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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Henry's Hyperthyroidism Diagnosis And Treatment


In January, Henry was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and ever since then he has been a regular at his veterinary hospital because his thyroid hormone levels need to be monitored carefully because the levels affect his:

metabolism

body temperature

blood pressure

heart rate 

and gastrointestinal function


One of the most alarming signs of Henry's hyperthyroidism was his increased appetite but yet he was quickly losing weight at the same time. Normally, Henry weighs between ten and eleven pounds but at the time of his January visit Henry weighed 7.5 pounds. Shocking news for a cat mom, for sure!

The vet prescribed methimazole to help lower his 10.5 thyroid level but the side effects were bothersome (vomiting and skin rash) so of course the vet immediately replaced the medication with


Hill's Prescription Diet Y/D for thyroid health. This diet is very pricey but Henry loves the dry and wet food very much and it shows because as of this month his thyroid level is at 7.6 and he is now at 8 pounds! 

If your cat exhibits an increased appetite and/or thirst, vomits frequently, has diarrhea, etc, he/she should be evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible so that treatment can be given immediately!

5 comments:

  1. Excellent post. We currently have two dogs with thyroid issues and have had others in the past. Good luck to Henry!

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  2. Awww beautiful Henry! Awww you sweetie!! Glad you are gaining weight and are being very good with going to the vets! Yay for you!! Take care
    x

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  3. Poor little kitty in the case. Peeps don't have to worry cos I don't drink. At least they don't have to worry about that.

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  4. Hi there!
    It's me, Henry, and I want to thank everyone for cheering me on as I try to get my thyroid under control! All of the humans at the vets office have been so nice to me that I kinda wish I could visit more often but my mom says that the visits aren't free so I just have to stay home, eat my new food, and see the vet once a month for now.
    Here's hoping that my thyroid level goes down and my weight goes up,
    Henry

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  5. Henry is such a cool cat, so glad he is doing better!

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