Hyperthyroid Cat
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) and Your Pets
High Blood Pressure (hypertension) is very common in our pets, but often goes undiagnosed until it leads to life threatening emergencies. Problems from high blood pressure arise when a blood vessel gets too small for the high pressure flow going through it. Since the affected vessels are small, the bleeding may not be noticeable but a lot of little bleeds and a lot of blood vessel destruction can create big problems over time.
Your pet's retina is especially at risk, with either sudden or gradual blindness often being the first sign of latent high blood pressure. The kidneys are also targets since they rely upon tiny vessels to filter toxins from the bloodstream. High blood pressure also increases the risk of embolism: tiny blood clots that form when blood flow is abnormal. These clots can lodge throughout your pet's body - including the brain.
But our pets do not have the same "external pressures" that can often trigger hypertension in their pet parents, so what causes this condition in our pets? There are numerous diseases in pets that are associated with high blood pressure, including:
- Chronic renal (kidney) failure- in one study, 93% of dogs with chronic renal failure and 61% of cats with chronic renal failure also had systemic hypertension;
- Hyperthyroidism- in one study, 87% of cats with untreated hyperthyroidism had systemic hypertension (hyperthyroidism is a feline disease only!);
- Glomerular disease- disease of the kidney filtration system in which protein is lost in urine. It is important to screen pets with high blood pressure for urinary protein as control of protein loss is important to survival time;
- Cushing's disease (an adrenal cortisone excess) ;
- Diabetes mellitus (inability to properly reduce blood sugar) ;
- Acromegaly (growth hormone excess);
- Polycythemia (an excess in red blood cells) ;
- Pheochromocytoma (an adrenaline secreting tumor of the adrenal gland)
High blood pressure can be identified by screening at your veterinarian's office. If your pet has one of the above-mentioned conditions, their blood pressure is generally checked. Older pets should have their blood pressure checked whenever they have a physical examination, particularly if they are over the age of 9.
Sadly, high blood pressure is discovered only after something untoward has happened to your pet physically (i.e. some degree of blindness or some other eye problem.) The retina of a hypertensive pet develops tortuous-looking retinal blood vessels; some vessels may even have broken, showing smudges of blood on the retinal surface. Some areas of the retina detach, or the entire retina detaches. With early identification, some vision may be restored, so do not let minor vision changes go unreported; tell your veterinarian know if you think your pet's vision is abnormal.
Retinal changes can be complicated to interpret. Be prepared if your veterinarian refers you to a veterinary ophthalmologist. (Be sure to consult your veterinary insurance provider, as many cover specialist visits such as this.)
Blood pressure measurement is performed with an inflatable cuff fitted snuggly around your pet's foot or foreleg; sometimes, the base of their tail can be used. The cuff is inflated to prevent blood flow through the superficial artery. With pets, an ultrasonic probe must be taped or held over the artery, and the sound of the systolic pressure is converted into an audible signal. In pets, this measurement should not exceed 160; a reading of 180 is considered by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine to indicate high risk for organ damage.
There are various treatment options for hypertension. When ocular disease is present, special eye drops may be required, depending upon how much the eye is bleeding and whether or not return of vision is likely; (a veterinary ophthalmologist is especially helpful in this scenario.) When hypertension is identified, a search for the underlying cause is indicated. It may be that controlling the underlying disease totally reverses the hypertension (particularly true for hyperthyroid cats).
Beyond these methods, as with people, blood pressure lowering medication is prescribed. This typically involves some type of pill that dilates peripheral blood vessels, making them larger to accommodate the high pressure blood flow going through them. Dietary restrictions may also be recommended by your veterinarian. Hypertensive patients should be rechecked every 2-4 months to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range.
Learn more about the history of pet insurance at Petsbest.com.Pets Best Insurance is located in Boise, Idaho and provides pet insurance for the healthcare of dogs and cats. Jack Stephens, DVM is the president and co-founder of Pets Best and was the original founder of pet health insurance in the United States.
My cat has hyperthyroidism, dr said I_131 iodine radio therapy is ok, just by blood analysis?
and urinalysis, is that enough to diagnose if the kidneys are really ok in a hyperthyroid cat?which is better? methimazole ot I131-iodine therapy. he has only been on meds for 1 week and a half when they checked his t4 values? it seems to good to be true that his kidneys are ok, and that he is a good candidate for the above, since hyperthyroidism usually masks and covers unhealthy kidneys. the i131 can be a cure or be fatal. cue if his kidneys are really ok? and how do i know for sure? and fatal if he gets the above and the treatment causes renal failure. in addition to him already having heart murmur caused by the hyperthyroidism. but the meds he is on is causing him black stool. whuch of the two is the lesser evil of therapy? surgery is put of the question cuz hes to old & sick risk anesthesia. pls help me i love my cat and want to make the best decision with unhelpful dr's that dont care and deplete all my money 4k so far, with no improvement in my cat. pls help my cat????????
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please help my sick cat, please he has hyperthroidism? what should ido? vets keep stealing my$$, and wont cure
My cat has hyperthyroidism, dr said I_131 iodine radio therapy is ok, just by blood analysis?
and urinalysis, is that enough to diagnose if the kidneys are really ok in a hyperthyroid cat?which is better? methimazole ot I131-iodine therapy. he has only been on meds for 1 week and a half when they checked his t4 values? it seems to good to be true that his kidneys are ok, and that he is a good candidate for the above, since hyperthyroidism usually masks and covers unhealthy kidneys. the i131 can be a cure or be fatal. cue if his kidneys are really ok? and how do i know for sure? and fatal if he gets the above and the treatment causes renal failure. in addition to him already having heart murmur caused by the hyperthyroidism. but the meds he is on is causing him black stool. whuch of the two is the lesser evil of therapy? surgery is put of the question cuz hes to old & sick risk anesthesia. pls help me i love my cat and want to make the best decision with unhelpful dr's that dont care.
Get the answers...
my cat has hyperthyroidism, please someone give me helpful advice before vets kill him take all my money.....?
My cat has hyperthyroidism, dr said I_131 iodine radio therapy is ok, just by blood analysis?
and urinalysis, is that enough to diagnose if the kidneys are really ok in a hyperthyroid cat?which is better? methimazole ot I131-iodine therapy. he has only been on meds for 1 week and a half when they checked his t4 values? it seems to good to be true that his kidneys are ok, and that he is a good candidate for the above, since hyperthyroidism usually masks and covers unhealthy kidneys. the i131 can be a cure or be fatal. cue if his kidneys are really ok? and how do i know for sure? and fatal if he gets the above and the treatment causes renal failure. in addition to him already having heart murmur caused by the hyperthyroidism. but the meds he is on is causing him black stool. whuch of the two is the lesser evil of therapy? surgery is put of the question cuz hes to old & sick risk anesthesia. pls help me i love my cat and want to make the best decision with unhelpful dr's that dont care.
Get the answers...
Neurological, hyperthyroid cat.?
I work at an animal clinic. Last year, I rescued an eight-year old male cat, abandoned. He stayed with us at the clinic for almost two months, regaining his weight and getting healthy because he had upper respiratory. We did a T4 check and discovered he is hyperthyroid. I adopted him and he lives with me. He is on tapazole for the hyperthyroid, but has started pulling out his fur on his legs and lower back. Not big clumps of it, but it is noticeably bald in some areas. He also twitches a little from time to time. The vet I work with said it is neurological and suggested kitty valium, but I don't want him on that unless he gets bad. Any suggestions for something to help him out?
I work with two of the best vets in the county, and one suggested kitty valium, while the other suggested just leaving it be unless it got worse. I just don't like him being uncomfortable. But I DEFINITELY don't want him on those meds if I can help it.
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Is radioiodine treatment worth it for my senior kitty?
My adoptee kitty has been living with hyperthyroidism for 3-4 years. Until recently, a twice-daily pilling with Tapazole kept things in check. But her thyroid levels are too high, and the vet is now concerned about a carcinoma. A $500 diagnostic scan would be the next order of business, and then possibly the radioiodine treatment.
Kitty is 12-15 years old. She has 1-3 rough days a month (a few vomits, lethargy), but the other 27 days is frisky, playful, eats a lot, pesters us and our boy cat, and seems generally happy. She is really skinny (typical of hyperthyroid cats).
I don't want to put her in unnecessary pain or discomfort. I also don't want her to die a slow lingering death. But I don't feel like it's fair to put her down when she feels OK 27 days out of every month. Will the radioidine treatment work, if it's a carcinoma? Will it hurt her?
I'm really torn up about this so I'd appreciate only serious answers.
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