Managing Feline Hyperthyroidism: Tailoring our treatments to fit the individual cat

Hyperthyroidism can be treated in four ways: medical management with methimazole or carbimazole, nutritional management (low-iodine diet), surgical thyroidectomy, and radioactive iodine (131I). Each form of treatment has its advantages and disadvantages. Treatment must be tailored to each individual cat, with the many factors (age, concurrent disease, goiter size) taken into consideration when selecting the “best” treatment for that cat. This lecture will review all of the issues to when formulating a treatment plan for the individual hyperthyroid cat.

• To present an overview of diagnostic testing procedures and protocols for cats with suspected hyperthyroidism
• To review the clinical and routine laboratory features of hyperthyroidism in cats
• To review techniques for thyroid palpation in cats
• To review advantages of 4 serum thyroid function tests (total T4, free T4, T3, and TSH) in the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism in cats