• I-131 Treatment

    A Cost Effective, Safe and Sure Therapy

    Detail of Cat for the Cat Company

Before You Come

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One Painless Injection

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48 Hour Bed and Breakfast

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Back Home

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I-131 is a cost effective, safe and sure therapy.

The great thing about I-131 is that it targets and destroys the abnormal thyroid tissue while sparing the normal tissue that is not over-producing hormones. The radioiodine does all the work. It is safe for the cat, causes no adverse side effects, and has about a 95% success rate with one treatment. So, treating your cat with I-131 is actually pretty quick and pretty simple.

But physics does have its laws. Since we’re dealing with a radioisotope, we will have to keep your cat for 48 hours until the level of radiation given off by the residual I-131 is safe for you. Now, two days away from home is a long time for any cat, and especially for seniors who are set in their ways. What we must try to do is to make your cat think that this stay is good thing and not a bad thing. We try to make this seem more like a ‘bed and breakfast’ environment than a hospital environment.

A note about the “r” word. Working with cat owners over the years, we have found that they are very concerned about radiation and what it means to their cat and their families. There’s a lot of misinformation about radioisotope therapy and radioactivity in general. This, is often what stops people from choosing this mode of therapy, even though it is by far the best option for their pet. The actual treatment of hyperthyroidism with I-131 is simple. Nature has provided us with a very effective tool that seeks out the abnormal thyroid tissue, “shuts it down” permanently and returns your pet to a healthy, normal, non-hyper life. Radioiodine is the perfect therapy.

  • Detail of Cat for the Cat Company

Before you come

YOUR VETERINARIAN SHOULD PERFORM THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES BEFORE YOUR CAT IS ADMITTED

  • Complete Blood Count (CBC)
  • Urinalysis with sediment exam
  • Complete chemistry/electrolyte panel
  • T4
  • Electrocardiogram (optional at discretion of referring veterinarian)
  • Chest Radiograph (optional two views, VD and Lateral)
  • Blood Pressure (waived if the patient is extremely anxious)

Laboratory studies and other evaluations may be performed up to four weeks prior to admission. The Cat Company may suggest other tests if we feel they’re needed.

Your veterinarian will attempt to ensure that your cat is fit for hospitalization and therapy. The Cat Company accepts only medically stable cats. Those with advanced renal disease or other conditions may be poor candidates and may require more evaluation and/or treatment before they are referred. If a cat is currently receiving antithyroid medication—e.g. Tapazole (methimazole) — it must be discontinued seven days before treatment.

One Painless Injection

At the time of your appointment we will meet with you, review your history, and examine your cat. We will want to know her favorite toys, special treats, likes and dislikes. Anything you can think of to help us know your cat a bit so we can try to make her as comfortable as possible during her stay at The Cat Company.

We shop for our patients each week, so you let us know what your cat likes and we’ll do our best to provide it. We will try to answer all your questions. We want you to feel as comfortable about entrusting your cat with us as you can.

After all your questions have been answered we will take your cat downstairs to the Cat Company area and give her a painless injection of I-131, just under the skin. It will go to work immediately, seeking out the abnormal, hyperactive thyroid cells … and shutting them down. Meanwhile, the special Cat Company fun begins.

  • Detail of Cat for the Cat Company

48-Hour Bed and Breakfast

Any cat suffering from feline hyperthyroidism is already on the edge. As cat people, we know that we must create an environment and provide diversions that will minimize the stress and anxiety that come with being in a hospital. So, along with state of the art treatment for the disease, Cat Company patients get the special attention, understanding and TLC they need.

In other words, for 48 hours, we immerse your pet in a ‘bed and breakfast’ environment rather than a hospital environment. Now don’t get us wrong. We are not just fluff. We are going to cure your cat’s hyperthyroidism. But there is no reason that it can’t be done with gentleness and compassion.

Four Irresistible meals a day.

Warmed to just the right temperature in our kitchen, bought to suit your cat’s specific tastes, the cuisine will tempt your pet beyond any possible resistance.

Live Dinner Theatre

While your cat nibbles, we roll out some very engaging birds and gerbils. We have two very active Zebra Finch birds named Marty McFly and Squawker Texas Ranger. There are also two rather interesting gerbils, Dobby and Kreacher, who seem to enjoy watching the cats as much as the cats like watching them.

Multi-media diversions

Throughout the day your cat can watch one of our flat panel televisions as we show cat videos. CD’s of birds and forest sounds create just the right mood for napping. Sprinkle in a bit of catnip, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a nice cat day. They munch, they watch and listen, and they nap. Nice!

A gentle caring environment

In the morning your cat will be awakened by a gradual increase of light over a 30-minute period while a rising chorus of forest and birds sounds complete the illusion. Sure beats an alarm clock. Rest assured that we’ll carefully monitor your cat’s radiation emissions and weight, and we’ll interrupt them with litter changes. But for the most part our interactions will be of a casual nature. Our goal is to make your cat’s stay with us as stress free as possible.

Back Home

Your cat should stay indoors but need not be isolated from you, your family, or other pets. The potential radiation exposure to your family is extremely low because the radiation regulations for cats are much stricter than for humans being treated with I-131.

There will be some special things you will need to do when your cat comes home for your safety.  This is broken down into a 2-week period and a 4-week period and will be written out for you upon release.  In general, though, your cat cannot sleep with you or be held/cuddled for longer than 15 minutes at a time for 2 weeks.  The litter must be collected and saved for the first 4 weeks your cat is home.

Starting with week 5, your cat and the litter are no longer radioactive and all can return to normal —although the first 4 weeks collection can still not be disposed of for another few weeks.  We will help with ideas for this.

Although these restrictions may sound awkward, they are quite doable and actually much less trouble than giving your cat a pill twice daily for the rest of its life. Trust us, its worth it to restore your best friend’s health. We will give you detailed instructions at the time of discharge. The precautions are common sense, but are also mandated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Care and Treatment of Feline Hyperthyroidism

The Cat Company

The Cat Company has been treating hyperthyroid cats using radioactive iodine for more than fifteen years. Throughout these years of experience, we have learned what cats and their loving owners truly need when treating this disease. We look forward to serving you and your beloved cat.

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