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Our middle boy, Odin the Polydactyl Wonder (7 toes on each front paw, 5 on each back paw) has been dropping weight and his hair is thinning. So being a good Cat Mommy I took him to the vet; while he is own Banfield's most expensive plan, they still had to send some bloodwork out to a reference lab that ran us a couple hundred bucks. But he recieved $700 in services that day, so honestly I'm tickled that he cost us so little, relatively speaking.
His bloodwork came back: he has severe hyperthyroidism. Well, that explains the weight loss, the patchy hair, the Nuclear Waste Pudding Poops of Stench And Despair and the chronic vomiting he's experienced. (We thought the Pudding Poops were from a food allergy and that the vomiting was hairball-related. Nope.)
We have several options; I have no idea what any of these will specifically run us, but none of them will be inexpensive.
1. Special iodine-free food that binds with the excess TSH/T3/T4 to help flush it out of the body. At least I think that's how it works. I need to read the bag and do some additional research. The pros are that it's a simple fix and readily available and does not require pilling Odin. The cons are that naturally, this food is hideously expensive and that not all cats like it and that it can take a LONG time to see any benefits since it's a gradual thing. Oh, and since we free-feed that means that the other cats will also be eating it. So I have to think of how their bodies will handle this stuff.
2. Medication to suppress thyroid function somewhat. The pros: It's readily available and in chewable tablet form. The con: It's $70 a month for the rest of Odin's life. He's 12. Statistically speaking, he should have another 5 or 6 years at least in him.
3. Taking Odin to Purdue University and putting him through radiation thryoid ablation. (Incidentally, this is something also routinely done on humans.) The pros: It's a one-time procedure then I can get his thyroid hormone replacement pills at Wal-Mart for $4/month, just like a human. The cons: I will have to pill Odin for the rest of his life. And I am absolutely certain that the radiation treatment does not come cheap.
We WILL have to make a decision from these options; if left untreated, the hyperthyroidism will kill Odin eventually. It's ust a question of what we can afford and what his little body will handle.
Have some photos of the handsome little guy in question:
His bloodwork came back: he has severe hyperthyroidism. Well, that explains the weight loss, the patchy hair, the Nuclear Waste Pudding Poops of Stench And Despair and the chronic vomiting he's experienced. (We thought the Pudding Poops were from a food allergy and that the vomiting was hairball-related. Nope.)
We have several options; I have no idea what any of these will specifically run us, but none of them will be inexpensive.
1. Special iodine-free food that binds with the excess TSH/T3/T4 to help flush it out of the body. At least I think that's how it works. I need to read the bag and do some additional research. The pros are that it's a simple fix and readily available and does not require pilling Odin. The cons are that naturally, this food is hideously expensive and that not all cats like it and that it can take a LONG time to see any benefits since it's a gradual thing. Oh, and since we free-feed that means that the other cats will also be eating it. So I have to think of how their bodies will handle this stuff.
2. Medication to suppress thyroid function somewhat. The pros: It's readily available and in chewable tablet form. The con: It's $70 a month for the rest of Odin's life. He's 12. Statistically speaking, he should have another 5 or 6 years at least in him.
3. Taking Odin to Purdue University and putting him through radiation thryoid ablation. (Incidentally, this is something also routinely done on humans.) The pros: It's a one-time procedure then I can get his thyroid hormone replacement pills at Wal-Mart for $4/month, just like a human. The cons: I will have to pill Odin for the rest of his life. And I am absolutely certain that the radiation treatment does not come cheap.
We WILL have to make a decision from these options; if left untreated, the hyperthyroidism will kill Odin eventually. It's ust a question of what we can afford and what his little body will handle.
Have some photos of the handsome little guy in question:
