The good news is that virtually every client will already take steps to avoid this, even when radioactive iodine in their cat's urine is not the motivation. Risks unrelated to radioiodine therapy: Cats treated with radioactive iodine for their hyperthyroidism have several risks unrelated to the radioiodine therapy itself. Out little Nera was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 4-5 months ago. Laura Porter / Verywell You must log in or register to reply here. Since fewer than 2% of cats with hyperthyroidism have cancerous growths of the thyroid gland, treatment is usually very successful. Cats managed with diet or medication generally do well as long as their feeding is consistent, their medication is administered routinely, and follow-up blood and diagnostic tests are performed as scheduled. The anti-thyroid pill is methimazole, also known as Tapazole. You may feel a lump on your cat's throat under his jaw. When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. The coat of affected cats may appear unkempt, matted, or greasy (see Figure 1). Cats are homed in our spacious, purpose-built radioactive iodine unit and cared for by our dedicated team of radioiodine nurses. Weight gain after RAI is typical. These medications do not provide a cure for the disease, but they do allow either short-term or long-term control of hyperthyroidism. Medications for hyperthyroidism in cats are prescribed on a case by case basis. This can best be done by monitoring your cat's body condition, muscle condition, and weight. 4. If radioactive iodine therapy won't work for you and your cat, alternatives are available. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is another potential complication of hyperthyroidism, and can cause additional damage to several organs, including the eyes, kidneys, heart, and brain. A veterinarian who suspects a cat has a thyroid problem will conduct a physical examination and palpate the cats neck area to check for an enlarged thyroid gland (see Figure 2). As in the case of heart disease, after the hyperthyroidism has been successfully treated, high blood pressure will often resolve, and permanent treatment for it may not be required. Design and methods: Five hundred and four patients over 40 years of age with diffuse toxic goiter were treated with MMI for 18 months. Chance of significant, unhealthy weight gain is increased. The estimates of risk currently used are extrapolated from patients that have received much higher doses (e.g., atomic bomb survivors) using the linear, no-threshold model of radiation exposure risk. 197(2): p. 125-136. This disease is common in older cats. Risks unrelated to radioiodine therapy: For this long-term treatment, the cat is injected with the radioactive iodine, which destroys the tissue of the overactive thyroid gland. People may take RAI . For some cats, a veterinary therapeutic diet low in iodine may be all thats required to control symptoms. When an injection of radioactive iodine is given, it destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue without endangering other organs. Radioiodine treatment avoids surgery, anesthesia, and anti-thyroid drugs. Affected cats are often restless and may become cranky or aggressive. Hypertension develops due to the increased pumping pressure and elevated heart rate that occurs with hyperthyroidism. There are fundamental differences between a continuous dose over a year (background radiation) and a dose that occurs over a few seconds like in CT, but these are helpful comparisons. It is important to remember that old age is not a disease. Studies show that weight gain is inevitable after radioiodine-induced hypothyroidism. Oftentimes it takes decades for cancer to be detected following radiation exposure. Do not allow your cat to sleep against your body. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. With your cat's diseased thyroid, after methimazole treatment failed, large doses of iodine might have proven effective. hypothyroidism was only treated if it was associated with clinical signs like excessive weight gain, lethargy, and skin problems. It is used less commonly in younger children. Over time, this progresses to increased blood pressure, severe weight loss, heart disease, blindness, and kidney damage. The dose of radiation used during radioactive iodine treatment is very low, but there are some precautions you'll need to take after treatment: avoid prolonged close contact with children and pregnant women for a few days or weeks women should avoid getting pregnant for at least 6 months men should not father a child for at least 4 months More specific information on what to expect when your cat is treated with radioactive-iodine therapy at Cornell can be found here. Milner R.J., Channell C.D., Levy J.K., et al., Survival Times for Cats with Hyperthyroidism Treated with Iodine 131, Methimazole, or Both: 167 Cases (1996-2003). Some places realize that the stress of being away from home for so long is not good for older cats. Hence additional separation between the patient and children are unnecessary. The School of Veterinary Medicine's Ryan Hospital, however, is one of the few veterinary centers in the region to offer a treatment that can cure the disease: a single shot of radioactive iodine, I-131. It might not be an option for a frail cat who shouldn't undergo anesthesia. Rarely, a permanent reduction in thyroid-hormone levels called hypothyroidism occurs after radioactive iodine treatment. Remember that theNRC regulationsrequire that release criteria and discharge instructions provided to owners of hyperthyroid cats prevent exposures of more than 1 mSv. AAFCO Doesnt Approve Pet Foods, A broken heart: Risk of heart disease in boutique or grain-free diets and exotic ingredients, Its Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy. One of the reasons the cat was held for four days was to allow for much of the radioactive 131I to be excreted in urine so that the amount of external radiation exposure is significantly reduced. Supporting Cat Health with Information and Health Studies. One to two weeks after surgery, another TT4 level is measured. This surgery requires general anesthesia, however, and there might be added risks if older cats have heart, kidney, or other problems that could cause complications. . Because the risk from exposure to radiation in children is generally considered greater than the risk from the same exposure in adults[7], radiation precautions for children and pregnant women are more restrictive than for adults.The release instructions advising clients of hyperthyroid cats being discharged following radioiodine therapy at AVMI advise that pregnant women and children (defined as individuals less than 18 years of age) avoid contact (defined as a proximity of less than 6 feet) with the patient for a period of 12 days following discharge. 3. As with surgery, you may need to take thyroid hormone . The "radiation badge" worn by x-ray techs for example is good for measuring external exposure to radiation but does nothing to measure intakes of radioactive materials which is the primary concern in the case of a cat treated with radioactive 131I. They do not take into consideration individual risk factors including lifestyle (smoking, diet, exercise, etc. Hypocalcemia can be life-threatening and may require either short-term or long-term medication postoperatively should it occur. Weight seemed to stabilize in the long-term setting, with minimal increases between 8 and 12 months and at 24 months after radioactive iodine treatment. Cats also sweat through their paws and the sweat will have trace amounts of radioactive iodine. Therefore if you adhere to the release instructions we provide you with (copies provided on admission and again at discharge), you should be assured of getting less than 1 mSv exposure from interacting with your cat. Certain studies suggest that in some hyperthyroid cats, limiting the amount of iodine in the diet may be a viable option for treating this disease. Some rare cases of hyperthyroid disease are caused by malignant tumors known as thyroid adenocarcinomas. Ultrasound of the heart (called echocardiography) may be recommended based on your cat's condition, especially if there is any concern about cardiomyopathy. However, it may not be the best treatment for your particular cat. Radioactive iodine therapy offers a cure through a simple injection that returns thyroid function to normal levels. With this therapy, you take radioactive iodine (radioiodine) by mouth. Even after treatment it may take a long time to reverse weight loss and muscle loss that occurred before your cats diagnosis. What happens after my cat is released from the hospital? By Objective: To investigate the long-term effects of continuous methimazole (MMI) therapy. Conveniently, the main use of iodine in the body is the production of thyroid hormone, so a deficient diet shouldnt cause any other health issues in a hyperthyroid cat. If you know that your cat has hyperthyroidism, you probably have already seen your vet in order to have this disease properly treated. During that time, the ravenous appetite should subside, your cat will probably gain weight, and her blood pressure and heart rate should normalize. Radioactive iodine therapy is becoming the treatment of choice for felines with hyperthyroidism. The goal of hyperthyroidism treatment is to lower the levels of thyroid hormones in the body. If this is accompanied by clinical signs such as lethargy, obesity, and poor hair coat, then thyroid hormone supplementation may be required. Regardless of the medication, blood tests should be conducted periodically during treatment to evaluate whether the therapy is effective and to monitor kidney function and for potential side effects. The treatment you and your vet choose depends on several factors including how severe the disease is, your cats health, and what works best for your family. The food isnotmedicated. Cats afflicted with hyperthyroidism usually develop a variety of signs that may be subtle at first but that become more severe as the disease progresses. Further, the litter will be radioactive as most of the radioactive iodine will be excreted via this route. The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: What testing equipment and protective clothing do you recommend for a nontechnical person who will be giving home care to an 18-year-old blind cat after he has spent four days recovering in the animal hospital from 131I treatment? The more common symptoms are an increase in thirst, urination, and appetite, as well as weight loss. However, the risk is minimal if your cat is otherwise healthy, and the initial diagnostic tests and treatment did not reveal any underlying conditions. However, these options tend to be expensive and not possible for all pet owners. It is actually the best approach to take to minimize exposures to you and your family while allowing the cat to have post-treatment recovery time at home and not in a veterinary hospital. Clients frequently have the following 2 questions when considering radioiodine therapy for their cat's hyperthyroidism. Radioactive iodine is a treatment for an overactive thyroid gland. The inaccurate repair of DNA is rare, but can cause a cell to act wildly or grow into a cancer. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 2006. Already have a myVCA account? 2004. But this generally resolves without intervention. Until then, the radiation safety guidelines of Michigan and the NCR are followed. The majority of cancers occur later in life and the average lifetime risk of dying from cancer is 25%. During treatment, radioactive iodine is administered as an injection and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. A large study found an increase in some cancer types in people who had radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism compared with the general population. Slater M.R., Geller S. and Rogers K., Long-Term Health and Predictors of Survival for Hyperthyroid Cats Treated with Iodine 131. In cats > 95% of the radioiodine is excreted in the urine. If you can't bear to be away from him, or if he becomes very stressed or frightened when you're not around, that isolation could be difficult. Cats treated with radioactive iodine for their hyperthyroidism have several risks unrelated to the radioiodine therapy itself. The advantage of surgery is that it is likely to produce a long-term or permanent cure in most cats, and therefore eliminates the need for long-term medication. Natural background radiation exposure accounts for an average of 3.1 mSv/yr with variations depending on where you live. There are several treatment options, and your veterinarian will determine the best choice for your cat. Now let's deal with the issue of radioactive iodine released by the cat, which I believe is actually the bigger concern. By 14 days after treatment, the radioactivity will have decayed to a very low level. Log in 24/7 to access your pets health care information. Regardless of radiation exposure, the average overall lifetime risk of developing an invasive cancer is 37.5% for women and 44.9% for men. Even after treatment it may take a long time to reverse weight loss and muscle loss that occurred before your cat's diagnosis. For comparison, the dose for a standard Chest CT is 7 mSv. Nera just had her 3 month checkup and her T4 level is down to 2.3! Hyperthyroidism may also cause vomiting, diarrhea, and hyperactivity. The radioactive iodine damages these cells and causes your thyroid to shrink and thyroid hormone levels to go down over a few weeks. Treatment usually includes an adjustment to your cat's diet, medication, radioactive iodine therapy, or surgery. Why isn't there a study directly linking medical imaging and cancer? In most cases, enlargement of thyroid glands is caused by a non-cancerous tumor called an adenoma. This usually leads to permanent destruction of the thyroid, which will cure hyperthyroidism. Wet food is much better for him anyhow, so this is a good time to get him settled on it. Copyright 2019 Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging. Recurrence of the disease is a possibility in some cats. The remainder is gone in about the next two months or so. Most hyperthyroid cats respond fully to a single injection with radio-iodine. Diagnosis . Each treatment option has its advantages and disadvantages. . What happens after my cat is released from the hospital? Did You Know? When it comes to survival, the studies that have been done show that cats cured of their thyroid disease by radioactive iodine live much longer (up to twice as long) when compared to hyperthyroid cats treated by methimazole. What is not taken up by the thyroid will be present in the cat's bodily fluids and will primarily be voided in the cat's urine (in those first four days at the vet hospital). What is happening in this procedure is that a portion of the radioactive iodine is being taken up by the cat's thyroid to treat its condition (hyperthyroidism, I assume?). The delivery of iodine is targeted to the overactive thyroid gland(s), the cat does not experience any radiation side effects at the normal therapy doses used to treat hyperthyroidism. The only method to estimate that dose is to measure the radioiodine within your own thyroid and the types of equipment to measure that uptake are very expensive and difficult to interpret. You'll need to consider whether to have radioactive iodine (RAI) vs. other treatments for hyperthyroidism and Graves' disease (an immune system disorder that can cause hyperthyroidism). Of course, some people receive no radiation and others much, much more. Committee on Environmental Health. However, since wild-caught flaked Alaskan salmon is the first ingredient, it provides a lot of moisture. Hence for a transient period following radioiodine therapy, the patient's urine contains excreted radioiodine which will emit beta particles as it continues to decay. Part 20, Standards for protection against radiation You should use the following methods for disposing of your cat's waste that may contain trace amounts of radiation. Cats also sweat through their paws and the sweat will have trace amounts of radioactive iodine. The current Nuclear Regulatory Commission radiation dose limits for individual members of the public are listed below. Standards for Protection against Radiation. Due to the damaging effects of hyperthyroid-induced hypertension on your cats kidneys, blood kidney values must be reassessed once the thyroxine level has normalized, even if they were normal on initial blood tests. As a cat owner, I completely understand your desire to get your cat back to his normal routine as soon as possible. In more serious cases, surgical removal of the thyroid glands may be required. Side effects may include fluid retention, weight gain, elevated . Several complications of hyperthyroidism can be significant, includinghypertension(high blood pressure) and a heart disease called thyrotoxic cardiomyopathy. For this prescription diet to work, it must be the only food fed, which means no cheating with treats. J Vet Intern Med, 2001. Clinical signs include lethargy, dullness, obesity, oily skin, and matted fur. Protein and Carbohydrate Sources of Home-cooked Pet Diets, Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Nutrition), Diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy: The cause is not yet known but it hasnt gone away, Too hot? If the nearest facility is far away, there's the stress or travel for both you and Fluffy, as well as possible hotel and other travel expenses. And I'm so glad she did, since her kidney disease (that unmasked after methimazole treatment) went from Stage 1 chronic to Stage 4 acute on chronic last weekend. JavaScript is disabled. Surgical patients may become hyperthyroid again if abnormal cells are missed during surgery or if new abnormal cells develop. Now that I know my cat has hyperthyroidism, what do I do? In some of these cats, blood pressure can become so high that retinal bleeding or retinal detachment will occur, resulting in sudden blindness. The American Thyroid Association notes that weight gain develops over a long time and may have many causes other than the underactive thyroid. He rejected the Fancy Feast stuff and gobbled the baby food along with eating a little variety of the many dry foods we tried in an effort to find one that he really liked. You may gain weight after you undergo radioactive iodine treatment. Many times the only symptoms these other conditions cause are weight loss. Limit close contact (closer than 1 foot) to one hour per day. Thyroidectomy (largely replaced by radioactive iodine . Although many cats diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease already have kidney disease, untreated hyperthyroidism can also cause kidney disease due to the damaging effects of hypertension on the kidneys. 228(4): p. 559-63. If this is the case with your cat, paying special attention to specific nutrients such as dietary phosphorus (a key player in chronic kidney disease) may be required. They may develop periodic vomiting or diarrhea, and fur may appear unkempt. It is best to perform a nuclear scan before surgery to rule out ectopic thyroid tissue. Looking for a convenient way to access your pets health records, refill prescriptions, view upcoming appointments and more? About 25% of cats with hyperthyroidism become hypertensive. When clicking a link here and buying, we may be able to make a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Cats may also continue to show signs of hyperthyroidism, including vomiting and diarrhea, for 3-4 weeks after the radioiodine therapy as the disease continues to resolve. Generally, about 5 to 10 pounds of excess weight can likely be attributed to the lack of thyroid hormones that occurs in people diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Prior to the onset of symptoms he was eating a high quality dry cat food but when he started losing weight and begging for food we were told we could . Feeding an iodine-limited diet (Hills Prescription Diet y/d) can resolve clinical signs and lower thyroid hormone concentration. For the same reasons as surgical treatment, your cat will likely be started on methimazole for about a month before radioactive iodine therapy. Affected cats produce too much thyroid hormone. About TheCatSite.com. Too cold? (For example, for human patients we provide instructions such as "sleep in separate beds" and "stay at least 1 meter away from others as much as possible.") 101(4 Pt 1): p. 717-9. If possible, I would like to wear protective clothing so we can return to our familiar habit of living/sleeping in 24-hour close physical contact to minimize his stress and promote his recovery. What is taken up by the thyroid will be released slowly over the next days/weeks to the other bodily fluids which is why they have the precautions that you describe. The treatment lowers or eliminates hormone production and may decrease the size of the goiter. Risks from hyperthyroidism. How does airline travel expose me to radiation? The outcomes following most hyperthyroid therapies are usually excellent, and most cats have a very good chance of returning to a normal state of health. To answer these questions we have to separate the risks associated with internalizing (i.e., ingesting) radioactive iodine from the risks of being around a patient that has been treated with radioactive iodine. By 14 days after treatment, the radioactivity will have decayed to a very low level. Radioactive iodine treatment is a therapy that your veterinary surgeon may recommend if your cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Until then, the radiation safety guidelines of Michigan and the NCR are followed. TheCatSite.com participates in select affiliate advertising programs, including the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, it may not be appropriate for all cats (depending on other medical conditions) so important to work with your veterinarian and decide if using this therapeutic diet is the best way to manage your cats condition. What may work for one cat may not work for another. Because of these rare but serious side effect risks, your cat will need to be closely monitored by having simple blood tests performed every three to six months when using this medication. Other therapeutic monitoring. In cases where radioactive iodine therapy is not successful, the treatment can be repeated. Does radioactive iodine treatment cause weight gain? If you suspect your cat might be experiencing some of these symptoms, the next step is visiting your veterinarian for a blood test to check your cats thyroid hormone levels. Thus, pate is a better choice for your cat than gravy food due to the latter's higher . And not only do we love the pets, we also love their people, and you are our reason for making this site. The radioactive iodine is administered as a single injection . The cats heart rate and blood pressure may also be checked. Vet Rad & Ultrasound, 1994. Prescription nutrition. 1 INTRODUCTION. The thyroid cells are damaged or destroyed, but that's the whole idea other cells are left untouched. When the dose of radiation to the thyroid is very low, like might occur by accidental ingestion of litter box contents, then mutations leading to cancer can ensue. The effectiveness of this transdermal gel is acceptable in most cases. Iodine is an element normally taken up in large amounts by the thyroid gland, even more so in cats that are hyperthyroid. Because metabolism is altered in hyperthyroidism, its important to monitor your cats weight and muscle mass. We fed him some Fancy Feast again last night and he ate it all without vomiting. Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pets diet, medication, or physical activity routines. Although this procedure is usually very effective, it is more expensive and requires the cat being . Of 135 patients with documented pubertal status .
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