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Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury
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Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury
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Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism include hyperactivity, weight loss and hunger. Some cats will become more vocal, thirsty and may also urinate more than usual. Occasionally, cats will not show any symptoms of hyperthyroidism but the disorder can be detected on wellness testing by your veterinarian.
Fortunately for your cat, this is a very treatable problem with several management options:
1) Methimazole (generic, Tapazole TM, FelimazoleTM) is a medicine that inhibits the production of thyroid hormone, thereby resolving symptoms of hyperthyroidism. This treatment is highly effective, readily available, and not very costly in the short term. It can be administered orally as a pill or liquid, or topically on the skin. This treatment must be monitored periodically to make sure it is working properly and not causing side effects. It is important to note that this treatment does not cure hyperthyroidism, but can control the problem as long as the medicine is given regularly as prescribed by your veterinarian.
2) Surgery can be performed to remove the abnormal thyroid tissue. This treatment has been effective in curing hyperthyroidism in many cats but is less popular recently as safer and simpler options are now readily available.
3) I-131 (radio-iodine) therapy is a form of nuclear medicine used to cure feline hyperthyroidism. This is a very simple, safe and highly effective treatment. The vast majority of cats treated with I-131 will be cured of hyperthyroidism.
How does I-131 work?
The thyroid gland is the only part of the body that uses iodine, a nutrient that is essential to synthesize thyroid hormones. I-131 is a form of iodine that is radioactive. I-131 is given by injection and circulates in the blood until it is taken into the thyroid gland. In hyperthyroid cats, the cells within the abnormal nodules are actively making an abundance of thyroid hormone, but the normal thyroid tissue is suppressed and not making any thyroid hormone. Therefore only the cells within the nodules will absorb the radioactive iodine. Once inside the abnormal thyroid cells, the radiation goes to work to destroy the abnormal cells. Small amounts of radiation will be emitted from your cat during the treatment, therefore strict isolation in our facility is required to keep everyone safe. Once the level of radioactivity is below a certain limit, usually within a few days, the cats are safe to go home.
For questions or more information about I-131 therapy for feline hyperthyroidism, please contact our hospital, and we will be happy to assist you.
Welcome to the Internal Medicine Department at Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center of Westbury!
Our hospital's board-certified Internal Medicine Specialists have advanced training in the diagnosis and treating of diseases of the internal body systems. Internists are experts in the fields of endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, immunology, infectious disease, nephrology, urology, and respiratory disease.
Our Internal Medicine Department state-of-the-art battery of diagnostics includes:
Our Internal Medicine advanced treatments and servcies include:
What Is A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
A board certified veterinary internal medicine specialist is a licensed veterinarian who has obtained intensive, additional training in understanding how your pet's internal body systems function and in diagnosing and treating the many serious diseases that can affect the health of those systems. An internal medicine specialist has advanced training in the following disciplines:
While your general practitioner veterinarian can diagnose and treat many health problems, certain diseases and conditions require the care of a doctor who has had specialized, intensive training in internal medicine in order to provide the very best outcome for your pet.
*Within the discipline of veterinary internal medicine, there are also veterinarians who specialize further in Small Animal Medicine, Cardiology, Neurology, and Oncology.
Why Does My Pet Need A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist?
Just as your own primary care physician may feel the need to refer you to the care of a specialist from time to time, your general practitioner veterinarian may feel your pet needs a specialist to help diagnose or treat a particularly complicated medical problem. While your general practitioner veterinarian can handle many aspects of your pet's care, just as in human medicine, there is sometimes a need for the attention of a specialist. You can be assured that a veterinarian who knows when to refer you and your pet for more specialized diagnostic work or treatment is one that is caring and committed to ensuring that your pet receives the highest standard of medical care for his or her problem.
While in some cases, your veterinarian may be able to simply consult with a specialist about your pet's care, in other cases it is necessary to actually refer you and your pet to the specialist for more advanced diagnostics and treatment. Board certified veterinary internists may also have access to specialized diagnostic or treatment tools that a general practitioner veterinarian may not have.
What Health Problems Does A Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialist Treat?
Board certified internal medicine specialists are trained to treat the most serious diseases and health problems that affect pets. They are also especially prepared to care for pets that may be facing multiple health problems. Thanks to better health care, more and more pets are living longer lives. As a result, an increasing number of older pets, just like older people, are coping with multiple disease states that can be very difficult to manage. For example, a cat with diabetes may also be suffering from kidney failure, or a dog in heart failure may also be diagnosed with cancer. Internal medicine specialists are uniquely prepared to oversee the care of these complicated cases. In other situations, a younger animal may develop a problem that used to be considered untreatable but is now manageable and perhaps even curable.
Here are some common diseases that frequently lead general practitioner veterinarians and concerned pet owners to seek the expertise of a specialist:
Why Can't I See an Internal Medicine Specialist All the Time?
In some cases you can. In many practices, the 'general practitioner veterinarian at a practice is also a boarded internal medicine specialist. General practice veterinarians, however, are also highly educated medical professionals who must meet ongoing continuing education requirements throughout their professional careers in order to maintain their licensure. When a specialist is needed, he or she is only a phone call or a visit away.
Will My Regular Veterinarian Still Be Involved?
In many cases, your regular veterinarian will still supervise your pet's veterinary care, especially if your pet is coping with multiple disease states or conditions. In other cases, your referral doctor will take over the majority of your pet's medical care. It depends on your pet's particular disease and health problem.
Did You Know?
There are approximately 1400 board certified veterinary internal medicine specialists in the United States, and the number is growing.
