Over time, this progresses to increased blood pressure, severe weight loss, heart disease, blindness, and kidney damage. The slow onset of signs means that cat owners will often miss these changes until the late stages of disease.
Can hyperthyroidism cause a cat to stop eating?
A cat with untreated hyperthyroidism may stop eating altogether. It may also exhibit blood in its stools. These are very serious symptoms, but internal changes are even more serious. Feline hyperthyroidism, untreated, can cause serious heart problems.
Do cats with hyperthyroidism lose their appetite?
Weight loss despite a normal or increased appetite is a symptom when hyperthyroidism is advanced. Although most cats with hyperthyroidism lose weight despite a normal or increased appetite, some cats with hyperthyroidism, especially if they have other concurrent health issues, may actually have a reduced appetite.
How can I fatten up my cat with hyperthyroidism?
Despite the increase in food consumption that virtually always accompanies hyperthyroidism, these cats are simply unable to meet their daily caloric and protein intake needs. Hyperthyroid cats need high calorie and high protein diets to reduce the rate of weight loss and muscle wasting that accompanies the disease.
How does hyperthyroidism make a cat feel?
The most common sign of hyperthyroidism in cats is weight loss despite an increased appetite. Other common signs include vomiting, diarrhea, hyperactivity, drinking and urinating more than normal, and an unkempt hair coat. Because the disease develops gradually, signs are often easy to miss at first.
How long can a cat live on methimazole?
How long can a cat live on methimazole? This varies, but on average a cat may be expected to live anywhere from two to five years with hyperthyroidism being managed with methimazole.
Do cats with hyperthyroidism suffer?
In addition, hyperthyroidism can cause hypertension or high blood pressure, and result in damage to the eyes, kidneys, and brain. Cats with untreated hyperthyroidism can also endure pain and a lower quality of life due to the symptoms of the disease.
Does methimazole cause loss of appetite in cats?
Methimazole may produce side effects in cats, including depression, vomiting, and lack of appetite.
How long does it take for a cat to recover from hyperthyroidism?
The majority of cats treated with radioactive iodine have normal hormone levels within one to two weeks of treatment. The advantages of radioactive iodine therapy are that the procedure most often cures hyperthyroidism, has no serious side effects, and does not require anesthesia.
How fast does methimazole work in cats?
How long does it take for methimazole to work in a cat? Methimazole typically takes 1-3 weeks before significant improvement of clinical symptoms are seen in pet.
Why does hyperthyroidism cause weight loss in cats?
As hyperthyroidism accelerates their metabolic rate and body’s energy expenditure, cats lose weight. In effect, they burn up their food calories faster than they can consume them.
What are the side effects of methimazole for cats?
The most common side effects include vomiting, anorexia, and tiredness, and usually occur within the first three months of treatment. Other, less common side effects such as gastrointestinal effects and mild changes in your pet’s blood cell counts are usually temporary and resolve with time.
What can I feed my hyperthyroid cat to gain weight?
It is best to feed: Canned or raw diets, that contain little to no fruits, vegetables, or grains. Any canned cat food is better than any dry, which contains too much carbohydrate and plant-based protein.
What wet food is best for cats with hyperthyroidism?
The best overall canned food for hyperthyroid cats is Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d Thyroid Care Cat Food. This is the only canned food made specifically to help cats with hyperthyroidism, and it is available in a case of 24 cans that are 5.5 ounces each.
What treats can I give my hyperthyroid cat?
Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d is the leading prescription cat food for hyperthyroidism. This food is extremely low in iodine, containing less than 0.32 ppm iodine on a dry matter basis.
Is there an alternative to methimazole for cats?
Another approach for cats who cannot take methimazole involves a combination of potassium iodate and a heart medication called “propranolol.” Potassium iodate blocks the thyroid gland’s uptake of iodine.
What happens if you don’t treat a cat with hyperthyroidism?
If feline hyperthyroidism is left untreated These can include serious heart problems which can result in heart failure. High blood pressure can also be encountered in hyperthyroid cats and this can lead to damage of your cat’s eyes, kidneys, heart and brain.
Does hyperthyroidism in cats cause anxiety?
Many hyperthyroid cats have increased urination, and need to drink more water to catch up to their fluid losses. Hyperthyroidism usually leads to behavior changes, which may include agitation, anxiety, and even aggression toward animals (including human companions.)
How often should methimazole be given to cats?
Methimazole should be started at a dose of 1.25–2.5 mg per cat twice daily (q12h). Twice daily dosing is associated with less serious side effects than a higher dose once daily (q24h).
Can methimazole cause kidney problems in cats?
13 If a cat treated with methimazole experiences a severe drop in GFR and develops overt renal failure, the clinician must begin the difficult course of balancing hyperthyroidism and its effects against the effects of renal failure.
Does methimazole make cats thirsty?
Methimazole mechanism of action When a cat’s body has an overproduction of thyroxine it causes weight loss, increased appetite, polydipsia (increased thirst), hyperactivity (being unusually or abnormally active), tachycardia (increased heart rate), unkempt hair coat, and in extreme conditions vomiting/diarrhea.
What foods should you avoid with hyperthyroidism?
- iodized salt.
- fish and shellfish.
- seaweed or kelp.
- dairy products.
- iodine supplements.
- food products containing red dye.
- egg yolks.
- blackstrap molasses.
Is it OK to crush my cats thyroid pills?
Do not break or crush tablets. Wear protective gloves to prevent direct contact with litter, feces, urine or vomit of treated cats, and broken or moistened tablets.
How skinny is too skinny for a cat?
Feel your cat’s ribs (located behind their front legs); if they feel like the back of your hand, then their weight is just right. If they’re ribs look or feel like your knuckles, then you have a skinny cat.
Does methimazole for cats need to be refrigerated?
The suspension is oil-based and does not need to be refrigerated. Methimazole has a bitter taste that may be masked by flavors or coated tablets.