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Cat hyperthyroidism is a condition that develops when the thyroid glands become overactive. This endocrine disease is relatively common, especially in middle-aged to older cats. If left untreated, this condition can lead to heart failure and death. You may be wondering what could cause your cat to develop this disease.

Causes

This feline disease commonly develops when adenomas develop in the thyroid gland. Adenomas are groups of benign, or non-cancerous cells. Hyperthyroidism can also be caused by cancerous cells growing in the gland. However, this is a very rare situation. So, what kind of symptoms do cats with this condition experience.

Symptoms

The thyroid glands are responsible for controlling your cat’s metabolic rate. Your cat will start eating and drinking more than normal when the glands start malfunctioning. However, he will also begin to lose weight very fast. Most cats also become much more active.

The gastrointestinal system can also be affected by this condition. Vomiting and diarrhea will likely develop. If and when it affects the heart, it can cause congestive heart failure, increased heart rate, and arrhythmias.

Diagnosis

Your vet will need to examine a blood sample to diagnose this condition for sure. This will help measure the level of thyroid hormone in the blood. One problem diagnosing this disease is that the level of thyroid hormone can vary a lot over time. Another clue that can lead to diagnose is the appearance of an enlarged thyroid gland which the vet can be able to feel.

Treatment

There are three methods used to treat this condition. These methods of treatment include radioactive iodine, surgery, and drugs. Radioactive iodine destroys all thyroid tissue in the body. Since it doesn’t leave behind any thyroid tissue, it is by far the most effective method of treatment. However, it is also the most expensive.

Surgery is another treatment method. During surgery, either one or both of the thyroid glands will be removed. Unfortunately, surgery isn’t always effective. There will still be thyroid tissue in other areas of the body that surgery won’t be able to remove.

Anti-thyroid medication is the last treatment method. This type of medication needs to be taken once or twice everyday for the rest of your cat’s life. Symptoms will return quickly if the medication is ever stopped.

This is everything you need to know about hyperthyroidism. heart, it can also affect the gastrointestinal system. It can effectively be controlled using anti-thyroid medications or radioactive iodine. Surgery may also be an option in some cases, although it’s not as effective as other methods of treatment.

There are many more conditions that can affect your precious kitty such as allergies in felines. Fortunately, cat-illnesses.com provides all you need to learn about a wide range of these conditions. So, stop by today!

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