with, you should know that the chinchillas don't drink a lot of water , on the contrary they usually take small sips occasionally and especially at night.If you observe urine, your chinchilla is probably drinking. Animals and Pets Online advises you to mark with a marker the water line in the drinking fountain to find out if you are really drinking or not. Anyway, it is essential to explain that these animals They are especially suspicious when they arrive at our home.Stress and excessive noise will cause you to...

Can I give antibiotics to my dog?

Answer this question and determine if antibiotics do well or badly Our dog is quite difficult because the action of an antibiotic depends on several factors. In this article we explain how antibiotics work , in which cases they are necessary and how to prevent its adverse effects.It depends on this that you can answer the questionÂ Can I give my dog antibiotics ? Antibiotics, what they are and how they act Antibiotics are chemotherapeutic drugs, this means that by themselves they perform a therapy with only chemical means . This medication is used to prevent and to treat diseases caused by bacteria , have no effect on viral diseases.Antibiotics act by preventing the growth of the bacteria or by eliminating it, depending on the nature of each antibiotic substance. There are two types of antibiotics: Selective antibiotics , that is, they only act against certain bacteria. Antibiotics of broad spectrum , which act against a very diverse number of bacteria. Occas...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog