The 1-month level thyroid may be slightly high, low or normal. Amazingly despite over 35 years of veterinary experience treating hyperthyroid cats with radioiodine there are virtually no reported side effects. Why? Elevated thyroid hormones stimulate an increased heart rate and a stronger contraction of the heart muscle, and can cause thickening of the left ventricle of the heart over time. There are four treatment options for feline hyperthyroidism: medication, radioactive iodine therapy, surgery, and dietary therapy. Dr. Linder has received speaker fees or research fudning from Hills Pet Nutrition, Nestl Purina PetCare, Royal Canin, and Virbac, and has provided professional services for Mark Morris Institute. Both cardiomyopathy and hypertension are potentially reversible with appropriate treatment of the disease. Remember that theNRC regulationsrequire that release criteria and discharge instructions provided to owners of hyperthyroid cats prevent exposures of more than 1 mSv. The majority of cats treated with radioactive iodine have normal hormone levels within one to two weeks of treatment. Research into this potential treatment option is ongoing. If surgery is the chosen treatment method, the anti-thyroid medication methimazole (Tapazole, Felimazole) may be prescribed for several weeks before the operation. This single treatment will cure 95-98% of cats. Hays M.T., Broome M.R. Feeding an iodine-limited diet (Hills Prescription Diet y/d) can resolve clinical signs and lower thyroid hormone concentration. As with surgery, you may need to take thyroid hormone . Your cat can receive methimazole, a medication that inhibits thyroid hormone production. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answer posted on 30 March 2019. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Rarely, a permanent reduction in thyroid-hormone levels called hypothyroidism occurs after radioactive iodine treatment. The average US total radiation exposure (all sources) is 6.2 mSv/yr which is an increase from 20 years ago (3.6 mSv/year) when CT scans were much less common. Several complications of hyperthyroidism can be significant, includinghypertension(high blood pressure) and a heart disease called thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy. The prognosis for cats with hyperthyroidism is generally good with appropriate therapy. The cell dies (only occurs with very high doses). In some cases, the cat will develop a heart murmur associated with cardiomyopathy. A large study found an increase in some cancer types in people who had radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism compared with the general population. Hypertension develops due to the increased pumping pressure and elevated heart rate that occurs with hyperthyroidism. Some hyperthyroid cats have thyroid cells in abnormal locations calledectopicthyroid tissue (thyroid tissue under the tongue, further down the neck, or all the way to the base of the heart), and they may remain hyperthyroid after surgery. All three have risks and benefits. The advantage of surgery is that it is likely to produce a long-term or permanent cure in most cats, and therefore eliminates the need for long-term medication. Def scared about this possibility with Fluff, Our cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and has been back home for about two weeks. She gained and ate a lot and we were more than happy. If the nearest facility is far away, there's the stress or travel for both you and Fluffy, as well as possible hotel and other travel expenses. The AVMI radioactive materials license utilizes release criteria and precautionary instructions specifically based on the evaluation of the relative exposure levels to clients following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroid cats treated with I-131. Hyperthyroidism in cats is a commonly diagnosed endocrinopathy with an overall prevalence of 2.4% in England which increases to 8.7% in cats aged 10 years or older. As to your question about "home-testing equipment" and "something else to monitor and determine (your) exposure," there really are no good options for that. Because metabolism is altered in hyperthyroidism, its important to monitor your cats weight and muscle mass. Miles K.G., Simpson S.A., Zimmerman R.B., et al. Other therapeutic monitoring. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is a treatment method for hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer. Ultrasound of the heart (called echocardiography) may be recommended based on your cat's condition, especially if there is any concern about cardiomyopathy. Although the thyroid gland enlarges in hyperthyroidism, it is usually a benign or non-malignant change. . This means that our radioactive materials license requires our practice ensure that our clients receive less than 1 mSv of radiation exposure as the result of our treatment of their hyperthyroid cat with radioiodine. The typical cat with hyperthyroidism is middle-aged or older; the average age of affected cats is approximately 12 years. If possible, I would like to wear protective clothing so we can return to our familiar habit of living/sleeping in 24-hour close physical contact to minimize his stress and promote his recovery. Affected cats are often restless and may become cranky or aggressive. Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pets diet, medication, or physical activity routines. However, unless the retinal detachment is treated immediately, permanent blindness can occur. If methimazole dosing is discontinued, hyperthyroidism will return. There are virtually no side effects, and there is no pain associated with 131I treatment. The coat of affected cats may appear unkempt, matted, or greasy (see Figure 1). Endocrinology, 1988. Because the risk from exposure to radiation in children is generally considered greater than the risk from the same exposure in adults[7], radiation precautions for children and pregnant women are more restrictive than for adults.The release instructions advising clients of hyperthyroid cats being discharged following radioiodine therapy at AVMI advise that pregnant women and children (defined as individuals less than 18 years of age) avoid contact (defined as a proximity of less than 6 feet) with the patient for a period of 12 days following discharge. The remainder is gone in about the next two months or so. What Are The Side Effects Of Radioactive Iodine Treatment In Cats? Copyright 2019 Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging. Cats treated with radioactive iodine for their hyperthyroidism have several risks unrelated to the radioiodine therapy itself. Only about 5% of hyperthyroid cats are younger than 10. Since platelets are essential for blood clotting, thrombocytopenia may lead to problems with excessive bleeding. Cats with hyperthyroidism exhibit symptoms that are similar to those of humans with the disease: weight loss, increased appetite, excessive . Due to the damaging effects of hyperthyroid-induced hypertension on your cats kidneys, blood kidney values must be reassessed once the thyroxine level has normalized, even if they were normal on initial blood tests. . He also can't sleep with you during that time, and the facility will inform you about special arrangements you'll have to make for disposing of his litter. Because of the short distances they travel they never exit the patient and as a result no one other than the patient is at risk from exposure to the beta particles unless they internalized the radioiodine excreted by the patient. and Turrel J.M., A Multicompartmental Model for Iodide, Thyroxine, and Triiodothyronine Metabolism in Normal and Spontaneously Hyperthyroid Cats. How does the risk from medical radiation compare to background radiation exposure? Thyroidectomy (largely replaced by radioactive iodine . (At my facility we treat people but many of the concepts are the same, it is just that patient compliance is easier to obtain with people.) Long-Term Health and Predictors of Survival for Hyperthyroid Cats Treated with Iodine 131. If we use the linear no-threshold model we could estimate that the exposure to 1 mSv would therefore have a risk of less than 0.01% (or 1/100th of 1 %) of causing cancer over the remaining life of an adult. Your doctor will order a test called a radioactive iodine uptake and scan to determine the dose you will need. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. Now that he's back home, he still exhibits the behavior of wanting food all the time but I wonder if it's a habit he picked up before treatment or perhaps the symptoms won't completely gone away until the treatment has time to take hold. If this is accompanied by clinical signs such as lethargy, obesity, and poor hair coat, then thyroid hormone supplementation may be required. For some cats, a veterinary therapeutic diet low in iodine may be all thats required to control symptoms. Dr. Deborah Linder, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist, is the head of the Tufts Obesity Clinic for Animals and has had articles appear in Eating Well, the Boston Globe, AARP, SHAPE, and XM Sirius Radio Doctor Channel. No ill effects have been noted in the children born to parents who received radioactive iodine in the past. Many times the only symptoms these other conditions cause are weight loss. It requires two round-trips for you. When the dose of radiation to the thyroid is very low, like might occur by accidental ingestion of litter box contents, then mutations leading to cancer can ensue. It is used less commonly in younger children. Risk of Ionizing Radiation Exposure to Children: A Subject Review. Also, you might get some good ideas about what to feed him on Dr. Lisa Pierson's web site. 15(1): p. 47-51. The chronic elevation of circulating thyroid hormone levels in cats with hyperthyroidism leads to changes in their heart muscle that predispose them to developing heart failure. The ALARA recommendation follows the classic "less is more" argument and hence adherence to this philosophy suggests that exposures to ionizing radiation should be minimized whenever possible. Radioactive iodine therapy offers a cure through a simple injection that returns thyroid function to normal levels. Unfortunately, 131I has a rather high-energy gamma emission that is difficult to shield. If the total GFR is below this number, medical therapy for hyperthyroidism may be recommended, although I-131 treatment may still be an option in specific patients. You can't visit Fluffy during his stay at the veterinary facility. 20.1301 Dose limits for individual members of the public. Clients frequently have the following 2 questions when considering radioiodine therapy for their cat's hyperthyroidism. This is why one of the first signs of thyroid disease may be a change in weight weight gain if the thyroid is underactive and weight loss if the thyroid is overactive. Medication and radioactive iodine therapy are just as effective at treating hyperthyroidism in cats as surgery and are less invasive, so surgical treatment is rarely chosen for treating this condition. of the radioactive iodine into your body because, just like the cat, any 131I intake you have will result in an uptake by your thyroid and in larger quantities could result in significant thyroid dose. The good news is that virtually every client will already take steps to avoid this, even when radioactive iodine in their cat's urine is not the motivation. To scientifically prove a connection would require nearly one million patients followed closely over decades to detect the small increased risk with any confidence. At 1 and 3 months after the treatment, a blood test for thyroid and kidney function should be done by your veterinarian. Surgery. What happens after my cat is released from the hospital? Most cats with uncomplicated hyperthyroidism will live several years following treatment of hyperthyroidism, unless they develop another disease. Clinical signs include lethargy, dullness, obesity, oily skin, and matted fur. Lifelong treatment, usually involving twice-daily oral dosage, will be required, and for some owners and cats, this dosage schedule may be difficult to maintain. In a study of 524 hyperthyroid cats treated with I-131, only 11/524 (2.1%) developed Set up your myVCA account today. Side effects may include fluid retention, weight gain, elevated . One of the reasons the cat was held for four days was to allow for much of the radioactive 131I to be excreted in urine so that the amount of external radiation exposure is significantly reduced. If left untreated, a hyperthyroid cat can exhibit many, if not all, of the following signs: extreme weight loss, excessive appetite in most cases, but decreased appetite in some, muscle weakness, heart disease (increase in the size of the heart, increased rate, changes in heart rhythm, cardiac arrest), intolerance to stress, and eventually death.
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