Complete Care for Your Aging Cat - Amy Shojai [107]
No anesthesia is involved. Treatment consists of a subcutaneous (beneath the skin) injection of radioactive iodine, usually at the back of the neck. “You could inject it anywhere, because it circulates everywhere in the body in the bloodstream,” says Dr. Hager. As thyroid tissue absorbs the radioactive iodine, it is subsequently destroyed.
This treatment is ideal especially if the disease is caused by a cancer and has spread to other places in the body. “The prognosis is pretty good. The nice thing about radio-iodine is that it will kill just the tumor cells and leave the healthy cells, even the cancer cells that have moved elsewhere.” The cancers are treated with a high dose of radio-iodine, and the benign disease is given a lower dose.
“Our dose for the radio-iodine is between 2 and 6 millicuries [measure of radioactivity],” says Dr. Hager. The dose depends on the size of the cat, as well as size of the thyroid glands—smaller glands get a smaller dose. Dose is also based on the cat’s thyroid hormone (T4) levels. “Also, if kitties have kidney disease, then I’ll give them a lower dose. Kitties that are frail and have been hyperthyroid for a long time, we give them a lower dose because they have less reserves.” He says using scintigraphy has helped take away much of the guesswork.
This treatment option has a 98 percent cure rate for cats. The government regulates the use of radioactive iodine, requires that a treated cat be quarantined for a period of one to four weeks, and have his urine and feces monitored for radioactivity before being released. Dr. Hager says these restrictions are the biggest drawback to the treatment. “The kitty has to stay with us for five days—that varies between states.”
Quarantine can be hard on the owners and on the cats. “Mom and dad are worried about having them gone, and what their kitty will do. Cats are creatures of habit. They love their routine. And the minute you take them out of their routine, then they become upset,” says Dr. Hager.
For that reason, the centers where he works include a viewing room for people to come in and see the cat, and for the cat to see them. Although about half the owners are reluctant to visit, fearing they’ll just upset the pet, Dr. Hager says he’s not noticed any cat becoming really upset over that.
A small percentage of treated cats become hypothyroid afterwards—that is, require thyroid hormone supplements, but that’s rare, says Dr. Hager. Because most treated cats are older, he advises they be monitored for kidney function. “This is going to be the best thing for the overall health of your kitty in the long run. People are extremely happy. The kitties go home and they live a good quality of life.”
Bottom Line
Cost of the scintigraphy varies across the country. “With us it’s between $200 to $250,” says Dr. Hager.
Radioactive iodine treatment also varies from place to place. Dr. Hager estimates on average it costs between $600 to $700 for the iodine treatment alone. With the scintigraphy included, the treatment costs $1,000 to $1,100.
Medication at first look will seem much less expensive. However, daily Tapazole for the lifetime of the cat also requires the cost of regular blood tests to monitor the thyroid levels and make sure the liver isn’t damaged. Compounded medication will be easier on the cat—you’ll avoid the trauma of twice-daily pilling—but will be more expensive. Price varies from practice to practice.
Golden Moments: Blanche’s Thirst for Life
Eight years ago, when she lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, Karen Allison adopted a pair of three-year-old cats that needed a new home. One was a petite Siamese she named Stella. “The other was a very chubby Russian Blue with incredible green eyes,