# Maggie's Radioactive Iodine Treatment



## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

She went in today for the procedure. We had a tough weekend, she's been off her meds for 2 weeks and she was having a rough time keeping down food Sat and Sun. I was giving her lots of small meals and while she vomited some of it up, she was able to keep down close to a normal amount of food. 

She dealt with the 45 minute car ride OK, a little meowing but not too much. She wasn't pleased with me when I was trying to say goodbye--retreated to the back of the carrier and turned her back on me. Good thing I'm not the sensitive type.

They just called a few minutes ago and said the procedure is done, she did well and everyone involved still has their fingers. Now she just needs to spend 3 days there until her radiation levels go down to acceptable range. I left her favorite foods and treats, along with an old towel that I slept with. Knowing Maggie she's going to back herself into a corner and hiss at anyone who walks by. 

But it will all be worth it...no more gyrations getting meds into her or lifetime of vet visits and blood tests. Fingers crossed that she's not one of the 2% that goes hypothyroid instead of hyper.


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## Kauri (Feb 19, 2012)

That's great news! It will be hard to be away from her until her radiation levels go down but it will be so worth it. She's only going to be there for three more days? Everything I had read said 1-2 weeks, so that's good news. It makes it less stressful on her and you both. Good luck, keep us updated!


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

here is was three days if you signed a release about handling of the cat and litter, we had to keep emma in the large kennel, limit direct contact, put the used litter in a metal container for two weeks, emma wasn't too unhappy she was home and getting canned food, hope everything goes well for you and maggie..


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Glad things went well. Must be a huge relief and will be even more so once she's home for good.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I'm so crossing my fingers that everything goes well for Maggie. I guess the silver lining about this separation is that as soon as she gets home, she won't even remember being away.


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

Awesome that no more treatment will be needed after this


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The amount of time they need to spend there and the after care varies by state. In Mass. the radiation level they emit needs to come down to a certain level...which is typically achieved in 3 days. At home she can be free to roam the house, but I need to limit direct prolonged contact. Lap sitting, snuggling, etc need to be limited to 15 minute sessions 2-3 times per day. Maggie isn't much of a contact kitty...she'll sit next to me and lean against a leg and that's about it. And she never snuggles with Kobi and Holly. The worst part is that she does sleep right up against me at night, so she'll have to stay in the spare bedroom at night for 2 weeks. 

Other than that, they want her litterbox output flushed for 2 weeks, so I'll be using World's Best litter. They said don't worry about the other cats using the same box, just scoop daily. The box and scoop need to be disposed of after it's done. Since I don't want to toss my big storage tote boxes, nor do I want to convert them over to World's Best...I'm going to put a box in the spare room with WB...I'll close the door on the room with the normal boxes during the day and all 3 can use the WB box. At night when Maggie is locked in the spare bedroom, the other 2 can use the regular boxes. Fortunately my crew isn't fussy about litter changes or location of the box.


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## Mhelmandollar (Dec 9, 2011)

Wish you the best of luck. Just wondering do cats loose their hair like humans do?


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm so glad things went well with Maggie. I'm envious of your ability to get this treatment for your girl. For a variety of reasons, I-131 isn't a viable option for my hyperT cats, and now it looks likely that I'll have a third cat diagnosed hyperT next week. Ugh. At this rate, it won't be long before my hyperT cats outnumber my CRF cats!

Hmm. They say you can buy anything on eBay. I wonder if I could buy my very own in-house vet. Going, going, SOLD to the Crazy Cat Lady with the exhausted look on her face!

Seriously, though, please keep us updated on Maggie's progress after she gets home. It'd be interesting to have a ring-side seat to her recovery.

Laurie


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Her vet tech called this morning and said she's doing great. Used the litterbox with no issue and remarked that she sure loves her chicken treats (Whole Life). She said she was nervous at first but has settled in OK. She's also eating her wet food well....that was one of my big concerns...that she'd stage a hunger strike. I sent yummy fishy stuff (Tiki Cat) with her. She loves it, but normally doesn't get it at home very often because of Holly's fish intolerance. 

I missed her a lot at home last night, it was so weird not having her there to lay, purr and drool on my Kindle when I was reading in bed. Or only making up 2 food dishes. Kobi & Holly don't seem to notice her missing and they're probably loving that I just split Maggie's third of the canned food between them instead of refrigerating it. 

So....1 day down....2 to go...



F/3 said:


> Wish you the best of luck. Just wondering do cats loose their hair like humans do?


Thanks! Not for this procedure anyway...it's a very low dose of radiation designed to kill a benign tumor. Not the level of radiation given to humans with cancer.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Sounds like things are going well! Hang in there! She will be home before you know it!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Today's update not much different than yesterday...still eating well and being a good girl. I pick her up around 2pm tomorrow. I'll update when we get home...


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Yay! My little monkey is home. Amazingly...the other two accepted her back without a peep (or hiss). When I let Maggie out of the carrier she ran right up to Holly, touched noses and then Maggie rubbed her face on Holly's face. Both had tails straight in the air. Kobi hid in the dining room for a few minutes, then finally came out...went nose to nose with her and that was it. Now she's on the back of the couch on HER throw blanket taking a bath.

They said the tumor should be pretty well killed by now. Even though she vomited most of the weekend, they said she never brought anything up while she was there. So apparently it works really fast. 

Now, other than the radiation precautions for the next two weeks, I just need to monitor her for symptoms to ensure she doesn't go in the opposite direction (hypothyroid). She gets blood work for her kidneys checked in a month and her thyroid T4 levels in 3 months.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Awwww, that's so sweet of Kobi and Holly!

Great news, fingers crossed for the next two weeks.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Poor little girl has been crashed out all night except for dinner...probably so relieved to be back home.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

So we're 2 weeks post treatment and done with the precautions. She came through it great. She was such a good girl when isolated in the spare bedroom at night...never heard a peep out of her until my alarm went off in the morning. Vomiting is gone, her appetite is a little diminished but not significantly. 

Maggie has always been a very inquisitive, active, downright crazy cat. Many of you probably remember some of the stories I've told about her. Her energy has been with her well into her teen years and with the hyperthyroid diagnosis I wondered just how much was attributable to the excess hormones in her system. I was concerned that my crazy girl was going to turn into an old lady overnight. Those fears seemed to be somewhat valid while she was on methimazole for a couple months. But I'm happy to say that the old Maggie is back. So I'm really thrilled that I decided to go for the iodine treatment rather than keep her on meds.

She goes in for a kidney check on April 5th. At this point there are no symptoms to indicate that the thyroid was masking any significant level of failure. Since she was isolated at night I was able to monitor her water intake and size of her pee clumps and everything has been perfectly normal. So I'm optimistic that her kidneys are still "not perfect but darn good for a 15 year old" as the vet said when she was tested while on the medication. 

Will update again after the vet appt....


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

So glad things are going well!


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

Wonderful news! Paws crossed for purrfect kidneys!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Maggie went in for her one month post treatment kidney check and all is well. Her creatinine is the same as it was 3 years ago and her phosphorus is actually lower. We're doing the happy dance here!

She goes for a T4 check in June. Her weight is remaining steady at 8.75 lbs and that's good for her. 

Next up...Kobi goes for a dental on Wed and I need to schedule one for Holly...


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

That's such wonderful news. Neck scratches to the healthy happy kitties.


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## marie5890 (May 18, 2011)

Doodlebug,
Just catching up on Maggie's medical adventure these past weeks. It warmed my heart to know all is going well. !


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Razzle had that done about 2 years ago. It was the best thing I did for him. He would throwup with the medication and the gel. This was the only way. He has done great. It was expenseive but I think it's the best way to go. I have heard and read about cats that take the meds and gel for a long time can end up with some kind of disease (can't remember what it was called).. When weighing the pros and cons of the different types of treatments and costs, I think you end up spending a lot of money on meds thru the years and it ends up less expensive with the iodine treatment, plus i think it is healthier. I think even cats who are given the meds and gels for years can end up with the oppostie problem-hypothyroidism. People risk the same problem that they will go from hyper to hypo. Well worth the cost

Kathy


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

WooHoo!!! 3 month post radioactive iodine treatment T4 test was done this week and is perfectly normal!!! I don't have the actual number yet as the vet's office left a message on my answering machine yesterday just saying it was normal without any detail. 

So happy my little girl is past this. Overall, doing the treatment was a good experience and I would highly recommend it if a cat is in otherwise good health. It's not cheap...the price quoted for the treatment itself is usually $1200-$1500, but that doesn't include the tests that need to be done. Full blood panel and x-rays before and blood test 30 days after to check kidney function, then a T4 test 3 months later. All that adds another $400-500 to the bill. But so worth it not to have to mess with meds twice a day and deal with managing the dose and any side effects.


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## Xanti (Nov 4, 2008)

yaay great news!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I'm so glad for you AND Maggie.


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## my5kitties (Sep 13, 2005)

What great news for the both of you! I know you must be so happy.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Go Maggie!!! It sounds like what you both went through since March was well worth it. Poor Maggie, if you could only explain why all that had to happen . . .


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Wonderful news!!

P.S. When do we get to see Jake in your signature? :grin:


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

doodlebug said:


> WooHoo!!! 3 month post radioactive iodine treatment T4 test was done this week and is perfectly normal!!! I don't have the actual number yet as the vet's office left a message on my answering machine yesterday just saying it was normal without any detail.
> 
> So happy my little girl is past this. Overall, doing the treatment was a good experience and I would highly recommend it if a cat is in otherwise good health. It's not cheap...the price quoted for the treatment itself is usually $1200-$1500, but that doesn't include the tests that need to be done. Full blood panel and x-rays before and blood test 30 days after to check kidney function, then a T4 test 3 months later. All that adds another $400-500 to the bill. But so worth it not to have to mess with meds twice a day and deal with managing the dose and any side effects.


they quoted me $1300 to have it done in monument, and then they said i wasn't supposed to touch her for 2 weeks. that doesn't surprise me since this is the land of rocky flats, i would just have to crate her for that amount of time since i have basically one giant room for a living space.

when diotima started losing weight she was on a diet at the time, so i didn't know it was because her thyroid was 13.2. since she vomits if she eats more than a tbs at a time, is that possiblly because of the hyperthyroidism? because i would really consider spending the extra to not have to feed her six times a day. she's 15 as well but she is perfectly healthy otherwise (it didn't mask kidney function loss, any of the other) and even with the add-on labs in addition to the initial procedure cost, if she lives two more years it would even out because i take her to the vet about 3x a year @ 135.00 a whack for blood panels, and that doesn't take into account my quality of life being tethered to a cat food dish.

the removal of the thyroid gland surgery doesn't seem like such a good idea to me but i have radioactive iodine injected into me once a year anyway (IVP contrast) so it doesn't seem scary.

her t level has increased about a point over the last year, and while the vet doesn't think it necessary to increase the methimazole, i'm not so sure about that. it isn't using the gel that's the problem for me, but the feeding schedule is.


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## laurief (Jun 22, 2008)

doodlebug, I am so happy for you and Maggie. Such great news that she has been cured of this disease and is doing so well. Congratulations!



cinderflower said:


> she vomits if she eats more than a tbs at a time, is that possiblly because of the hyperthyroidism?


Vomiting is a common symptom of uncontrolled hyperT, so yes, it's very possible that her vomiting is caused by her disease if it is not well controlled on methimazole. Actually, even if her hyperT is under control, methimazole itself causes vomiting in many cats - even the transdermal gel in some cats.



> because i would really consider spending the extra to not have to feed her six times a day.


If her hyperT is properly controlled, she really shouldn't need to be eating 6 times a day. What is her current TT4 (including the lab's reference range)? If her kidneys are healthy, her TT4 should ideally be toward the lower end of the lab's reference range. Are her liver values in normal range? Methimazole has the potential to cause liver damage. Was she vomiting prior to starting on Methimazole? It's possible that she may have a GI problem like IBD in addition to hyperT. Has your vet prescribed an antiemitic like ondansetron?

How soon after eating does your cat vomit, and what does the vomit look like?

If the vomiting is the result of a GI condition not related to hyperT or methimazole, radioactive iodine probably won't correct that problem. However, radioactive iodine does cure hyperT in almost all feline cases, and that, in itself, is more than enough reason to have the procedure done.



> the removal of the thyroid gland surgery doesn't seem like such a good idea to me


In my opinion, thyroidectomy should be a last resort. It is a risky and difficult surgery that can easily damage the parathyroid glands, which can cause an entirely different set of problems for your cat. It also won't be curative if your cat has diseased thyroid tissue outside of the thyroid glands themselves, and that's not all that uncommon.

Laurie


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

so glad everything worked out well. your a great cat mom. shes a lucky girl.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

> If her hyperT is properly controlled, she really shouldn't need to be eating 6 times a day. What is her current TT4 (including the lab's reference range)? If her kidneys are healthy, her TT4 should ideally be toward the lower end of the lab's reference range. Are her liver values in normal range? Methimazole has the potential to cause liver damage. Was she vomiting prior to starting on Methimazole? It's possible that she may have a GI problem like IBD in addition to hyperT. Has your vet prescribed an antiemitic like ondansetron?
> 
> How soon after eating does your cat vomit, and what does the vomit look like?
> 
> If the vomiting is the result of a GI condition not related to hyperT or methimazole, radioactive iodine probably won't correct that problem. However, radioactive iodine does cure hyperT in almost all feline cases, and that, in itself, is more than enough reason to have the procedure done.


her thyroid level is 3.9, which is up from 2.6 she initially lowered to after starting the methimazole. (it was 13.2 18 months ago







) i wanted to see it at the lower end as well, but the dr. thinks it could have been because her last dose was at 8:30 AM and he saw her at 2:30 PM. and that was on purpose because he told me not to dose her less than 4 hours before her blood draw. i'm not a vet but i would like to see it lower than it is, as well. he said he didn't want to increase it unless she stays up there the next time. i've been doing this 18 mos., i don't think 3 more months would be crucial, would it? (i mean it's at the high end of normal, would extra medication be absolutely crucial or could it wait 3 months?)

her kidneys are normal, all her liver values are normal, she doesn't have any other health problems besides the thyroid because i've been taking her every six months since she was 12. i doubled it when this problem developed just because there could have been other damage that was masked, but she's good. i don't think her thyroid was ever high before she spiked because she tended to gain weight easily so i tried to keep it normal because she's not a big cat. she went from 8 1/2 lbs. to 7.2 in six months but then she went to 6.2 in the month after she started the gel. i managed to get it to 6.8 in three months so that was good.

she never throws up if i only give her a little (no more than a tbsp.) at a time, and as long as i wait 30 minutes to do that. but if she eats even a bit too much she regurgitates. it just looks like the food she just ate. and i always feed her immediately after because 1) she's hungry; 2) she didn't get the nutrition and calories she needed the first time. she doesn't throw up twice in a row so he's never prescribed an antiemetic.

i suppose it's possible she has another gastrointestinal problem but she started to throw up if she ate too much maybe 2-3 years ago, so it's probably not the medication. the vet said he doesn't want to give her an antiemetic if she can eat without barfing, and i agree. usually the less medication, the better. but six times a day is just dumb. i've never been a free feeder, for years it was 2-3 times a day. because i have to feed her so often, the other cats want some too so they get smaller amounts as well but they would easily go back to twice a day.

i realize i may get the iodine treatment and not solve her eating schedule problem. since that's the problem i want to fix first, (and of course keep her thyroid stable) what other tests could he do that revolve around the GI?

is it even remotely possible that her stomach shrunk? she eats good food. i was feeding them all BB freedom dry, and trying to mix it up with BB spa select because they seemed to get bored with it sometimes. my cats have always been about 75:25 dry/wet until i read dr. pierson's article. i changed them to all canned about a month ago, and even with all the brand changes (weruva, freedom, BB flaked and that isn't making a return visit because she eats anything and even she didn't like it). she likes nature's choice mature, which the other cats don't care for much which i think is great because then they won't steal her food. she's eating merrick's grammy's pot pie and they don't like that either.

she seems to be hungry all the time, so it isn't an appetite problem. she did regurgitate the weruva tilapia so i just didn't give it to her again. she got the paw lickin' chicken and she's perfectly happy as long it's FOOD lol.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

oh p.s. she doesn't have any of the side effects of methimazole like hair loss or head-shaking/itching.


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

p.s.s. and i didn't mean to hijack your thread doodlebug, laurie just asked me these questions and i got preoccupied answering them. i'm really glad your cat did well, and i thought since yours did it might be a good idea for me to do also.


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Wonderful! So glad to hear that Maggie came through it all well. I have a friend who has had THREE hyperT cats (lives in CA where everything is covered w/ the flame retardant stuff that causes hyperT ) and it's always pins and needles. So glad that it all went well!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Well...we have a new development here. Back in the end of May, early June I noticed that Maggie was shedding quite a bit. I thought it was due to stress as it appeared around the same time that I got Jake. I've been using Feliway and some calming treats but the shedding has just gotten worse and worse. In the last couple weeks she's had huge dry clumps, lots of dandruff...her coat was just a mess, yet her relationship with the dog seems to be better and better. Absolutely nothing else wrong..appetite good, drinking appropriate amounts, not lethargic etc.

Went to the vet, her T4 level was fine. In the absence of other symptoms, the vet didn't see any sense in running a full blood panel right now, particularly because her last test in April was "spectacular". She recommended getting more Omegas into her and seeing how things are in two weeks. If not better, then run the bloodwork. It didn't seem right that this would just randomly happen and I began googling...apparently fur loss is a side effect of the i131 treatment that I only found reference to it on one treatment center's site. So I went to the Yahoo Hyper-T group and they confirmed that several people have reported this after treatment.

So...I've been brushing it out everyday and I think the worst has passed. Not nearly as much coming out and while it's pretty thin, what remains seems much healthier. 

Hopefully this is the last of the saga....


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

glad to here all is going well, I keep looking back at emma's treatment five+ years back and tell her everyday she not as expensive as she was the day before..


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## LilyC (Aug 23, 2011)

doodlebug said:


> Well...we have a new development here. Back in the end of May, early June I noticed that Maggie was shedding quite a bit. I thought it was due to stress as it appeared around the same time that I got Jake. I've been using Feliway and some calming treats but the shedding has just gotten worse and worse. In the last couple weeks she's had huge dry clumps, lots of dandruff...her coat was just a mess, yet her relationship with the dog seems to be better and better. Absolutely nothing else wrong..appetite good, drinking appropriate amounts, not lethargic etc.
> 
> Went to the vet, her T4 level was fine. In the absence of other symptoms, the vet didn't see any sense in running a full blood panel right now, particularly because her last test in April was "spectacular". She recommended getting more Omegas into her and seeing how things are in two weeks. If not better, then run the bloodwork. It didn't seem right that this would just randomly happen and I began googling...apparently fur loss is a side effect of the i131 treatment that I only found reference to it on one treatment center's site. So I went to the Yahoo Hyper-T group and they confirmed that several people have reported this after treatment.
> 
> ...


Thanks for this. My manx had the treatment a couple of years ago. Worked like a charm. We didn't notice much of her fur clumping and the dandruff until a few months ago. We thought it was her age that was causing it and a little neglect on our part with the grooming. She kinda looks like a mess. With lots of brushing, her coat looks a lot better.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I really don't think that your cat's shedding issue is related to the i131 treatment from several years ago. I was told that Maggie's response is even a little more delayed than is typically seen...it's usually in the first 3 months. Maggie's did start within 3 months, but the worst of it was at 4 - 4.5 months. I know you said it looks better, but if it doesn't get back to normal I really recommend a vet visit as poor coat condition can be indicative of many systemic issues.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

BTW...Maggie's coat is looking much better. I didn't do anything about increasing omegas...I wanted to see if it would resolve itself, which would tell me that it was definitely the treatment. It still isn't back to normal, but it's about 75% of the way there.


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

Isn't it amazing that your Internet research provided the real answer to the question, not your vet? It reminds me of when Murphy had loose stool for 2 months after having a dental procedure, which you immediately knew was a reaction to the antibiotics he was given. The vet didn't mention it at the time of giving the prescription, nor when I brought it up afterwards.  Amazing.

Maggie is a trooper! It sounds like she's on the mend from this, which is great news.


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## Nerina (Nov 15, 2005)

Wow...thanks for documenting the whole experience. I am crossing my fingers the new vet specialist office in our time may offer this treatment as our one elderly cat has hyperthyroid. The nearest place I know of now is hours and hours away and I do not want to do that to our old man.

So glad your girl went through the procedure and is doing well. Lets hope we can do the same for our old man.

Nerina~


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## razzle (May 20, 2010)

Razzle was diagnosed in 2010 with hyperthryrodism and kidney failure. I tried the meds and he just threw up. I went thru with the iodine treatment and it was the best thing i did for this disease. No more meds or throwing up. It didn't effect him at all. I would do it again. It cost about $1200.00 but when you add up the cost of medications for years it was worth it. I also read that those medications can cause bad problems after a while being on them like kidney disease, etc. I had to use world's best kitty litter for a month, which i did love the litter, and keep the litter in a trash bag for a month before i could throw it out in the trash, but i'd do it again. It was well worth it.

Kathy


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