Cat Chat Feline Forum

About three weeks ago I noticed my 15-year-old cat Greta's fur coming out in clumps. She had been obviously losing weight before that but was still eating, drinking, using litter as normal, etc. She's had an ongoing UTI for the past couple years (it comes and goes) and was initially told the weight loss could be due to that. However, the fur coming out was new and alarming.

I got her an appointment with her vet and as of two weeks ago she was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Since then she's been on methimazole, 1/2 tablet every 12 hours. After the two weeks I notice that her fur looks even worse, she's still overgrooming and fur is very patchy, even losing hair around her face, but mostly her legs and belly. And she doesn't seem to just relax comfortably anymore. Is this all a side effect from the hyperthyroidism? I would have thought that by now she would start showing signs of improvement. She's my first cat and the only pet I've had for 15 years so this is all new to me. Has anyone else had this experience with an older cat? Is there anything else I can do for her?

I'm waiting for a call back from my vet but thought I would check online for any answers.

Thank you.

Hi and welcome,
The symptoms are typical of hyperthyroidism and I have had a few cats with this (and myself!). We were all treated with Carbimazole so I’m not familiar with the medication your cat has. I presume your vet will have some answers and will regularly check your cat to see what the levels are and adjust the meds accordingly. The only thing I can say is that it will take a little while for your cat to improve but she should. The thyroid affects all the body so your cat can get lots of other issues which will improve with treatment, one of those is anxiety and that may have contributed to the UTIs. Other Cat Chat users may be familiar with the medication your cat is taking thoughand may be able to give you their experiences. Hopefully your cat will start to improve very soon. Do let us know what the vet says and pass on some snuggles from me please.

I'm rather surprised she is on half a tablet, thyroid tablets aren't supposed to be split up, it affects the way they are absorbed. Normally the vet would do another blood test after a month to check whether the dosage is correct, it can be tricky to get the right dosage.

Thank you for your responses. I'm able to get her in to see a vet this afternoon. I spoke with her doctor on the phone and for some reason she doesn't think the fur loss has to do with the hyperthyroidism. But all the research I've done about hyperthyroid cats, a poor coat/overgrooming is a classic symptom. I'll talk to her more when I see her in an hour.

I just want some relief for my little girl.