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 do horses sleep? - Find out!

Like most herbivorous mammals, horses are not characterized by spend long periods of time sleeping, but the base of the dream and its characteristics are the same as the rest.A good rest is essential for the proper development and maintenance of the body.A being deprived of the necessary hours of sick rest and, most likely, will die. In this article of Animals and Pets Online, we will discover how horses sleep, if they stand on their feet or if the horses go to bed.Find out below! The physiology of sleep In the past, sleeping was considered a "state of consciousness", defined as a period of immobility in which individuals did not respond to stimuli, so it was not treated as a behavior, or part of the ethology of a species.We must not confuse rest with sleep, because an animal may be resting without being asleep. In the studies of sleep in horses the same methodology is used than with humans.Three parameters are measured, electroencephalogram to measure brain activi...

Why do chow chow have blue tongues?

Chow chow's tongue is blue or purple due to the presence of pigment cells , that is, cells that contain elements called pigments that provide that color.Genetically they have a higher concentration of these cells and, therefore, have a different color to the other races.These cells, in addition to being in the tongue, are, above all, in the mucous membranes, that is why the chow chow is the only dog with lips, gums and palate characterized by being blue/blackish, if not almost entirely. A curious fact is that this characteristic is not only presented by certain dogs such as chow chow, but we also see it present in other animals such as giraffes, the breed of Jersey cattle and some bear families, such as the polar bear.In fact, some studies conclude that chow chow comes from Hemicyon , a species of mammal that is between the dog and now extinct bears, and that he lived in the Miocene.However, there is still no definitive scientific evidence to reduce this hypothesis, so, for ...

Chiuahua care

Chihuahuas or Chihuahuans are very small dogs that do not reach 3 kilograms and with a hope of life between 15 and 20 years, so they are very long-lived.It is a very widespread breed throughout the world, since it is a pet very sought after for its ease to adapt to life in cities among many other qualities. If you already have or are thinking about sharing your life with one of these cheerful and affectionate companions, pay attention to this Animals and Pets Online article about all chihuahua care. What food should I provide my chihuahua and how? Being the smallest canine in the world, it is very important to keep an eye on the amounts of food we provide.These should be small, because we have to think about the size of your stomach, and distribute them in two portions daily.If you have doubts about the quantity, inform yourself about the amount of food recommended for a Chihuahua. The best type of food is a feed that adapts correctly to the needs of our pet.Today there are fe...

Advantages of having a Siberian husky

The Siberian husky is a possessor of stunning beauty, with its striking celestial eyes and its appearance that resembles wolves.But as with all races, adopting a Siberian husky has its pros or cons, or its advantages and disadvantages . Logically, for us, dog lovers, adopting a dog is a synonym for pure joy, regardless of race, sex, age or color, but it is always important to highlight that giving A decent life for a dog also presupposes responsibilities, a certain economic solvency and time availability. When we talk about "disadvantages", in reality, we refer to the aspects that can make raising a certain breed more difficult , either for requiring a more detailed maintenance that requires a lot of time from your tutor, for needing ample space To live comfortably, to maintain a more fragile health, or to require a special diet or more specific care that implies higher expenses. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we want to talk to you about the advantages...

Ovoviviparos animals - Examples and curiosities

It is estimated that there are around two million species of species in the world Animals .Some of us, like dogs or cats, can be seen almost daily in our cities and we know a lot of data about them, but there are less common animals that are full of curiosities. This is the case of ovoviviparos animals, which have a truly strange form of reproduction and many have curious and unusual characteristics. If you are interested in animals and want to discover some unusual data, here, in Animals and Pets Online, we give some examples of ovoviviparos animals and curiosities concerning them. What are ovoviviparos animals? Oviparous animals, such as birds and many reptiles, reproduce by eggs that the females deposit in the environment (in a process known as "laying"), and after a period of incubation, these eggs hatching out of them and starting a new life abroad. In viviparous animals, which are the majority of mammals, such as dogs or humans, embryos develop inside the mo...

15 pollinating animals - Characteristics and examples

What is pollination? Reproduction of most plant species occurs sexually, that is, it requires the union of female and male cells for fertilization .Cells are found in pollen (male), so it needs to be transferred to the flower pistil (female), where fertilization occurs and, after this process, the flower becomes a fruit with seeds. So, when we talk about the reproduction of plants, the intervention of a third party is often required, which is known as " pollinator " to do it possible. These pollinating agents can be insects, other animals and even natural elements such as water and wind.In the case of animal species, they have found a balance with the flora and evolved together, so that plants have been able to produce flowers of different aromas, shapes and colors in order to attract pollinating agents to feed on the nectar. When animals feed on the nectar, transport pollen involuntarily on their legs, wings or another part of the body.When covered with polle...

Cetaceans - Meaning, Types and Features

The cetaceans are the marine animals most famous for their presence in ancient tales and legends.They are animals that have always aroused great interest on the part of the human being.These animals, in general, are great strangers that, little by little, are disappearing without, apparently , let's do nothing. In this article of Animals and Pets Online we will talk about cetaceans, which are, their characteristics, where they live and other curiosities .Do you want to know more about these inhabitants of the sea depths? Keep reading! What are cetaceans? The order of the cetaceans is composed of two suborders, the myxicets, formed by the bearded whales, and that of the odontocetes, composed of cetaceans with teeth, such as sperm whales, dolphins and killer whales. The evolution of the cetaceans has resulted in a similarity between these two living suborders, being the result of evolutionary convergence.The common structural characteristics between the two groups, suc...

Animals with exoskeleton - Names and examples

The body of the largest vertebrate animals is not a mystery to most of people: it is known that it has a skeleton, internal vital organs (heart, brain, etc.), a dermis of variable and organ characteristics through which the five senses are manifested, among other characteristics. However, have you wondered what the invertebrate morphology is like? Then you need to know all about the animals with exoskeleton, names and examples. Don't miss this Animals and Pets Online article! What is the exoskeleton? The exoskeleton is an external structure that covers the body of various animals, including arthropods.It is characterized by being resistant but flexible .This structure It consists of different substances depending on the subfile to which the animal belongs: chitin for insects and fungi, calcium in mollusks and corals or silica in diatoms among other components. In turn, the exoskeleton is formed by three structures : Cuticle : non-cellular layer secreted by the hyp...

Paloma Torcaz: characteristics

The wood pigeon ( Columba palumbus ) is the largest of the pigeons and usually inhabits forested areas.Unlike the domestic pigeon, which can have a great variety of shades in its feathers, the coloring pattern of the wood pigeon is always the same, and the white spots on the neck are never missing. It is increasingly common to see this species of the order of the columbiforms in our cities, that is why in this Animals and Pets Online file we want to talk about this beautiful ave.Discover below everything you need about the wood pigeon : origin, habitat, characteristics, food and reproduction. Origin of the wood pigeon The wood pigeon is native to Europe and Western Asia.They are year-round residents in Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Morocco and other countries in the Mediterranean basin.They have a large breeding area in northern Europe, but in winter they migrate to warmer areas of the south. Several subspecies are known, one of them extinct: Columba...

Exercise for an English bull terrier

The English bull terrier are very active dogs that need daily exercise to channel their energy and so avoid behavioral problems.Among the different exercises that your dog can do, we find from games to sports with the owner, so that you can share your time with him and create a stronger bond. If you choose Do high-impact sports with him, such as jogging or cycling, remember that you should monitor his health and his pads to avoid diseases.Also, always carry fresh water with you and do not force the dog to exercise if He does not want or is already very tired.Keep reading this article of Animals and Pets Online to know what kind of exercise for an English bull terrier is used to unleash energy and grow healthy. Games that exercise your English bull terrier To begin with, a good option is to take it to an open and wide space where you can drop it and play with it.Dogs love to play to bring objects, so you can take a ball or a frisbee and throw it to run behind, but remember th...

Animals and Pets Online

Search This Blog