Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Antonio
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

I need to correct my previous post.
The supplements are CondroStress 3.0 and Alevica (not Alecia). I typed from my phone and the auto correction did the rest. I wonder when this feature starts working fine on phones and tablets :x
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by fjm »

Ah - I thought it must be something like that when I got decidedly unlikely results when I searched for Alecia Supplement!

Pip is much happier this evening - I was rather late with his supper and he ate the whole bowlful and looked round for more, then came for lots of cuddles and stroking. He is feeling decidedly heavy, and his coat is improving. It took around 4 weeks for him to really improve on the Thyronorm - he gained weight quickly, but it took rather longer for him to really begin to feel well. It is now coming up to 3 weeks since his radioiodine treatment, and it looks as if his recovery is following a similar pattern.

I have ordered a microchip catflap to install at ground level so that he will be able to get in and out of the house more easily - it needs to be microchip controlled so I can stop the dogs from using it! I have a suspicion Pip will go on struggling up to the one in the hall window though - he does not take to changes easily...
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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And today Pip is brighter still. The cheapo pate from Sainsburys is very successfully masking the taste of the YuMove, and I have also upped his Loxicom slightly. Whether it is one or both of those, or his thyroid levels evening out, he is wanting food and attention and is generally much more alert and less zonked than last week. I can't believe he has aready been home a week - he has been so good and so easy: eating, sleeping, using the tray tidily and welcoming cuddles. Sophy checks the door a couple of times a day, but has stopped telling me about him - I think she finally accepted I was not going to let him out!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

By Easter, or a bit later, everything will be fine, at last! :D
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Here's hoping, Antonio! I will probably then start angsting about heart rate and blood pressure and kidney function - poor Pip seems to be on so many tablets and drops at the moment I am struggling to keep track. With luck everything will even out along with the thyroid, but as you know there are no guarantees. But for now I am just counting down the days, and hoping for a few months at least of peaceful normality.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Lilith »

Glad to hear he's being such a good lad. I'd never thought about it until Kay pointed it out, about the lowered thyroid rate contributing to their calmness, but it's incredible how they do get used to a routine.

Also incredible how the time does pass!

Mousey sends purrs and fusses and to Pallina too :)
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Homeward stretch now - less than 40 hours to go!

It has been less work than I feared, partly because Pippin is an easy cat. I have given him two litter trays, and the litter provided by the Centre (Cats Best flushable clumping) has been practically odour free. He has scattered it far and wide, but I am not worrying too much about that.

I thought he was resigned to incarceration, but when the dogs pushed open the door while I was feeding him last night he made a very determined beeline for the gap, so I don't think it will be long before he is back to sleeping in his favourite spots around the house and garden. I think he may struggle with the windowsill cat flap - I have got a microchip one ready to install but need to wrap my brain round the instructions. It very sensibly says to check the cat can/will go through it before carving a hole in the door, and I am trying to work out the best way of explaining that to Pip!

My plan is to release him early on Thursday morning, which will give us a few hours before the dogs and I go off to my upholstery class for the day. Once the dogs are in the car I can put one tray on the floor in the cloakroom downstairs as well as the one in the study upstairs, and a bed in the porch, which should keep him comfortable even if he can't get out, or back in again if he does go out. Tomorrow's job is to build a temporary ramp outside so he can get to and from the windowsill - there are already steps inside.

He is feeling more solid and his coat is improving, although he is still painfully wasted around his hips. It is hard to tell how well he is walking as he is doing so little of it - I'm hoping that pootling gently will get him back to at least reasonably easy movement. I will ask about physiotherapy at our next vet appointment, but I think gentle walking is probably the best thing for him at present.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

Poor Pippin, I didn't imagine how hard the HT hit on him.
You say he's very thin and weak on his back legs and hips, hopefully some exercise will help him to gain some strength and muscles.

I like the way you are counting the hours :lol:
To me it was more a matter of days rather than hours, and two days more or less weren't an issue or a target :D

Anyway, the adventure has come to an end. Hasn't it been wonderful? ;)
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by booktigger »

Lucy developed muscle wastage after her hip removal, the vet said it isn't easy to exercise cats like dogs, so the best option was getting her moving and playing to build it up.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

If a cat can be led on a leash, like I did with my Lola, you can do exercise everyday, by walking a longer stretch of sidewalk everyday.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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He is very arthritic (I think as a result of a bad accident when he was young) and had already lost a lot of muscle before the HT - a month of minimum exercise hasn't helped, of course. A very nice chap at the local builders' merchant helped me work out the best plank - we decided on two lengths of decking side by side - and he even cut it to size for me and threw in some pieces of scrap wood for battens, so after half an hour's work with hammer and nails there is now a wide, safe ramp up to the cat flap. It is a bit steeper than the ideal, but any longer and it would hit the raspberry canes! As it is it fits the space exactly so is both secure and easy to lift out when I need to get to the bins.

So now all set for the great release tomorrow - which will probably be a damp squib with Pip deciding to stay on his comfy windowsill!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Lilith »

Your dogs go to upholstery class??? :o :lol:

In my experience dogs destroy upholstery ...

Poor old Pippin, with not enough upholstery - but he'll start improving now, especially with the better weather (we hope!) Even if he does stay in his old haunts for a while he won't be able to resist getting out and about in the end, and gaining muscle tone.

All the best for tomorrow, the great Release Day! :D
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Not quite destroy, but certainly make it hairier! They are very good and have a crate in the car (safe, secure carpark) most of the day, with hot water bottles on cold days and out of the car in the shade on the much rarer warm days. I am hoping tomorrow to finish the extra low tub chair with even lower footstool I am working on especially for Pippin - I spend forever getting everything perfectly stuffed, pattern matched, etc, etc, bring each chair home, admire it for 2 minutes, then cover it with washable throws before the animals can muck it up. They like things to have the lived in look...
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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I gave Pip a small meal with a full dose of Loxicom, and opened the door. First the dogs came in for an explore, and a hunt for any treats he may have missed, then Tilly-cat, and I left them to it. Pip eventually folllowed the rest of us downstairs and hauled himself up, via the laundry basket, to the bench in the cloakroom where I had left Tilly's breakfast out, so perhaps he is not so weak and wobbly after all! I shall have to organise steps in there - I am sure it is very painful getting down again, which is why I don't feed him there any more. I am not sure where he is now, but I suspect he has gone out. Time to get dressed and check up on him!

Nope - ate all Tilly's breakfast and straight back upstairs to his windowsill. Well, he is warm and comfy with water and tray close by, so I shall leave him to be happy in his own way.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Lilith »

lol - typical! Mousey was just the same - once they get into a habit, that's it.

Mind you, there are snow warnings (again! :o ) for Monday so he'll be in the right place. Fusses to him and the rest of the gang and Mousey sends congrats on being out of purr-dah :D
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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He found his way out of the house via the new ramp as I was leaving the house, has been in and out since, and is now very comfortable on my lap, so more or less back to his old routine. He has put on considerable weight - more than I realised and probably more than is really desirable - so I think I am going to have to find a way of stopping him eating Tilly's food. It is very nice to have him back with us as we laze in the evenings, and there were some very sweet nose kisses from the dogs when we got home.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Pip has relaxed back into his old routine of food, sofas, laps and laziness. He is managing the ramp well - I should have built him one years ago. I think his balance and walking are improving slightly with more exercise, although it is still early days for that. He is feeling solid and silky, and although his coat is not quite as smooth as I would like it is gleaming again. Next milestone will be blood tests in another week or so, six weeks from his treatment date - it was after he had been on Thyronorm for about 6 weeks that I really saw the difference, so his recovery is following much the same path.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

Did the vet tell you to have him checked after 6 weeks, or did they give you a different schedule?
I was asked for a check Pallina at 30 days, 90 days and 180 days.
At the last check, when everything was fine, the vet at the facility (Pallina is being checked at my clinic, the facility is in Belgium) told me that for peace of mind I could have Pallina checked at 12 months post treatment (that means next August) and again August 2019.

Glad to read that Pippin is doing better and is enjoying the comfy life in his cozy room, especially if the weather is taking a cold turn again.
Hopefully he'll gain more strength in his back legs soon with a bit of daily exercise.

Kisses and cuddles to Pippin and Mousey!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Oh good chap, and perhaps the ramp will provide gentle exercise for his muscles :)

Mousey sends purrs to Pippin and Pallina and hi Antonio :)
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Six weeks is the recommended first follow up date here - he had a blood test before leaving the Centre at around day 10 after the treatment, of course. He reacts badly to being shaved and daubed with surgical spirit so I may limit the number of blood tests if all looks good - two weeks of sore oozy skin is a heavy price to pay.

It may be wishful thinking on my part, but he does seem to be more muscled and less wobbly. He is up and down the ramp several times a day, and wandering around the gardens and out to the wild garden (aka field!) at the back, and every step helps, I think. Just wish I could persuade him not to come down with a jolt on his shoulder - I have put steps and stools and cushions everywhere, but he will still find a point that involves a steep drop and stagger on landing...

But he is eating and sprawling and sleeping very happily, and is certainly gaining weight. I have cut back on the amount of food he is getting - don't want him to go from skinny to obese in a few short weeks!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by Antonio »

How much weight has he gained since last weighing?
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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I haven't actually weighed him, but he was pretty close to optimum weight (5 kilos) when he left the centre, and is decidedly heavier now, as well as looking a lot broader in the beam! When he was a slim, lithe young cat he was around 4.75, but went up as high as 6.5 as he got older and lazier. I think he should be around 5.5, especially if he is gaining heavy muscle. I don't want him to put extra strain on sore joints if I can avoid it, so having got into the habit of feeding the overactive thyroid am having to relearn how much he actually needs (about half of what he was getting pre-treatment, I suspect).

He enjoys food, which does make life easy in some ways - I can put a bowl of food in front of him and he will eat it while I watch, which means I don't have to find a spot he can reach easily but the dogs cannot (my papillon has an extremely good nose, good problem solving skills, and can climb like a squirrel, so it is not an easy conundrum to solve!). On the other hand he does not self-regulate as well as Tilly, who will leave food untouched until she is hungry, or go hunting instead.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Pippin's latest test results are in, and all is looking OK:
Thyroid T4 is at 18.7 (target range 15 – 30)
Creatinine 167 (ideally less than 140) – a bit higher than before, and one to watch, but not yet needing action.
SDMA 16 (recommendation less than 15) – slightly up on previous results, so ditto.
Globulin 50.5 (recommendation less than 45). Probably due to inflammation from his arthritis.

He weighed in at 5.25 kilos, which is pretty close to optimal; slight heart arrhythmia but improving; blood pressure 165, so we dropped back to half a tablet of Amodip a day.

So the treatment has been successful - Pip is looking better every day, and slowly building up a little more muscle, which is helping with the arthritis. His kidney function will need watching, but at 15 on long term Loxicom that was already on the cards, and if it gets worse I will discuss adjusting his diet. His aches and pains have been better since I put a ramp in and found a place for his food that doesn't involve any jumping - while he was ravenous from the HT he would clamber up to get at Tilly's food, and then hurt his shoulder jumping down, so curing the HT has helped there as well. When I stroke him he feels more solid - the weight and muscle loss had left him feeling like fragile skin and bone, but now the sharp angles are softening and his spine is less obvious to the touch.

It is still only 8 weeks since his treatment, and it can take 6 months for everything to get back to normal, so I am hoping for further improvements over the coming months.

And I asked both the vet and the vet nurse to use minimal surgical spirit when doing the blood test, and to wipe it off with warm water immediately after - no skin reaction! Hurrah! With luck that is the solution to that particular problem.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Oh congrats, good chap, he's getting there isn't he? :D

The treatment's amazing; Mouse is now a great big plushy black pudding - completely different to the gaunt creature pictured in the centre. If only ckd etc could be cured so dramatically!

Mousey sends purrs and fusses to Pippin :D :D
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Yes, a magic bullet for CKD, and for arthritis, would be wonderful. But It is lovely to see them improving so much so quickly. Most other people couldn't see how gaunt Pip had become, as he still carried some fat, but I was very aware of it when handing him. Tickles to Mouse, and Pallina, and all the other no longer hyperthyroid gang!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by booktigger »

Pleased to hear that, I'm surprised they didn't suggest a diet change with an SDMA of 16, that's what Lucy's was last March and within 3 months of just changing her dry, it was down to 13
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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I will talk to my own vet and see what he suggests, but I think the hope is that once everything settles down the kidneys will get back to normal. Pip is fed home cooked, so it wouldn't be too difficult to adjust the phosphate levels by using eggshell rather than bone and choosing the meats carefully.
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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fjm wrote: So the treatment has been successful - Pip is looking better every day, and slowly building up a little more muscle, which is helping with the arthritis.
This part of your post is the best one! :D :D :D
It's wonderful to read such things, isn't it? ;)

A big kiss to Pippin and Mouse and all other cats who went, are going, will go, through this incredible experience!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

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Three month check up today. Gerard the vet was very pleased - Pip's weight and body condition are spot on, his heart is steady and all physical signs are good. His blood pressure has dropped to around 145, which is a decided improvement allowing for white coat syndrome, so he is off hypertension medication for now. We will need to wait for blood test results to know how his kidneys are, but he has not been showing any signs of excessive thirst.

I remembered just in time to ask about long lasting pain relief for his arthritis, so he has also had a Cartrophen jab - here's hoping it makes a difference. He has been moving more freely, but is obviously often in discomfort if not outright pain even with daily metacam, so anything that helps is to the good. I tried giving him YuMove, but he hates the taste, and won't take any of the alternatives I found either, so an occasional injection may be the answer!
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Re: Pippin's experiences with hyperthyroidism

Post by booktigger »

Glad the vet is pleased, surprised he only gave him one injection though, when I used Cartrophen on Buster, it was once a week for 4 weeks, then when required, although as it is glucosamine based, he had one monthly to try and help his bladder issues too.
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