Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

[fjm]

As far as I can learn from my reading the major risk is from ingesting contaminated urine or faeces - not likely to be a problem for humans, but unfortunately something my dogs would do like a shot, so I plan on being fairly scrupulous. It is only for a few weeks, and I am sure we will quickly get into a routine. I picked up several cheap shower curtains from IKEA this afternoon to put under the tray and over the spare bed, so that is taken care of. Somewhere I have puppy pads (the youngest dog is now 8 1/2, but I rarely throw anything away if it might prove useful one day!), and I have stacks of disposable bowls (ditto). There should be a scoop out in the garage somewhere, and if not have plenty of old trowels, and there are innumerable poo bags stashed in the cupboard, so gloves are just about the only thing I need to buy. From past experience of trying to get them off without getting mucky hands after playing with dye, the answer is to buy them big - better floppy finger ends than peeling off tight plastic!

[fjm]

I will be picking Pippin up at noon next Tuesday - let's hope that doesn't mean major storms and flooding across East Yorkshire to go with the snow when I took him in! He is fine, except for the sore patch in reaction to having a blood test before he went in - his skin has become very sensitive over the last year or two, and I think even a wipe with surgical spirit is enough to leave a bare patch that he then licks and scratches into a weepy mess. Hypercal ointment has worked in the past, and I am hoping it will sort it out this time, too. They will be doing another blood test before he comes home, and I have asked them to bathe the area well with plain water afterwards to remove as much spirit etc as possible. If it goes on the poor lad will be half bald!

[Lilith]

Hasn't it gone fast? The forecast for Tuesday is pretty benign; temps are into double figures in West Yorks atm, so paws crossed.

Poor chap - I've found that the hypercal tincture is good too, but smells like sherry. Hope he gets over that.

I lined Mouse's room with puppy pads - I use them for everything, feeding mats, even unscented ones for snake bedding.

Be thinking about you both on Tuesday - safe journey!

[fjm]

Slightly worrying phone conversation with the vets - Pip has developed heart dysrhythmia, and his blood pressure has actually gone up, despite the medication for it. We are hoping that it will resolve as the thyroid settles down, but it may get worse. One of the problem with hyperthyroidism seems to be that it can mask other issues that bounce up just when you think you are getting somewhere... Anyway, he will be on a low dose of a diuretic as a precaution, and an increased dose of the hypertension medication, and we will see how he goes. Andrew said Pippin is rather subdued today, so it is possible he is not feeling too good. Keep paws and fingers crossed for us!

[Antonio]

Yes, I was told that some underlying issues might have come up once the thyroid had settled down after the treatment.
Generally it's kidneys who show some failure...
I hope that it is just homesickness (does this word exist in English?) for Pippin and not something else!!!

Fingers crossed here, of course. Just keep us posted as soon as you have more news!

[fjm]

Thanks Antonio - I am hoping he will improve once he is home and relaxed (and yes, home sickness is the same is English). My own vet specialises in cardiology, so that is covered, and most cases of hypertension seem to respond to the drug he is on once the right dosage is found. Sometimes Google can be positively reassuring - to make up for the nightmares it too often induces, I suppose!

[Lilith]

Oh no, so sorry to hear, poor chap, but you know he's in good hands.

All paws and tails crossed here for him and Shahi-python sends a friendly squeeze x

[fjm]

Yes, if problems are going to arise, being in a vet hospital surrounded by vets and nurses has to be the best place to be! I am having to resist the urge to jump in the car and dash over to succour him - he is very safe where he is, and it's much better to wait until the test results are in and the increased medication has had a chance to take effect, but our instinct is always that no one can take care of them as well as we can. And I am also reminding myself of all the times I have lain awake at night sick with worry over one of the animals, and a few weeks later hardly been able to remember why. He has gained weight, which is a good thing, the hypertension is very treatable, and the arrhythmia is very new - no sign of it when he was examined 10 days ago - so overall I think the prognosis is good.

[Antonio]

Yes, I think that at the moment he's in thebest place, where every symptom or sign can be detected and taken care of.
How are things today? Do you have news?

[fjm]

He seems absolutely fine, which is why the results of the examination came as such a surprise to everyone. I am collecting him tomorrow, by which time the blood test results should be available. It may be a case of extreme white coat syndrome - he appears to be very placid because when he is stressed he freezes, but can be bottling up huge amounts of anxiety. We will see how he is after a few weeks of relaxing at home - I have set the study up with three or four very comfortable beds, including one on the window sill, and put steps up to the higher ones. I just hope he settles there - one reason for leaving him at the Centre for the full two weeks was to get him used to the idea of confinement. Like most cat owners I gave up on the concept of closing doors in the house years ago - much easier to leave them open than to be responding to demanding wowls and scratching every five minutes!

[Antonio]

I'm glad to read that.
And as you can see, the long waiting time has come to an end, and faster than you thought

In a few weeks everything will be just a memory and you'll feel proud of what you did, just like I feel.

[Lilith]

Ah. Could very well be anxiety - I have first hand experience with this sort of thing myself. Safe journey tomorrow! Forecast is good.

Lol, when Mousey was out of purrdah and I opened her door - she never came out for days!

All best wishes for your reunion with Pippin

[fjm]

Pippin is cured of hyperthyroidism, and safely home. His thyroid levels are now low normal (they can take several months to level out, as we know), kidney function just within normal but one to watch (again, very common after treatment), blood pressure and heart rate steadying, liver function back to normal, and generally all is looking good, although he will stay on both blood pressure medication and a diuretic for the time being. He is also rapidly getting fat, having gained 370g in a fortnight! Radioactivity levels are low and dropping fast - he will be OK for full release by Thursday 29th March, which is earlier than I anticipated and means Easter will be a lot easier to celebrate.

He has eaten a large meal (probably the last one that big, given how rapidly he is putting the lost weight back on!), had a look at the room set up for him, and then made it very clear that what he really wants to do is to go downstairs, outside, and resume normal service. What with him glued to the door jamb one side trying to get out, and the dogs snuffling on the other side trying to get in (Food! Chicken! Treats!!), it is going to be an interesting few days until everyone learns the new routine. Apart from the seductive smell of food, Sophy considers finding and helping cats who are stuck on the wrong side of doors to be an important part of her role in life, and can't understand why I am not doing my bit by opening the door when she tells me there is a cat there!

[Lilith]

Aaah I remember it well!

Welcome to the house of fun!

So glad he's home - the isolation will soon be over

[Antonio]

Wow! The first part of the adventure is over, now you have to go through the second part, which will go as fast as the first one

Just out of curiosity... How can you tell that the radioactivity is low and getting lower? Have you a way to measure it?

[Antonio]

Just to add some lines about the isolation of cats after I-131 treatment, I am a member of the Yahoo! Group for HT cats and one of the recent posts reads:

"...the requirements about avoiding contact are nothing but paranoia and legal butt covering. The radiation that kills the tumor is beta radiation, and it travels such a short distance that it only kills the tumor and not healthy tissue right beside the tumor. It also dissipates rapidly. If you wrapped Sweet Pea around your head the day she got home and kept her there for three months, your chances of ever developing a radiation-induced problem are not increased at all. Of course, you would likely need medical care from the assorted scratches and bites from being silly enough to wrap a cat around your head.

The one thing you need to follow is the litter care because what radiation remains is flushed out through the kidneys. That's really not a problem as long as you can resist the temptation to eat the litter or make "chocolate chip" cookies from the poop. If you can resist those things, everyone will be fine, and if you can't resist them......well, we might need to talk about some sort of therapy..."

This reflects what I thought when I brought Pallina back home in last August, when I was adviced to keep her in a different room for 4 weeks, and to limit the handling and cuddling to a very few minutes a day, etc...
As I wrote in the past, I almost totally disregarded all tips because I thought they were too restrictive and probably exaggerated compared to the real issue, just to make sure that no-one could sue them for the littlest trouble.

[fjm]

My main concern is the litter - I have two dogs who consider cat litter trays the ultimate in delicatessan cuisine, and my neighbour's dog goes hunting for cat poo whenever she can. The only way I can ensure the dogs don't get at the tray, and that Pip doesn't pee or poo anywhere where it might get eaten, is to keep him confined. He will be fine - a sunny windowsill over a radiator, and lots of comfy beds - he would just rather be pootling around the house and gardens along with the rest of us!

The vet used a geiger counter to demonstrate how close you needed to be before the radiation level registered as above background - in Pip's case about 30cm or less. The half life for this isotope is around 8 days - it can actually be very dangerous if absorbed by the body, especially for children, so the precautions around managing waste and hand washing are sensible. I tend to agree with you on the minimal dangers of being around a treated cat, but I can quite see that the vets need to cover every eventuality - better to over emphasise the risks than have people letting their cats out to pee and poo anywhere and everywhere!

[Antonio]

The vet used a geiger counter to demonstrate how close you needed to be before the radiation level registered as above background - in Pip's case about 30cm or less. The half life for this isotope is around 8 days - it can actually be very dangerous if absorbed by the body, especially for children, so the precautions around managing waste and hand washing are sensible. I tend to agree with you on the minimal dangers of being around a treated cat, but I can quite see that the vets need to cover every eventuality - better to over emphasise the risks than have people letting their cats out to pee and poo anywhere and everywhere!

The geiger counter is interesting! I always dreamed to have one
I didn't see them measure Pallina's radiation upon discharging, but they gave me a certificate where they would assure that the radiation was at a certain value on that day, a few minutes before we were leaving the facility. Just in case some authority would have questioned me.
They didn't tell me anything about the safety level or half life of the isotope.

I still have my spare bin at the end of the backyard with last year's used litter. I will get rid of it soon.
About half life of isotope, if you think about it, the radiation will never reach zero. Ever. Every 8 days it'll be half of 8 days before, but this means it'll never be zero. Amazing, isn't it?

[fjm]

Pip has taken up residence on the study window sill, and has scarcely moved all day. He seems quite happy to snooze, eat, pee, poo, and go back to snoozing - I visit him frequently, and have suggested he might like to come and sit with me or even on me, but he prefers the window sill - very happy to be petted there but no intention of moving unnecessarily. He is on a folded fleece blanket above a radiator, facing south-west so catching what sun there is, with a view out over gardens to fields beyond - probably the best spot in the room, in fact, which is why I built steps to enable him to reach it easily. I didn't expect him to remain glued to it quite so frmly, though!

[Lilith]

Lol, Antonio

I remember them testing Mouse with the geiger counter ...

I don't know what it is about the Centre, it seems to have a really calming influence on cats, it did on Mouse and the Centre's convalescent quarters are so splendid that perhaps a cat's reconciled to a spell of solitary confinement and gets used to it - she too stayed in the same place when she got home; she does now; I rarely catch her out of her igloo unless she comes upstairs to remind me about breakfast at 5am.

Virtual fusses to Pippin and the rest of the gang, not forgetting Pallina

[Kay]

as most cats have lower than normal thyroid levels shortly after treatment, it will be natural for them to be a bit lethargic, and really that's good when they're under house arrest

as the levels rise so does the desire for more activity - so enjoy the rest while you can

[fjm]

That is what I was thinking, Kay, and it certainly makes it easier if he is lazy and relaxed. He is also very superstitious - several times I have noticed him scrambling back onto the window sill as I come through the door, so he has probably convinced himself that he has to be there for treats and caresses and meals to happen. For years he has gone outside and waited by the front door in the morning, convinced that is the way to make breakfast happen! Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but very lovable.

He is warm and purring, eating well but not ravenously (quantities reduced back to normal levels); his coat condition is not as good as I would like - it thinned slightly last year but stayed glossy, and is now looking rather dishevelled, which again could be the low thyroid. He has a bad reaction to stuff on his skin, and has several scabby patches following all the blood tests - they seem to be healing as they should but I have smoothed on Hypercal just in case. I think he is feeling mildly bleugh, has accepted the door is firmly shut, and is content to flop for the time being. It could also be that his arthritis is more painful than usual, but that is hard to judge without seeing him moving around. If he is still subdued after a few days I will try upping the Loxicom dose - he is on a half dose most of the time, so there is room for adjustment.

[Antonio]

FJM, you have a way to tell us things that it seems to me I'm there
It sounds like Pippin is having a very great time looking out the window, cozy, warm, and cuddled. Who could ask for more?
Pippin will be great in a few days, his coat will restore to its former beauty and everything else will be as HT never happened.
Best of luck to all the HT kitties of this forum, Pippin, Mouse and Pallina

[fjm]

Fun and games this morning - I am trying to make sure Pip gets enough Loxicom, which is not easy as he is eating little by little through the day, and it needs to be given with food. I am also trying to get him to take YuMove, which he is not keen on. So this morning I fed Tilly-cat and the dogs, and carefully prepared Pippin's breakfast - a dab of cream cheese with the YuMove, a spoonful of cooked chicken ready for the Loxicom drops, and the rest of his breakfast in a separate container to add when he had eaten the medicated bit. And a knife to scrape it out. Balanced it all in one hand, held my dressing gown up with the other, and set off upstairs with the dogs in close attention. Half way up Tilly dashed between my legs, food plates went flying, and of course Pip's breakfast went splat on the stair carpet. I rescued enough, and the dogs cleaned up the carpet, but the sooner the weather improves enough for Tilly to go hunting and wear off some energy the better! It's hard to believe she and Pip are almost exactly the same age - Pippin is creaky and sore, and struggles to climb even a small step; Tilly flies around like a two year old. Pip is improving a little day by day, though - I am hoping his thyroid levels are evening out, as he seems brighter and less zonked. 11 days and counting to the great release...

[Lilith]

Ohhh noooo ...

I hope he ate it up after all that!

Animals eh? Dogs can come in very handy for mishaps like that though - their tongues are much more efficient than any carpet cleaner

ps if he likes anything fishy he might accept green-lipped mussel powder; Julia at the Centre said that she thought it was very good, and my lot accept it on food - same stuff as Yumove and Zooplus do a big tub at the fraction of the price. Once you know the right quantity to measure out (I was lucky to have a tiny plastic scoop) you mix it into the food and they don't seem to notice ... paws crossed.

[fjm]

I spent an hour last night requesting samples of every joint supplement I could find - somewhere there must be one that is both effective and that they will eat! I believe the YuMove is mostly green lip mussell - mine loved their tablets but hate the powder. I bought some cheap liver pate today - we will see if a dab of that does the trick.

[booktigger]

I've had most success over the years with Seraquin, think Lucy is the fourth cat I've used it on.

[fjm]

Thanks booktigger - another one for my list.

[Antonio]

When my cat needed supplements for her arthritis, I gave her CondroStress 3.0 and Alecia and in a bit more than 2 weeks I was able to see a difference.

[fjm]

And another one - thanks Antonio. I am trying to use up the YuMove - these things are to expensive to throw away! So far liver pate seems to be helping it go down. He is rather happier today - I have rearranged his bed on the floor and he is settling in that. I've also covered the floor with non slip rugs, and upped his Loxicom slightly. I think he is feeling rather better in himself - no one thing I can quite put my finger on, but you will all know what I mean.