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#1
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight
(but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL |
#2
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
On 1/30/2016 10:57 AM, MaryL wrote:
I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight (but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL Those were the symptoms, for sure. I'm glad you asked for that test. Hyperthyroid is very treatable. (In Persia's case she was allergic to the medication, hence the need for the expensive one-time radioactive isotope treatment.) If Duffy is hard to pill the medication is available in gel form. It comes in a tube you just click to the prescribed dosage. You just rub the gel inside his ear. Purrs for Duffy. Do keep us updated! Jill |
#3
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
On 1/30/2016 11:19 AM, Judith Latham wrote:
In article , MaryL wrote: I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight (but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL Sweep (RB) developed this, she suddenly lost weight and started to pee in odd places (including on my stove and I was having to clean that every evening after work before cooking our meal). However once she started on the pills she became her normal self with a couple of days. although she was getting on a bit, She lived on for several years just taking the pills. Our next door neighbour's cat also had it and he had an operation and again lived years after that. This was all about 25 years ago and medicines and treatments have moved on a lot since then. Purrs being sent for Buffy to be normal self very soon. Judith I know you meant DUFFY, not Buffy. When I first adopted Buffy I can't tell you how many times my fingers automatically started to type Duffy! Jill |
#4
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
[hyperthyroidism]
I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. My Chloe (aged 18) has it. She's been on antithyroid medication for nearly two years. She is slowly getting thinner but that seems to be the result of simple old age rather than inadequate thyroid control. She's a happy little cat and otherwise her health isn't too bad. She's long-haired and needs help with grooming, but that isn't a new development. And she has gluten intolerance, but so do a lot of cats and it's easy to manage that. Her sight and hearing are fine and she still has an epically thunderous purr which almost never stops. She comes to ask for her felimazole tablet twice a day. She gets it rolled up in a small strip of thin sliced chicken. She also has a bowel problem which seems to be unrelated to the thyroid. By sheer guesswork, I've found that dosing her with biotin (1/4 of a 1000ug capsule) once a week keeps it under control. (I think the deficiency is a result of the egg in the food that comprises most of her diet). She gets the biotin in another piece of sliced chicken and would probably be happy to add several other chronic conditions of old age if it meant getting even more of it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- e m a i l : j a c k @ c a m p i n . m e . u k Jack Campin, 11 Third Street, Newtongrange, Midlothian EH22 4PU, Scotland mobile 07800 739 557 http://www.campin.me.uk Twitter: JackCampin |
#5
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
On 1/30/2016 10:57 AM, MaryL wrote:
I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight (but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL I hope that treatment is easy for him and it controls it. I don't have experience with hyperT but I'm starting to get mad about vets who seem to only base illness on blood test results. I know you trust your vet and I respect that. I've just had a few experiences where I am worried and blood work comes back normal so vet doesn't pursue. Purrs that you get the answers you need and for your gorgeous boy. -- ღ.¸¸.✫*¨`*✶ Cheryl |
#6
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
On 1/31/2016 4:09 PM, Cheryl wrote:
On 1/30/2016 10:57 AM, MaryL wrote: I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight (but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL I hope that treatment is easy for him and it controls it. I don't have experience with hyperT but I'm starting to get mad about vets who seem to only base illness on blood test results. I know you trust your vet and I respect that. I've just had a few experiences where I am worried and blood work comes back normal so vet doesn't pursue. Purrs that you get the answers you need and for your gorgeous boy. Well, I do agree with you. I like my vet and think he is good, but I don't understand why he only relied on the blood panel. I even mentioned the possibility of hyperthyroidism when I took Duffy in the last time, and I'm annoyed with the vet and also with myself for not pursuing a T4 test. We (or at least, I) tend to rely on the vet because they have training, but the symptoms I described sounded like thyroid problems to me, and Duffy went undiagnosed all this time. He still would not have been diagnosed if I had not insisted on T4 this time. I stay in the waiting room because my back problems cause pain if I go into the exam room. They brought Duffy out to me, and the vet came out to discuss his blood work. That's when I discovered that he had not run a T4. After discussing it with him, TED agreed to run that test. My poor little Duffy. He has lost so much weight that it really worries me (some from his age but some I am sure was caused by the hyperthyroidism). MaryL |
#7
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Duffy has hyperthyroidism
On 1/31/2016 3:26 PM, MaryL wrote:
On 1/31/2016 4:09 PM, Cheryl wrote: On 1/30/2016 10:57 AM, MaryL wrote: I have been concerned about Duffy for some time. He has lost weight (but not as much as most cats his age, according to TED) and he walks around howling a very loud, complaining sound--not like the cute "trilling" sound that previously was normal with him. I suspected hyperthyroidism and took him to the vet some time ago. Everything looked normal in the blood panel, but the vet did not take a T4 test. He could not feel any abnormality in the thyroid glad, which he said he usually can detect if there is a problem. The problem continued with loud crying, weight loss despite good appetite, and increased drinking. So, I took him back to the vet last week. Once again, his blood panel looked normal (in fact, very good for his age), and the vet could not feel a tumor or any abnormality in his thyroid gland. This time, I requested a T4 test even though my vet (who is very good) did not run the test until I requested it. The results came back yesterday and confirmed my fears--hyperthyroidism. I know Jill went through this with Persia, and some of the others on the NG may also have experience with it. I would appreciate hearing about any of your results. One irony is that hyperthyroidism sometimes causes blindness. That is not a problem for Duffy, of course, but all the other issues are! If there any on this NG who are not familiar with Duffy, the reason I called it an "irony" is that he has been blind since birth, but he can do anything that any sighted cat can do. MaryL I hope that treatment is easy for him and it controls it. I don't have experience with hyperT but I'm starting to get mad about vets who seem to only base illness on blood test results. I know you trust your vet and I respect that. I've just had a few experiences where I am worried and blood work comes back normal so vet doesn't pursue. Purrs that you get the answers you need and for your gorgeous boy. Well, I do agree with you. I like my vet and think he is good, but I don't understand why he only relied on the blood panel. I even mentioned the possibility of hyperthyroidism when I took Duffy in the last time, and I'm annoyed with the vet and also with myself for not pursuing a T4 test. We (or at least, I) tend to rely on the vet because they have training, but the symptoms I described sounded like thyroid problems to me, and Duffy went undiagnosed all this time. He still would not have been diagnosed if I had not insisted on T4 this time. I stay in the waiting room because my back problems cause pain if I go into the exam room. They brought Duffy out to me, and the vet came out to discuss his blood work. That's when I discovered that he had not run a T4. After discussing it with him, TED agreed to run that test. My poor little Duffy. He has lost so much weight that it really worries me (some from his age but some I am sure was caused by the hyperthyroidism). MaryL I've noticed that most doctors, both vets and people doctors, have a blind spot somewhere. Either they appear not to believe in certain things or they are sure each patient has a specific problem. I used to go to a doctor who would take a blood test, sure that it would show we had Mononucleosis every time one of us went for anything. Many years later, after we moved away and had a different doctor, our daughter did get Mono. I thought of that doctor then. Joy |
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