Recently I brought my own 14-year-old cat in to our small animal hospital for her yearly check-up. Monet has been with me from the first year of veterinary school – we’ve been through a lot! She’s always reminding me to stop rushing around by pawing my hand so I’ll sit down and pet her for at least 15 minutes. Being a veterinarian doesn’t necessarily mean I recognize all the symptoms of aging in my cat. We ran a complete blood profile, urinalysis, updated her vaccines and performed a physical exam. Much to my surprise, Monet has lost one pound in a year. (which is significant if you only weigh 10 pounds to begin with). Her heart rate was a little quick but I chalked it off to being nervous at the hospital. Eyes, ears and teeth looked fine. No abnormalities on abdominal palpation and her coat was clean and glossy. She definitely has a good appetite which is why I was surprised at the weight loss. I had my technician check her weight three times! I hadn’t noticed any change in her drinking habits although it’s hard to tell in my household since I have another cat.
The blood tests came back the next day. Everything was normal except Monet’s thyroid level was above normal. Hyperthyroidism is a common disease in older cats. It’s caused by a tumor in the thyroid gland that produces too much thyroid hormone. As in people, the thyroid gland regulates metabolic rate. The diagnosis was clear and she was showing all the symptoms: weight loss despite great appetite, high heart rate and, now that I think about it, she’s been visiting the water bowl more frequently. She also has been “acting like a kitten again.” Hyperthyroid cats often are hyperactive. Other complications include hypertension and heart disease. Left untreated, hyperthyroidism is fatal. Treatment options include medication, radioiodine (I-131) therapy, and surgery (although surgery is not commonly done anymore because the other two non-surgical options work well and there can be complications with surgery). My cat is not very easy to medicate and she has no other problems such as kidney disease, so we are choosing I-131. Like with people, I-131 can completely cure hyperthyroidism by destroying the thyroid tumor. I’ve scheduled an appointment with a veterinary internal medicine specialist at the local referral hospital. She will undergo abdominal and cardiac ultrasound first to make sure she is a good candidate. The average stay at the referral hospital is five to seven days because of radiation. I’m going to miss her fuzzy face for the next week but I’ll be happy she’s going to be “euthyroid” (normal) and hopefully, live with me for many years to come. With my busy lifestyle, I need her around to remind me to sit down and calmly pet her for at least 15 minutes a day.
(This was an actual case history from a local veterinary clinic actively affiliated with the Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation.)
