Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

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andy5898
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Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by andy5898 »

Today our Cuddles had to go to the vets as she came in from her morning ritual off going outside before breakfast with a tooth bleeding. We knew her teeth aren't great but she is quite old to put through a dental.

We took her to the vets and they have said either a lump of tartar fell off or she may have an abscess. She has been given antibiotics and bloods have been taken as it looks like she may have a thyroid problem. We have decided due to her age we will not have her put under general anasetetic which when we told the vet they were pleased as they wernt happy doing it. But we are going to try and get her thyroid problem under control. I just wondered what do you generally do to control the thyroid issue? The vet has said Cuddles can have an injection every few weeks to control any pain in her teeth which we feel is better than the risk as she is 21 years old.

We have her blood results back tomorrow so hopefully we can begin treatment of the thyroid tomorrow. The vet feels the thyroid issue is probably bringing on a slight heart murmour and kidney issues. But by the thyroid being under control these should be better.

Saying all off that though we got her home she went straight outside to have a drink from a puddle, demolished her breakfast and went to the toilet so she is feeling a bit better than earlier!

Sorry for the long post but it was a bit of a shock that Cuddles could be ill this morning! She has only ever been to the vets 3 times in her life!

Cheers
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lilynmitz
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by lilynmitz »

She's done really well to get to 21 in such relatively good health, no doubt due in part to your good care of her. Thyroid issues can be treated relatively easily by daily pills. In some cases the vet will operate to remove the overactive gland, but given your girls age, I don't think this would be appropriate. My puss Lily is HyperT, controlled pretty well with daily pills hidden in Webbox treats, so she has no idea she's on pills. (She had the op 4 years ago but recently re-grew thyroid tissue in her chest cavity, which is inoperable, but she's fine on the pills).

Your vet it quite right that it can result in heart murmur, or can be masking kidney problems, as it speeds up the metabolism so much, which can stress her organs. Your puss would be more comfortable if this was brought under control, so I would definitely try the drug treatment, usually vidalta or felimazole. It can take a while to get the dosage right, and some cats get on better with one drug than the other (can result in vomiting), so she may need to try both, but other than that it's a pretty painless process, and could give her yet another new lease on life.
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Kay
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by Kay »

as already said, thyroid medication is not usually a problem - do insist though that if she is hyperthyroid, you start her on a minimum dose, as UK vets have a tendency to overprescribe - because HT can prop up ailing kidneys, a too sudden fall in the thyroid level can cause the kidneys to crash - and this would be even more possible in a cat of such venerable years

if she is likely to accept medication in treats like Webbox, I would go for the twice a day Felimazole, as it is easy to administer in small doses - vets will tell you you can't cut it, but you most certainly can if you don't handle the cut edges - I used a pill cutter and tweezers rather than administer too high a dose to my Trigger, when he was HT
andy5898
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by andy5898 »

That has given us hope as we were a bit concerned this morning the end was nigh for Cuddles. However after speaking to the vet and on here the teeth would be nice to have done but antibiotics etc will keep them at bay. The main concern seems to be to get the Thyroid problem sorted then hopefully we will have a few more years of Cuddles. :-)
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by MarkB »

I agree with Kay re dosing. They normally recommend retesting after 6 weeks anyway so the dose can be adjusted if necessary. You vet may not be aware, but they started making a 1.25mg Felimazole tablet recently. Prior to that, only 2.5mg & 5mg were available (+ 20mg for dogs) although the 2.5mg can be cut, it is difficult to do (I am using up an old pack the moment) so a 1.25mg tablet once or twice a day is the best bet. Vets prefer to keep cats with kidney issues at the higher end of normal so the low dose to start is important.

I can't remember the name of it, but there is also a paste version available that you just rub onto a cats ear and it is absorbed into the blood stream.
Last edited by MarkB on Tue Apr 08, 2014 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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greenkitty
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by greenkitty »

I don't have any experience with the thyroid but Antirobe is a very effective antibiotic for teeth and gums, two of my furries have had very good results with it.
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by andy5898 »

Cuddles is on Antirobe as we speak for her teeth so that is reassuring to feel others have had good results with it. :-)
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by booktigger »

I also have a 21yo who I suspected to have thyroid issues. Bloods showed she was getting towards the higher end of normal. One vet said it is unusual for it to develop in such an old cat. The other vet said that as her kidneys are also getting towards the higher end of normal, they wouldn't want to treat hey er-t as it could cause
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by Willowgill »

My first cat Tigga was diagnosed with an over active thyroid many years ago on the same day I was diagnosed with an under active one :lol: She was given Neomercozel ( no idea how to spell that) - no doubt the medication has changed over the years as this must be over 20 years ago. It caused her to have nose bleeds which was very distressing although didn't seem to worry her too much. She was on the tablets daily for about 3 years before she passed away with heart problems aged 17. When Harry was diagnosed with the same thing we opted for the surgery and they removed half of his thyroid which worked well for the final four years of his life but he was much younger than Cuddles and I would agree at 21 it's not a good idea to put her through an anaesthetic. Medication is the best option if they decide that's the best way to treat her - at 21 I would also start on the lowest dosage possible and see how she fares on that. That's a great age so you've obviously taken great care of her!
andy5898
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by andy5898 »

This morning Cuddles has woken up as if nothing has happened! She was very impressed to have ham so early (with her pain killer and anti biotic on it) so hopefully she will have her tablets etc with no problems. We get results of bloods back today but as far as we are concerned what ever they say won't change a lot because it is something which has happened over time and obviously Cuddles isn't that concerned by it so we are going to try and take her relaxed attitude and make sure she carries on enjoying life.
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Re: Thryoid problem and teeth problem in our 21 year old cat

Post by lilynmitz »

Cats are very resilient, so don't take her "normal" behaviour as an indication that nothing's going on. I've lost two cats to cancer who just looked a bit under the weather, and they must have had to condition for several months beforehand. Even the vets were surprised.

So it's still worth going on with the investigations and possible treatment for the HyperT, as it protects the organs from further damage, but it's good to hear that Cuddles feels good in herself. Quality of life over quantity is always important, and if she's happy, that's the main thing.
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