Hyperthyroid cat (update)

All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before? My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

Can you crush the Tapazole and place it in canned food for her?
Gail
wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before? My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:01:20 GMT, "Gail" wrote:

Can you crush the Tapazole and place it in canned food for her?
Gail

Wouldn't she taste that? I'm getting a little worried about her being
under the bed, but I don't want to further traumatize her by dragging
her to the vet again. I put down some food at the bed and she ate
that. I get the feeling she's mad at me.

Rob

wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before? My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:01:20 GMT, "Gail" wrote:

Can you crush the Tapazole and place it in canned food for her?
Gail

Wouldn't she taste that?

Mine sure did. The trouble is, if you crush it up in all of her food, how
can you
be sure she gets the whole dose if she does not eat the food? So I crushed
the
Tapazole up in a couple of tablespoons of food first, intending to give her
the rest
of her food after she ate it, but she just tasted it and walked away in
disgust.
Tapazole is a really bitter tasting medicine. Eventually I resorted to
feeding her
the canned food, waiting until she has had a few bites, then quickly tossing
the
pill toward the very center of the back of her mouth so she cannot "tongue"
it
to the side and spit it out. She wants so much to get back to the food she
tends to just swallow it.

That said, Phil P. posted here about a transdermal gel that you can get at
some
pharmacies with a prescription from your vet. You wear gloves so you do not
get dosed, then rub it on the cat's ear.

There is also a flavored liquid medium (like tuna or chicken) and there are
gel caps and treats that you can hide the Tapazole in.

Good luck, this is difficult. On the good side, if your cat is like ours,
after
a year or so in the medicine she will be in great shape.

On 26 Dec 2005 17:35:30 +0100, "cybercat" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:01:20 GMT, "Gail" wrote:

Can you crush the Tapazole and place it in canned food for her?
Gail

Wouldn't she taste that?

Mine sure did. The trouble is, if you crush it up in all of her food, how
can you
be sure she gets the whole dose if she does not eat the food? So I crushed
the
Tapazole up in a couple of tablespoons of food first, intending to give her
the rest
of her food after she ate it, but she just tasted it and walked away in
disgust.
Tapazole is a really bitter tasting medicine. Eventually I resorted to
feeding her
the canned food, waiting until she has had a few bites, then quickly tossing
the
pill toward the very center of the back of her mouth so she cannot "tongue"
it
to the side and spit it out. She wants so much to get back to the food she
tends to just swallow it.

Interestingly enough, doing the pill without the gel cap worked much
better yesterday.


That said, Phil P. posted here about a transdermal gel that you can get at
some
pharmacies with a prescription from your vet. You wear gloves so you do not
get dosed, then rub it on the cat's ear.

Yeah, me and the wife talked about that this morning.


There is also a flavored liquid medium (like tuna or chicken) and there are
gel caps and treats that you can hide the Tapazole in.

Good luck, this is difficult. On the good side, if your cat is like ours,
after
a year or so in the medicine she will be in great shape.

Her fur improved dramatically in just a couple of weeks. Now if we
can just get her to stop hiding from us....

wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before?

Hyperthyroidism can result in heart disease - hypertrophic cardiomyopthy - a
thickening of the muscle which can be detected in an x-ray. This may or may
not be what is suspected, but I'd ask about it.

My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 12:36:46 -0500, "Judy"
wrote:


wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before?

Hyperthyroidism can result in heart disease - hypertrophic cardiomyopthy - a
thickening of the muscle which can be detected in an x-ray. This may or may
not be what is suspected, but I'd ask about it.

I pray the prognosis is not as grim as the google serarch about it
says. Thanks for the reply.

Rob

My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 12:36:46 -0500, "Judy"
wrote:


wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before?

Hyperthyroidism can result in heart disease - hypertrophic cardiomyopthy -
a
thickening of the muscle which can be detected in an x-ray. This may or
may
not be what is suspected, but I'd ask about it.

I pray the prognosis is not as grim as the google serarch about it
says. Thanks for the reply.

Rob

I'll pray along with you Rob.

Having lost a most wonderful cat to this disease, my heart goes out to you
and your cat!

When it comes to the health of your cat and yourself - Google! Take notes
and don't be afraid to ask questions!

Judy

wrote in message
news
All,

Mixed results with my cat that we recently decided to treat with meds
verses radiation. She's been on her meds, twice a day, for about a
month. The vet called after her last workup and said to reduce to
once a day. We were rather late with her first dose at the reduced
levels and she vomited several times, guess when, Christmas day. We
spent several hours at the emergency vet, as everything I read said
repeat vomitting is unusual for cats. They didn't really see anything
that causes it, but saw on the films, "something that should be
evaluated" on her heart. Anybody run across this one before? My
latest issue, is that she *hates* getting pills and runs and hides
under the bed. She's dove under there the second I got up (slept with
us all night) and hasn't been out since. I don't think she's sick
(the vomitting resolved itself); she just seems mad at me. Anyone
have any suggestions on how to deal with this one? Any advice is
appreciated.

Rob

My sister gets prescriptions for her cat at a compounding pharmacy. They
are able to prepare it in various flavors (tuna, chicken, etc.) and that
mades the medication much more palatable. You might want to try that.

MaryL

wrote in message
...
On 26 Dec 2005 17:35:30 +0100, "cybercat" wrote:


wrote in message
.. .
On Mon, 26 Dec 2005 16:01:20 GMT, "Gail" wrote:

Can you crush the Tapazole and place it in canned food for her?
Gail

Wouldn't she taste that?

Mine sure did. The trouble is, if you crush it up in all of her food, how
can you
be sure she gets the whole dose if she does not eat the food? So I
crushed
the
Tapazole up in a couple of tablespoons of food first, intending to give
her
the rest
of her food after she ate it, but she just tasted it and walked away in
disgust.
Tapazole is a really bitter tasting medicine. Eventually I resorted to
feeding her
the canned food, waiting until she has had a few bites, then quickly
tossing
the
pill toward the very center of the back of her mouth so she cannot
"tongue"
it
to the side and spit it out. She wants so much to get back to the food
she
tends to just swallow it.

Interestingly enough, doing the pill without the gel cap worked much
better yesterday.


That said, Phil P. posted here about a transdermal gel that you can get
at
some
pharmacies with a prescription from your vet. You wear gloves so you do
not
get dosed, then rub it on the cat's ear.

Yeah, me and the wife talked about that this morning.


There is also a flavored liquid medium (like tuna or chicken) and there
are
gel caps and treats that you can hide the Tapazole in.

Good luck, this is difficult. On the good side, if your cat is like ours,
after
a year or so in the medicine she will be in great shape.

Her fur improved dramatically in just a couple of weeks. Now if we
can just get her to stop hiding from us....


She might be hiding from you because she hates the taste of Tapazole and
she's beginning to associate you with the unpleasant experience and taste.
Putting the Tapazole in a small #3 or #4 gelcap will mask the horrible taste
until she swallows it and might also emiminate the vomiting. Vomiting and/or
anorexia can be caused by the bitter taste of Tapazole and may not
necessarily be side effects of the drug.

She'll need to pilled for the rest of her life. Therefore, I strongly
recommend putting the pill in a gelcap because she develops an irreversible
aversion to Tapazole and pilling. After you pill her, follow the pill with
water or canned food to make sure the pill goes all the way down and doesn't
get trapped and begin to dissolve in her esophagus.

A Pillpopper might make pilling much easier for both of you.

Best of luck,

Phil