Radio Isotopes for cats?

[IMGONNABE40!]

I took my Marley cat to the vet yesterday because I was worried about weight loss (he went from 12.3 pounds to 8.1 pounds in 6 months) and increased thirst. The doctor felt a nodule on his thyroid and says that hyperthyroidism is likely the problem. We have to wait for the lab results. One of the things she mentioned in the blur of information was that he may have to go to a hospital for a few days for radio isotopes. What the heck does that involve? I know I should have asked the Dr., but she was giving so much info in a quick period of time that it all did not sink in as that procedure.

Anyone familiar with the procedure? How about the thyroid condition?

Thanks

 

[Meriweather]

Yep...my kittie had that problem.
Went to a special clinic that specializes in tyroid problems and had the radioactive isotope theapy. They do an injection into the thyroid basically killing a portion of it.....how much they use is dependent on how high the hypertyrodism is.
He is now fat and sassy again. That was a year ago.
It was worth very penny!!

 

[Lisa F]

My mom had this done to her old cat several years ago and he is now pushing 18. It was an expensive procedure but we are the type of people who will drop a boatload of $$ on our pets if it will make them better and give them a good quality of life, which this procedure does. You do have to be a little careful of radioactive cat poop for a while though!

 

[phillybeth]

They do it on people too! For people it is outpatient, but when my cousin had it done her son was not permitted to be around her for 3 days I think.
The thyroid is the only part of the body that uses Iodine. The radioactive Iodine is injected through an IV and kills the thyroid over a period of a few days. This prevents any functioning remnant of the thyroid from interfering with drug therapy to treat hypo- or hyper-thyroid.