Your Cat suffers from Thyroid Problem?

Posted by chintan | Posted in Pet care | Posted on 08-12-2007

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Cats are living longer. But when a cat arrives at the age of 8 years in good health, habit visits to the veterinarian are simply to update vaccination, check weight and clean teeth. However, when your fund reaches middle age, it is now at risk for a grave sickness common in older felines-hyperthyroidism.

Thyroid disease now exceeds diabetes mellifluous as the most recurrent endocrine disarray in cats. Left crude, the amazing get faster in metabolism may ground the kitty’s heart to beat 300 times a minute. According to Cat Fancy magazine, “Cats with this sickness are like shooting stars – burning in activity until they blaze themselves out!” In fact, crude feline hyperthyroidism is a quiet killer- relentlessly very tiring the cat until it suffers an untimely death from heart disease. Though this sickness is not rare, many cat owners, and even some veterinarians, simply aren’t attentive of the prevalence. Up to 20% of cats between the ages of 8-18 years are anguish from this condition and most veterinarians see one or two cats each month with this sickness.

The signs of the sickness are delicate; a blood test is the best way to corroborate the judgment. When the cat makes too much thyroid hormone, it turns into more active and all metabolic course race faster. Regardless of an unexpectedly hungry craving, the poor cat misplace more and more weight. Owners story their cat follows them to the kitchen begging for extra food-any kind of food! They start to feed their cat several periods a day. In addition to the sick cat becomes thirstier and makes more frequent visits to the litter pan. Ongoing weight loss, an unkempt hair wool, and diarrhea finally convince the owner toward take the cat to the veterinarian. A animal examination shows a racing heart, muscle wasting and from time to time an enlarged thyroid gland. Lab tests reveal abnormally high attention of thyroid hormones in the blood.

The excellent news is that this sickness can be treated three ways:

1. Radioactive Iodine

2. Surgery

3. Medicine

The surgical procedure removes one or both lobes of the thyroid gland. However, the stress of surgery can be dangerous for older cats, and there is forever the likelihood of complicatedness and regular disease. Medicine, the second option, must be given every day for the rest of the cat’s life. The medicine is not without solemn side property. Some cats simply cannot tolerate the drug. The best solution is the one used by 90% of human patients with this disease-radioactive iodine therapy. Radioactive iodine is more than a treatment-it is a cure. One shot is effective and the shot is agreed without anesthesia. The radioactive fund is hospitalized in a licensed facility for two to three days while the radioactivity clears from its body. Then it goes home to a happier and healthier life. I131 has always been the best choice, but was engaged except in a few veterinary medicine schools spread crossways the country.

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