Her Thyroid is a 7 and according to Dr. it should be a 2 (for her age) His course of action is to prescribe Methimazole. Ms. Stella will get to pills a day to start. After three weeks we will check her numbers again.
He also mentioned a radioactive iodine. They get one shot and then must stay at the special place till their urine is no longer radioactive. Apparently the animal only needs on shot, ever. Naturally, this is the highest price treatment so we won't be entertaining that unless all else fails.
Dr. Horn really does care about Ms. Stella and he is not keen on giving her more things than she may need.
Once her blood numbers come in normal we will figure out what to do to get to see her teeth. She will have to be sedated and Dr. is not crazy about having to do that until she's more stable.
She's eating and drinking so we don't have to worry about appetite stimulants.
The toeless one
we got our paws crossed that the pills help. getting old isn't for weenies
ReplyDeleteI hope you gotted extra love and attention and treats and stuff after That Woman dragged you off to the Stabby Place where they stole your bloods (oh! The outrage never ends!) But be a good kitty and take your medicine so that you will feel in tippy-top condition to show you-know-who who's the Boss (as if she could ever forget!) XOXOXOXO
ReplyDeleteI'm purring and crossing my paws for Miss Stella. We do hope everything turns out well for her. Hugs for mom from M.
ReplyDeleteAnnie had hyper-t. Because she was so difficult to pill (3 vets were unable to do so), I opted for the transdermal gel that you rub into the ears or onto shaved armpits. If Ms. Stella is easy to pill that's not an issue, just wanted to let you know you do have another option.
ReplyDeleteAnnie was only 9 when diagnosed and I wish, in retrospect, that I had had the I-131 done, even though it would have meant $2K+ and logistical issues. But had she been older, I wouldn't have considered it.
Good luck! Make sure the vet starts LOW with the dose, a lot of vets will start the does too high and that causes problems. Also note that platelet levels can drop when first starting on the meds, but they normally rebound to the cat's usual level after some time.
We hope it all works well for you!
ReplyDeleteWe hope this helps Ms. Stella feel better soon. You're getting good advice above about easing her into the meds. Rhett, one of our cats who came before, was on methimazole for many years. We eventually opted for I-131 for him, and if I knew then what I learned from the process, I probably wouldn't have done it, because it uncovered heart problems (he had to be off meds for an extended period to clear his system of them before the treatment) and because the first round iddn't actually work and he had to go back on a lower dose of pills anyhow. After treatement, when we found out he wasn't cured, the specialist said that it's a common outcome to need a second treatment, something we weren't aware of, so I would have to do a lot more research into it before going down that road again.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, if she takes methimazole well, it's cheap and effective stuff. It was on the Walgreens Perscription Savings Club formulary, and that made it even cheaper (and have you ever gotten a perscription plan card with your cat's name on it? Bonus!)
Jack was just diagnosed with it and he is only 12, so I am going to look into I131. from what I've seen it is about $1000 but the cost of his pills over his expected life time will far exceed that not to mention the hassle of making sure we have them and doing it twice a day. He's fairly easy to pill with a bribe, but you know he doesn't like it. JaneA's girl was older, and she still opted to do it.
ReplyDeleteI too have heard the trans-dermal application can be a life saver..
Purrs to Stella - I hope the pills knock down that number!
ReplyDeletePurrs and lots of love from all of us sweet girl.
ReplyDeletems stella....de manee blessings oh St Francis two ewe....we wish ya nothin but health
ReplyDeleteand for sum one ta mewve that burd bath outta yur yard
sew ya dont hafta look at em;
DRINKIN, BATHIN & POOPIN...in...de.....same......waterz.....
♥♥♥♥♥
Purrs for you Ms Stella and I hope those pills help get that number down where it should be.
ReplyDeleteAw, we're sorry to hear Ms. Stella's thyroid is outta wack. Most cats do well on the medication. You can also get it as a transdermal gel that you rub on the ear if pilling is an issue.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Boys: You're our hero Ms Stella - we read the last post at the edge of Mom's lap and are so proud of you! Hope you feel like raising some you know what very soon!
ReplyDeleteFrom Meg: Fin took the two pill a day for the last couple years without issue. Thank Cod for pill pockets! The pills worked well for her but she did need her blood checked about every six months or so. She was so stressed in a cage situation I knew the "away from us for a few days" would be too much for her. We bought the meds from Vet Depot and they were much cheaper. Big Hug to you and scritches for my favorite granny.
We're gonna keep our paws crossed and send purrs for Miss Stella. This is manageable and for that we are thankful.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Pee Ess - great pic of "the old bat"
I do hope she feels better
ReplyDeleteHoping the medication for Ms. Stella will set things right for her. Keeping her in our purrs and prayers. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
ReplyDeleteOh dear, sorry to hear about this. It looks as though many others have been through this, and it sounds as though you have a few options. Good luck, and keep us posted.
ReplyDelete#1 - we agree about transdermal being a lifesaver.
ReplyDelete#2 - if you decide to opt for the I-131 therapy and have any questions about radioactive iodine therapy, call. Seriously. Living with a radiation physicist over here. He knows more about I-131 therapy (they do the very same tx to humans) than anyone around and would happily answer any question you have.
But yes, it's $$$ and if there are underlying issues (especially heart or kidney) it can expose them.
(But we'd do it in a heartbeat, no concerns about the radioactivity at all.)
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