Does your Cat suffer from Hyperthyroidism? Tired of fighting to get in medication?
We have the answer
Feline Radioactive Iodine Therapy
Also known as: I - 131
- I-131 is a calculated injection of radioactive iodine administered subcutaneously or under the skin in a veterinary hospital. It is considered the treatment of choice for Feline Hyperthyroidism by experts.
- How it works: The thyroid gland concentrates iodine. After administration of I-131, the thyroid gland takes up the radioactive iodine, which emits radiation particles that selectively destroy the abnormal thyroid tissue without damaging other tissue.
- Feline Hyperthyroidism (FHT) is the most common endocrine disorder in US middle age to older cats (up to 10% of cats greater than 10 yrs old and up to 11.4% of older cats worldwide). It is a relatively recent disease that was first described around 1979-1980. I-131 therapy began in the early 1990s. Treatment depend on many factors some such as: age, comorbidities, cost, and availability of treatment options.
I-131 Advantages:
- No anesthesia is required
- No daily medication
- Does not destroy healthy tissue
- Does not damage other tissue or organs, including the parathyroid glands
- Returns thyroid function to normal usually within 1 to 3 months
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I-131 Disadvantages:
- Hospitalization (3-5 days) with no owner visits and only signed off trained staff following Isolation SOP to attend to patient
- 2 weeks “house arrest” for cats once discharged with only short cuddling by owners; can’t be around pregnant women or children up to 16 years of age for the 2 weeks.
- Litter must be either flushed daily or collected and stored for 3 months before disposing into garbage
- Up front cost is high but no additional thyroid blood tests over the years or medication charges
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