Hyperthyroidism is one of the most common disorders of the endocrine (hormone) gland that affects a huge population of cats. It can severely affect pet health and needs to be taken care of before it causes severe pet health problems.

The thyroid gland is situated in neck of your cat and is quite small in size. It produces a thyroid hormone also known as thyroxine (T4) as well as small amounts of triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones help in regulating the metabolic rate of the cat’s body and can affect the working of every system or organ in his body. The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced in the pituitary gland controls the production of thyroid hormones. If this production stops or if the required amount of hormones is not produced then it can adversely affect pet health.

When you bring home kittens, you need to take advice from your vet regarding its food, diet and ask different types of pet health questions. The pet health questions can vary from understanding the various diseases to knowledge of symptoms and treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. Hyperthyroidism is actually caused when the thyroid gland of your cat starts producing excessive thyroid hormones and this condition is known as hyperthyroidism.

The immediate cause for hyperthyroidism is due to the increase in non-cancerous cells of the thyroid gland. These are abnormal cells and can vary in different sizes from small nodules known as adenomas to bid nodules known as multiple adenomas. In the last 25 years, there has been a rise in the number of cats affected by hyperthyroidism. This is a medical condition that needs good pet health care.

Hyperthyroidism normally occurs in those cats, which are aged between 4 years and 22 years. Normally, this medical condition occurs as your cat will grow older, which means that you will have to take better care of pet health. Hyperthyroidism can affect both male and female cats.

The various symptoms of hyperthyroidism include:

· Increase in the consumption of food

· Weight loss

· Vomiting

· Increase in water consumption

· Increased urination

· behavior changes

· Nervousness and restless ness

· Increased activity or hyper activity

· Hair loss

· Tremors

· Diarrhea

· labored breathing

· Loss of appetite

These affects overall pet health and can be taken care of only if you are able to identify any of the symptoms and take your cat to the vet immediately. Some cats even show rapid heart rate due to hyperthyroidism leading to high blood pressure. Those cats that are not treated for hyperthyroidism might develop a fatal heart condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which can lead to death.

What is the treatment of Hyperthryoidism?

There are currently three main treatments for hyperthyroidism in cats and your veterinary surgeon will discuss the most appropriate treatment options with you.

Medical treatment

Surgical removal of the thyroid gland

Radioactive iodine therapy

Medical treatment

Using anti thyroid drugs is often the first line of treatment for a hyperthyroid cat. These drugs often have to be given two or three times a day so can be difficult for some owners to administer in an uncooperative cat. They act by reducing the amount of thyroid hormones released by the thyroid gland. The effect of these drugs may need to be monitored by blood tests at regular intervals. They are often successfully used in the long term treatment of hyperthyroidism and some cats can be maintained on these drugs alone. Occasional side effects of these anti-thyroid drugs include anorexia, vomiting and lethargy.

Surgical removal of the thyroid gland

Surgical removal or thyroidectomy is a delicate operation performed if the medical treatment of hyperthyroidism is proving unsuccessful. Possible complications include nerve damage and parathyroid gland removal. The parathyroid gland is a very small often unidentifiable gland which is positioned adjacent to the thyroid gland. This gland is responsible for the control of calcium levels in the blood and its accidental removal can cause signs of hypocalcaemia which owners should be aware of in cats that have undergone thyroid surgery.

Radioactive iodine therapy

An injection of radioactive iodine is a relatively safe and successful curative treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats. The radioactive iodine is selectively taken up by the thyroid gland where it works by destroying this overactive thyroid tissue. It also destroys thyroid tissue not accessible by surgery. Because it only selectively targets thyroid tissue, no other tissues in the body are harmed including the parathyroid glands so there is no risk of developing hypocalcaemia. There is also no anaesthetic involved.