what would you do

[John]

I took Millie to the vets today,for annual check up also she has not been very well for sometime..the vet says Millie has a thyroid problem and to give her one tablet a day for two weeks then take her back cost for injection .consultation. tablets etc. £107..the vet also said she would probable have to have the thyroid removed cost £280. plus... Millie is 11 years old I am retired and live on my own I have no pet insurance
question..what would you do in the circumstances..and whats the best way of giving tablets

John

[alexgirl73]

Best way of giving tablets is to hide them in a piece of cheese or her food if she has wet. As to the other dilemma, I know how you feel with problems like that John, as I don't have a lot of money either! Has the vet said she definitely has to have it out? If he has ask when he would estimate it to be done, and start trying to pay a little bit a week onto account and try and save up to have it done. If it's not an emergency procedure then that might help, otherwise I don't know what else to suggest.

[tilly]

I would hide the tablet in some food if she will take them that way. Is it possible to keep her on tablet and not have the operation? if so that might be an idea. also it might give you a chance to save up the money.
I have known cats who have had the operation live for many happy years afterwardds. So haviong a thyroid problem shouldn't be the end for Millie.

Hope some other people can offer there advices as well

Sally

[Fran]

Hi John, what sad and upsetting news for you :( You can try administering the tablets as the others have suggested hidden in food. I personally prefer to wrap the cat up in a towel, making sure all limbs are well wrapped in then open the mouth and pop the pill to the back of the mouth towards the throat, close the mouth and rub throat until the cat has swallowed the tablet.

Regarding the op. In your position, I would ask the vet what the prognosis is following surgery. 11 years old is not really an elderly cat in todays terms so if the outlook was good after surgery then perhaps the vet would allow you to pay by installments? If the op didn't have a great success rate then perhaps, the vet may be willing to discuss what other options there are for Millie.

Please let us know how Millie goes on x

[yola]

John - sorry to hear of your predicament. A good way of pilling a cat is by using a special device which is available from the vet for a few pounds - it effecitvely fires the tablet into the back of their throat; painless, effortless and relatively stress-free.

As for the op . . . as others have said, make sure it is absoutely necessary at this point in time otherwise try to schedule it for when you know you might be in a position to fund it.

Also, maybe your vet would accept stage payments? Some do, although it is becoming less frequent sadly.

Good luck to you and Millie . . .

[sammy]

Hi John,

I've had two cats with overactive thyroids in the past. The first one was operated on, but sadly the problem recurred, which I understand is not unusual, so she had to go back on the tablets. The second one, being more elderly, we decided against the op, and she stabilised very well on tablets.

I would definitely ask your vet whether it is possible for her to be treated just with the tablets. It may take a month or two to get the dosage right, and this does involve blood tests, but once she is stable the tablets are not very expensive. Three years ago they only worked out at around £8 per two months.

My second cat, bless her, became so used to being tabletted that she practically opened her mouth for me as soon as I put her next to me on the sofa!

Hope this helps, and let us know how you get on.

Sammy.xxx

[dandysmom]

Sound advice above, John. I'm very sad to hear about Millie; this is so distressing for you. She just might stabilize on the tablets: my friend's cat was diagnosed with thyroid disease at about 11 years; she's on tablets and has to go to the vets every so often for blood work and to have her dosage checked...Kate is 16 now and in good shape. Please let us know what you decide and what the vet says about the surgery. (((hugs))).

[Mags]

Lots of good advice for you above John, I hope Millie's condition can be controlled by tablets alone. It must be worrying for you and I hope your vet will be able to sort something out with you regarding payments.

Please let us know how you get on.....

[Het]

Thomas was 10 years old when he had his thyroid operation. It was a success in that he lived another 5 1/2 years, although for the last 6 months he did have to take the tablets again.
Although I seem to remember his operation cost no more than £100, and his tablets only cost a few pounds per month, which is a whole lot different to the the quote you have been given. We seem to be fairly lucky with our vets fees up here.
For me, it was worth it for those extra years it gave him

[charliebubs]

Hi John, I'm afraid that I'm not able to add any advice to that already given, but I did want to say that I hope you and Millie can sort something out soon.

Good luck with tableting her too!! :) Personally, my cats won't take tablets "disguised" in food and will only take them if I use Fran's technique or Yola's device mentioned above!!!

Keep us posted.

[Kay]

I have to agree with Fran's method of giving tablets. It is what I use with all mine and have never had any problems.
Do you have a PDSA near you that would perhaps do the op for a donation? Worth looking into under the circumstances. Fingers crossed for Millie.

[Kim]

Hi John, so sorry to hear of Millie's diagnosis and your predicament. I adopted a very elderly cat from the animal sanctuary where I was a volunteer, she was poorly and I suspected hyperthyroidism. This was confirmed and she did well on medication. Surgery wasn't an option given her age.

Perhaps you could try the medication and see how she gets on and consider surgery if it doesn't work well. I too understand about not having too much money! The vets may accept monthly payments from you. Worth discussing all the options. Would Mille not qualify from treatment from the PDSA? If you decide on medication, you will be able to buy her medication from an online pharmacy such as vet medic. Most medication is cheaper here than from your vet and your vet is obliged to give you a free prescription for the meds.

Please keep us updated.

[Animagus]

Hi John

In the case of medicating I usually wait till the furries have settle then walk up to them give them a clap then pop the pill down the back of their throats and close their mouths and rub their throats till they swallow.

Ask you vet if he will allow a DD from yopur bank with a weekly amount to pay off the bill if the Operation is a must... I too am short on money but my vets are great when it comes to paying for emergency treatments and such...

All the best and blessings to Millie xxx

[dinahsmum]

Hi John - you'll work out your own best method of pill-giving. I think it depends a lot on the character of the cat for I have had success with each of the techniques described, with different cats.
Items to hide pills in, if that works out to be your favourite way - ham, chicken, hard cheese, cheese spread, dab of butter, fish paste.
Good luck, and I hope surgery isn't necessary. I agree with those who have said that you might say to the vet that you would prefer to avoid surgery if at all possible.

[John]

Thank you all for your replys..Millie is a picky eater she will eat a little then walk away so I would not know if she had eaten the bit with the pill in ..I have tried the pill in a piece of cheese / ham that did not work either < eat round it and left the pill > I will try and get one of those devices mentioned by Yola and see how I get on..there is a PDSA near me but as I have a small private pension and do not recieve any benifits they will charge..the vet said a monthly supply of pills is £14 and Millie would have to have regular checkups..long term it would seem to be better to have the operation and see if they will take regular monthly payments..no matter which way I go every time I Take her back and they want to do a blood check its still another £25 ..still I love her very much so I will have to see how we get on..once again thank you all for your replys ,,,John

[sammy]

Hiya John. If you are set on the operation, please check with your vet that the problem won't recur even after the op. As I said earlier, it did with mine. It might be that things have moved on since then, but as I understood it, only part of the thyroid gland was removed. What happened with mine was that the remaining thyroid gradually started to compensate and eventually produced the same amount of thyroxine as before.

Once they were stabilised, which took a couple of blood tests, they then only had to be tested once a year - not even that sometimes, as the vet could assess them by their weight and heartbeat rate.

Don't want to put you off doing what you think is best - as I say surgery has possibly moved on since then - just want to make sure you have as much info as possible before making a decision.

Sammy.xxx

[Fran]

John, this is so difficult for you as it is obvious that you love Millie and want the best for her despite it being financially dificult for you. As has been mentioned earlier in this thread, it is possible to buy mediaction cheaper over the internet with a prescription from your vet that they have to supply you free of charge. Another thought here... Before you make any decisions r.e. surgery or long term meds, could you possibly seek a second opinion from another vet?

Good luck John and please let us know how Millie goes on x

[alexgirl73]

Good luck with whatever you decide John!

[charliebubs]

Good luck with whatever you decide John!

I second that, John. Only you really know what's best for you and Millie. Good luck. :)

xx

[dandysmom]

And the same from me, John! Love to you and Millie; let us know how things are going.....

[Erin]

good luck john,let us know how things go.love to you both x

[dinahsmum]

John, if you are seriously concerned that you will be unable to fund Millie's ongoing treatment no-one will think any the worse of you if you feel she would be better in a home with a higher income. The Cinnamom Trust specialises in aiding older people with their pets; here's a link http://www.cinnamon.org.uk/
However, I do hope Millie has a smooth recovery and learns to take her tablets like a good girl.
I tend to agree with one or two who have suggested you might like to ask around local vets for one which is not so expensive.

[Kim]

John, take a look at http://www.vet-medic.com/hierarchy.aspx?strGrp1Code=CATDOG
This is an online pharamcy, you search by proudct, the medication Millie has been prescribed may well be cheaper.

[Sweet]

I hope Millie is ok today John and something can be sorted out x

[catmadjax]

HI John, i am new here, but my kitty who is 17 had an operation for hyperthoroidism 2 years ago. She lost weight, her coat went dull and she ate for britain. The vet did not perscrible any tablets, he said all that was needed was an operation. She had the operation, and everything has been fine since, not one tablet taken. I would advise you to get the operation, the difference in them afterwards is amazing, like a new cat! The only thing I have done now, is a blood test every 6 months to make sure the thoyroid levels are normal. Although this only really needs doing once a year.

As far as the tablets go, this is a difficult one, I used to use Hi life cat food to wrap them in, which is really smelly and fishy, its really sqidgy, so break the tablet in half and hand feed it like a treat, my little Birman who I lost 2 years ago to feline asthma, hated being pilled, but this worked a treat. Remember cats eat through smell rather than taste.

[dinahsmum]

Remember cats eat through smell rather than taste.
Of course - I forgot that! Try keeping the pills in the fridge John (as long a sthe storage instructions say that's OK). Being cold will minimise any small the pills have.

[dandysmom]

Of course - I forgot that! Try keeping the pills in the fridge John (as long a sthe storage instructions say that's OK). Being cold will minimise any small the pills have.
Thanks, DM, I didn't know that!!! The things we learn on Catsey........

[John]

Hi everyone...well the first pill I gave Millie I wraped in cheese..it went every where but down her throat..eventually dissolved..so I gave her another one and felt very pleased with myself,it appeared she had swallowed it ..I found it next day on top the stairs..two pills lost 10 to go ..today monday another pill she seemed to swallow it I have looked on the stairs,in the room I gave her the pill in, so yes it looks like one down nine to go..
the vet said to give Millie tablets for 2 weeks as her heart rate was very fast and to stable her blood count..she also has a heart murmer..2 weeks will give me a chance to think about the best thing to do...
thank you all for your advice I have found it very usefull John

[Fran]

Good luck with what you decide to do John. Please let us know how Millie gets on x

[John]

Hi ...Millie has been having her tablet everyday for the past week with no problem..except for today she will not swallow it ..so I let her go..she went out thro the cat flap over an hour ago,she must be keeping out my way,I was hoping she would come in before I went to bed to have another go..

[Mags]

Pleased to hear Millie has been taking her tablet ok John........up until today!:roll::lol:
Little madam, I hope she comes in so you can have another try.....

[dandysmom]

I hope missing one day won't do any harm; I know when people forget to take a dose they usually say just go back to the regular dose tomorrow; suppose it does depend on the drug. They can be so difficult about their medication, can't they! :roll:

[Fran]

Little monkeys aren't they?! :roll: :-D Glad she has done well over the last week for you John. Hopefully she will see sense and come home tonight before bedtime!

[John]

I thought I would give a little update on Millie,,I have tried giving tablets by opening the mouth and poping them to the back of the throat, did not work very well as I discoverd them around the house were she spit them out..
I have tried using a pill popper,and a syringe with the end cut off, the problem always seems to be you have to catch her first, and most cats know when its pill time and wont come near you..so now I mix two tablets with a little butter/margarine keep it on a spoon near me, and when she comes near me just smear it on her leg, seems to work,dont even have to catch her..:)

john >^..^<

[sammy]

Hi John, really pleased to hear you've found a way of getting the tablets into her! I take it she's doing well on them?

[Mags]

Well that is certainly an ingenious method of getting Millie to take her tablets, John!:lol:
Well done to you for persevering ........and thanks for the update;)

[John]

took her to the vets two weeks ago for a blood test and to be weighed, blood test came back ok and she had not lost any more weight, have to take her back in 6 weeks for another weight check, or before if it looks as if she is loosing weight, so hopefully she will be with me a lot longer..

[Mags]

That's good news John, I hope Millie continues her steady progress...

[Fran]

This sounds like good news John! Please keep us updated x

[sammy]

That's excellent news John, like I said early on in this thread, I had two cats on this medication and they happily carried on for years on it!

[John]

Hi Sammy..how did you give your two tablets at the time

[Amber]

Hi John, I know this is an old thread and you seem to be doing really well with the tablets :D but just thought I would add my piece aswell.

Hyperthyroidism (over active thyroid gland) is probably the most common disease in older cats. It is caused by an increase in the thyroid hormones produced by the thyroid gland (thyroxine). Thyroxine plays an important role in controlling the body's metabolic rate and so the general activity level, so cats with hyperthyroidism tend to burn up energy too rapidly and typically suffer weight loss despite having an increased appetite and increased food intake.

Thyroxine has an effect on almost all organs in the body and so the disease can sometimes cause secondary problems with the heart, kidneys, and high blood pressure which can effect several organs in the body.

To reach a diagnosis of hyperthyroidism, a thorough physical health check and blood tests are required. On examination, one or both enlarged thyroid glands can often be felt as a small hard mass in the neck (about the size of a baked bean). However in some cats the thyroid gland cannot be felt due to overactive tissue being present in an unusual site.
A blood test looking at thyroxine (T4) concentration is normally all that is needed to diagnose hyperthyroidism, as the levels are normally elevated.

There are three ways to treat hyperthyroidism, medical management (tablets), surgery (thyroidectomy) or radioactive iodine therapy (this is used least often out of all treatments).

Medical: Anti-thyroid drugs are available in tablet form and these act by reducing the production and release of thyroxine from the thyroid gland. They do not provide a cure for the condition, but they do allow either short-term or long-term control of hyperthyroidism. Methimazole (trade name Felimazole) is given at a starting dose of 2.5 mg twice daily. Thyroid hormone concentrations usually fall to within the reference range within 3 weeks. For long term management the dose of Felimazole is then adjusted according to response. To maintain control of hyperthyroidism, Felimazole needs to be given daily for the rest of the cat's life. Felimazole is the only licensed treatment for feline hyperthyroidism.
For most cats methimazole (or a related drug, carbimazole) is a safe and effective treatment for hyperthyroidism. Side effects are uncommon and if they do occur they are usually mild and reversible. Poor appetite, vomiting and lethargy are the most likely side effects and often resolve after the first few weeks of treatment and/or by temporarily reducing the dose of treatment and administering the tablets with food. More serious problems, including reduced white blood cell counts, reduced platelet counts (which help the blood to clot), liver disorders, or skin irritation are rare, but if they do occur then an alternative treatment must be used.
Anti-thyroid drug treatment has the advantage of being readily available and economical, but it is not curative. Life long treatment, usually involving twice daily oral dosage, will be required and for some owners, and some cats, this may be difficult to achieve. Routine blood tests should be checked periodically during treatment to monitor the effectiveness of therapy, to monitor kidney function and to look for potential side effects.

Thyroidectomy: Surgical removal of the affected thyroid tissue (thyroidectomy) can produce a permanent cure and is a common treatment for many hyperthyroid cats. In general this is a very successful procedure and is likely to produce a long-term cure or permanent cure in most cats. However, even after successful surgery, occasionally signs of hyperthyroidism develop again at a later time if previously unaffected thyroid tissue becomes diseased.
To reduce anaesthetic and surgical complications, where possible it is always recommended that hyperthyroid patients are initially stabilised with anti-thyroid drugs for three to four weeks before surgery. Any associated heart disease must also be treated where necessary. Good success and avoidance of post-operative complications depend on good surgical skills, and experience is necessary to achieve good results. The major risk associated with surgery itself is inadvertent damage to the parathyroid glands – these are small glands that lie close to, or within, the thyroid glands themselves, and have a crucial role in maintaining stable blood calcium levels. Damage to these glands can result in a life-threatening fall in blood calcium concentrations (hypocalcaemia). This is most likely to occur when both thyroid glands are removed at the same time, since this can result in damage to both parathyroid glands. To minimise the risk of this complication in those cats that require removal of both thyroid glands it may be appropriate to perform the procedure in two stages, removing the most affected gland first and allowing six to eight weeks for recovery of parathyroid hormone production before removing the second thyroid gland.
Some vets recommend that cats remain hospitalised for a few days after surgery so that blood calcium concentrations can be monitored and any treatment given, if required. Clinical signs of low blood calcium include muscle twitches and weakness, which can progress rapidly to convulsive seizures. Treatment is with supplemental calcium by injection and then by mouth. Additional treatment with vitamin D3 is also needed to allow the calcium given by mouth to be used effectively. Once stable, continued treatment can be given at home, but in most cats the damage to the parathyroid glands is only temporary and treatment may only be needed for a few days or weeks.

Radioactice Iodine Therapy: Radioactive iodine (I 131) can also be used to provide a safe and effective cure for hyperthyroidism. Like surgical thyroidectomy, it has the advantage of being curative in most cases with no ongoing treatment required.
Radioactive iodine is administered as an injection given under the skin – the iodine is then taken up by the active (abnormal) thyroid tissue, but not by any other body tissues, resulting in a selective local accumulation of radioactive material in the abnormal tissues. The radiation destroys the affected abnormal thyroid tissue, but does not damage the surrounding tissues or the parathyroid glands.
The advantages of radioactive iodine are that it is curative, has no serious side-effects, does not require an anaesthetic and is effective in treating all affected thyroid tissue at one time, regardless of the location of the tissue. However, it does involve the handling and injection of a radioactive substance. This carries no significant risk for the patient, but precautionary protective measures are required for people who come into close contact with the cat. For this reason, the treatment can only be carried out in certain specially licensed facilities and a treated cat has to remain hospitalised until the radiation level has fallen to within acceptable limits. This usually means that the cat must be hospitalised for between three and six weeks (depending on the facility) following treatment. Most treated cats have normal thyroid hormone concentrations restored within three weeks of the treatment, although in some it can take longer.
A single injection of radioactive iodine is curative in around 95 per cent of all hyperthyroid cases, and in the few cats where hyperthyroidism persists the treatment can be repeated. Occasionally a permanent reduction in thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism) occurs following radioactive iodine treatment, and if this is accompanied by clinical signs (lethargy, obesity, poor haircoat) then thyroid hormone supplementation may be required (in the form of tablets).
The licensed facilities currently available in the UK are at the Animal Health Trust near Newmarket, the university veterinary schools at Bristol and Glasgow, and at the Barton Veterinary Hospital in Canterbury.

Sorry to waffle - I do go on when I get started :roll:

Good luck with whatever you decide in the end John :D

[sammy]

Thanks for posting that Amber, very interesting.:)

The first cat that I had with this did have the surgery, but unfortunately after a year or so, the condition returned, so she was then put back on the tablets. It was a bit of a struggle with her, so we mostly mixed them with her food.

The second cat we had with it, we decided against surgery as she was that bit older (16) - I suppose we were also mindful of what happened with the first cat! She was an absolute star for taking her tablets and would literally open her mouth for me to put the tablet in! She was always an intelligent cat and I think she'd worked out that the less struggle she put up, the quicker it would be over with. She was well maintained on them for four years, when we lost her to cancer, age 20 :cry:

Hope that answers your question John!

[John]

Thank you Amber..that definatly answers any questions I had....