Kitty thyroid problems

[Juvysen]

Hi all. I just found out my 14 year old cat has a mild thyroid problem. The vet said "normal" levels are 2.5, "high" is 20 or so and my cat's are 5.5. the vet wants to put him on meds for the rest of his life, but I can't help but feeling that since it's not THAT far out of balance there may be a way to help him with less chance of side effects? Anyone know about this? I know it's a fairly common problem in cats...

[Juvysen]

WAH! So it turns out the meds for it are twice a day... which is fine when we're home, but we're going to have to hire someone to come dose him when we go away for a weekend... which is like twice a month usually.

[Nicole915]

Sounds like you're talking about the T4. What prompted the test? Are there palapable thyroid nodules? Weight loss? Do you know what the specific gravity was of the urine? Any changes in eating or drinking behavoir? What did the cbc and superchem say? Was there a 'free t4' (not free as in cost, free as in not bound) follow up?

What are your concerns about medicating the cat? Is it that you want to go holistic or is it a budget issue? Thankfully the thyroid meds are pretty cheap, so I suspect your concern is paying someone to pill the cat. What has worked for some people is one of the auto feeders with food and the pill hidden inside a pill pocket. The thyroid meds are tiny, and pill pockets can be a total life saver. You'll want to test this at home before you leave, obviously.

[Juvysen]

Well, I mostly felt awkward giving him meds without at least looking into holistic/dietary controls for him... because that's what I'd do with the rest of my family.

i'm not sure on all the tests... the vet tested the blood for kidney disease, diabetes, and overactive thyroid (I think?) because the cat had been slowly but steadily losing weight and had started peeing randomly in weird places (only occasionally) and said that the thyroid was slightly high and that the cat should be medicated.

We opted for the topical ear option for meds, though... so it's not pills.

[Nicole915]

Sounds to me like the thyroid is pretty out of wack. What does his hair coat look like? The weight loss and inappropriate urination are hallmarks of hyperthyroidism.

In terms of holistic management, the only approach I've seen get any results is with thyroid is acupuncture. One of the women I used to practice with got some results, but the cat was also on oral meds. The essential oils did nothing, which was a bummer because I had high hopes when referring that one out.

Controlling thyroid via diet just isn't effective. You may want to discuss clinical nutrition options with your vet, though. Because your cat's endocrine system is out of wack, adding a vitamin supplement can't hurt. There are some good non prescription options which are very affordable.

Has he seemed to change in mental behavior at all? I ask because I've seen anecdotal evidence that there is some brain degradation with early onset thyroid that is well managed through diet.

Hope he's doing well.

(I'm not your vet, and this isn't medical advice)

[Juvysen]

Well, the the cat really only very slowly lost the weight... the vet is pretty sure it's only mild hyperthyriodism.

The only change in behavior i've noticed is that he's been sleeping on the floor more lately rather than on the couch or whatever... but it's also been hot, so maybe that's why. he goes through phases of it.