Feline Owner’s Guide To Hyperthyroidism In Cats
When the thyroid gland becomes overactive your cat develops a condition known as hyperthyroidism. This endocrine disease is relatively common especially in middle-aged to older cats. If left untreated this condition can lead to heart failure & death. You may be wondering what could cause your cat to develop this disease.
Causes
This feline disease commonly develops when adenomas develop in the thyroid gland. Adenomas are groups of benign or non-cancerous cells. Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by cancerous cells growing in the gland. However this is very rare situation. Cats with this condition display a wide range of symptoms.
Symptoms
Your cat’s metabolic rate is controlled by the thyroid glands. Your cat will start eating & drinking more than normal when the glands start malfunctioning. However he will also begin to lose weight very fast. Most cats also become much more active.
The gastrointestinal system can also be affected by this condition. Vomiting & diarrhea will likely develop. If & when it affects the heart it can cause congestive heart failure increased heart rate & arrhythmias.
Diagnosis
In order to accurately diagnose this condition the veterinarian has to draw a blood sample. The sample will help determine the blood’s level of thyroid hormone. One problem diagnosing this disease is that the level of thyroid hormone can vary a lot over time. Another clue that can lead to diagnose is the appearance of an enlarged thyroid gland which the vet can be able to feel.
Treatment
This condition can be treated using three different methods. These methods of treatment include radioactive iodine surgery & drugs. Radioactive iodine destroys all thyroid tissue in the body. This is the most effective method of treatment. However radioactive iodine is by far the most expensive treatment method.
Another treatment method for hyperthyroidism is surgery. During surgery either one or both of the thyroid glands will be removed. Unfortunately surgery isn’t always effective. There will still be thyroid tissue in other areas of the body that surgery won’t be able to remove.
Anti-thyroid medication is the last treatment method. This type of medication needs to be taken once or twice everyday for the rest of your cat’s life. If the medication is ever discontinued for any reason the symptoms of hyperthyroidism will return very quickly.
This is everything you need to know about hyperthyroidism. heart it can also affect the gastrointestinal system. It can effectively be controlled using anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine. Surgery may also be an option in some cases although it’s not as effective as other methods of treatment.
There are many more conditions that can affect your precious kitty such as allergies in cats. Fortunately cat-illnesses.com provides all you need to learn about a wide range of these conditions. So stop by today
Access valuable information in the sphere of house training dogs welcome to your personal tips store.