will my cat gain weight after radioactive iodine treatment

Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The good news is that there are many treatment options available to our hyperthyroid cats. 2 The goal of RAI treatment is to restore euthyroidism while avoiding the development of hypothyroidism. Once his radiation levels come down and you can bring him home, you still have to keep him away from young children and pregnant women, as he'll pass small amounts of radioactive iodine through his urine for approximately two weeks. Diagnosis of feline hyperthyroidism is generally straightforward. In cats, an underactive thyroid is extremely rare. About TheCatSite.com. Copyright 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Secondary Problems 20.1301 Dose limits for individual members of the public. As a cat owner, I completely understand your desire to get your cat back to his normal routine as soon as possible. Hyperthyroidism & Liver Function in Cats, Intervals of Depo-Medrol Injections for Cats. Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues Questions Concerning Domestic Animals. 2000-2023 TheCatSite.com. However once the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism has been made, and no other illnesses are identified, the motivation to perform further diagnostics, especially those that require the need for anesthetics or are invasive may be lost. The dose of radiation used during radioactive iodine treatment is very low, but there are some precautions you'll need to take after treatment: avoid prolonged close contact with children and pregnant women for a few days or weeks women should avoid getting pregnant for at least 6 months men should not father a child for at least 4 months Whats the difference between type 1 and 2 diabetes NHS. A special diet for cats with hyperthyroidism. 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. A swollen or tender neck and feeling flushed. First we need to put this exposure level into some context: How do x-rays increase your risk for cancer? Hyperthyroidismis characterized by the overproduction of thyroid hormone and a subsequent increase in metabolic rate. 2004. Studies have shown that cats treated with I-131 live longer than those treated with pills, added Mosenco, citing a study where I-131-treated cats lived an average of four to five years following treatment, versus an average of only two years for cats on medication.Dec 19, 2016. While my facility does not treat cats with radioactive 131I, I have consulted with a veterinary medicine program at a nearby university that does perform these types of procedures to get myself in the "cat-patient" mode of thought. This can best be done by monitoring your cat's body condition, muscle condition, and weight. However, because your cat will be radioactive for several days after receiving the shot, precautions must be taken during and after the treatment. These positive ions, or free radicals, can cause damage to DNA. Despite the extensive blood and urine tests, chest x-rays and physical exams that we require before radioiodine therapy, some of these conditions remain undiagnosed at the time of radioiodine therapy. Methimazole is also given before surgery to determine if the cat has a secondary medical condition, such as kidney or liver disease masked by hyperthyroidism. Montreal. It is best to perform a nuclear scan before surgery to rule out ectopic thyroid tissue. It is also common for hyperthyroid cats to exhibit increased vocalizing, particularly at night. She has spoken at national and international conferences and a Capitol Hillbriefing, and is an expert in pet obesity, nutrition communication, and in the human-animal bond. Studies show that weight gain is inevitable after radioiodine-induced hypothyroidism. I have a cat also and I know when she is happy and purring while sitting on my lap getting strokes, she drools. To scientifically prove a connection would require nearly one million patients followed closely over decades to detect the small increased risk with any confidence. It is important to drink fluids after your treatment and for the next 2 days. Dry, dull coat. 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. There are two types of radiation exposure that your vet is trying to minimizeexternal exposure from the radioactive material within the cat's body, and the radioactive materials in the cat's urine and other bodily fluids released by the cat that you may come into contact with and may end up being ingested or absorbed by you accidentally. We fed him some Fancy Feast again last night and he ate it all without vomiting. Radioactive iodine (I-131) is a very safe and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. GFR results are used to determine the functional status of the kidneys, and identify cats with subclinical renal disease. By 14 days after treatment, the radioactivity will have decayed to a very low level. The risk to these cats is the simple fact that many cats in the age range when cats develop hyperthyroidism (8+ years) also develop other diseases. There are three common forms of treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats: medication, radioactive iodine therapy and surgery. A seven hour airplane trip exposes passengers to 0.02 mSv of radiation, which is a fraction of the exposure of a standard Chest x-ray (0.1 mSv). This information is not a substitute for a vets opinion. A single injection is given subcutaneously (i.e. When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. The other conditions that cats can develop at this age are numerous and varied. 197(2): p. 125-136. These include weight loss, increased activity, and kitten like behaviour. Radioactive iodine targets the thyroid tissue - as this is the only tissue in the body that uses significant quantities of iodine. If your cat does not have elevated T4 levels but your veterinarian still suspects your cat has hyperthyroidism, additional tests may be recommended. Although this procedure is usually very effective, it is more expensive and requires the cat being . AAFCO Doesnt Approve Pet Foods, A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients, Its Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy. What they are trying to prevent is the intake (ingestion, etc.) 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. As stated above, it may also be used for a few weeks to stabilize a cat at increased surgical risk because of cardiac complications. Cats exclusively fed the prescription diet will remain normal, but if the diet is discontinued, they will once again become hyperthyroid. Occasionally, a cat suspected of having hyperthyroidism has a TT4 level within the upper range of normal. Did she have stage 1 prior to treatment for hyperthyroidism or did the stage 1 unmask after treatment started and then jump to stage 4? Exposure to high levels of dietary iodine may cause susceptible cats to develop hyperthyroidism. Only the bare necessitiesfood and water and quick litter cleanupsare provided by veterinary technicians during your cat's hospital stay. What are other nutritional concerns for my hyperthyroid cat? By Discuss these issues with your veterinarian when considering dietary iodine restriction as a treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. Thyroid scintigraphy may also be recommended to confirm a diagnosis and determine the size of the organ before surgery or radioactive iodine. Radioactive iodine therapy is a very effective way to treat hyperthyroidism (I-131). Committee on Environmental Health. Since fewer than 2% of cats with hyperthyroidism have cancerous growths of the thyroid gland, treatment is usually very successful. The School of Veterinary Medicine's Ryan Hospital, however, is one of the few veterinary centers in the region to offer a treatment that can cure the disease: a single shot of radioactive iodine, I-131. ), family history (genetics) or radiation exposure. So in this case the targeted radiation exposure is actually increasing survival for these patients. Medications for hyperthyroidism in cats are prescribed on a case by case basis. 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. Weight change was analyzed in only 228 patients and 84% gained weight by 1 year after radioactive iodine therapy. Design and methods: Five hundred and four patients over 40 years of age with diffuse toxic goiter were treated with MMI for 18 months. 101(4 Pt 1): p. 717-9. 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. Also called thyrotoxicosis, hyperthyroidism is caused by an increase in production of thyroid hormones (known as T3 and T4) from an enlarged thyroid gland in a cats neck. Because metabolism is altered in hyperthyroidism, its important to monitor your cats weight and muscle mass. To help your cat gain weight, you need to increase the protein and . Additionally, diet may play a significant role in managing the disease, whether as a sole treatment or as an adjunct tool to address changes in your cats body related to hyperthyroidism. Most cats with uncomplicated hyperthyroidism will live several years following treatment of hyperthyroidism, unless they develop another disease. The required dose of methimazole can change over time, so monitoring thyroid levels in treated animals is recommended every 3-6 months once their condition is stable. Hyperthyroidism is a common condition in older cats because of an excess of circulating thyroid hormone, called thyroxine. The thyroid gland, located in the neck, is responsible for the bodys metabolism. However, your cat will still have a low amount of radiation in his or her body. Many doctors recommend that women avoid becoming pregnant for 6 months to a year after treatment. As with surgery, you may need to take thyroid hormone . Feeding an iodine-limited diet (Hills Prescription Diet y/d) can resolve clinical signs and lower thyroid hormone concentration. Finally, thyroid hormone has a role in kidney function and blood flow that may result in either directly damaging the kidney or obscuring underlying kidney disease that your cat may already have. hypothyroidism was only treated if it was associated with clinical signs like excessive weight gain, lethargy, and skin problems. Copyright 2019 Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging. 4. The cell repairs itself with mistakes (rare). The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Calabrese E.J., Hormesis: From Marginalization to Mainstream: A Case for Hormesis as the Default Dose-Response Model in Risk Assessment. Too cold? Symptoms include weight loss, muscle wasting, increased appetite, increased thirst and urination, vomiting, unkempt appearance, and sometimes hyperactivity. Many organs are affected by hyperthyroidism, especially the heart. Some cats develop side effects from methimazole, such as vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, fever, liver damage, anemia, and a decrease in white blood cells. 15(1): p. 47-51. Because of the important role the thyroid gland plays in the body, some cats with hyperthyroidism develop secondary problems, including heart disease and high blood pressure. 2007 07/19/2011; Available from: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/cfr/part020/. You must log in or register to reply here. You should use the following methods for disposing of your cat's waste that may contain trace amounts of radiation. Affected cats are often restless and may become cranky or aggressive. . Chance of significant, unhealthy weight gain is increased. Cats are homed in our spacious, purpose-built radioactive iodine unit and cared for by our dedicated team of radioiodine nurses. The average age of cats with hyperthyroidism is approximately 12 years and about 5% of hyperthyroid cats are younger than 10 years of age. When a radioactive form of iodine is given to hyperthyroid cats, the radiation destroys a portion of the thyroid gland. 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. Thus, pate is a better choice for your cat than gravy food due to the latter's higher . Now the question is what risk does one obtain from receiving an exposure of 1 mSv? This cat is showing weight loss and poor coat - typical signs of hyperthyroidism. Therefore if you adhere to the release instructions we provide you with (copies provided on admission and again at discharge), you should be assured of getting less than 1 mSv exposure from interacting with your cat. 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. While I do not know the amount of radioactive 131I that was administered to your cat, the recommendations that your veterinarian has given you are very standard for the industry.