Has anyone else got a cat who's had this treatment?

My gorgeous golden oldie Meg had her radio iodine injection last Tuesday, so she is currently having to stay at the vets until the radiation levels subside but hopefully we can pick her up a week on Tuesday.

We don't know how old Meg is - we were just told 10+ when we adopted her 18 months ago. She was a very thin stray and Cats Protection discovered she was hyperthyroid and we got her the day after one of her thyroid glands was removed. We got her insured but because she had a pre-existing thyroid condition that wasn't covered, but I wasn't worried as I knew she'd had the op. No one told me that it could come back!

And 18 months later it did come back. Our vet prescribed Vidalta but they made her face itchy and she was covered in sores. The vet wasn't keen on taking out her other thyroid gland and suggested radio-iodine treatment. The nearest treatment centre is 2 hours drive away so we had a phone consultation and they agreed to take her, but we have to find £1500 But she is worth every penny.

We were told there's every chance this will permanently cure her but some cats need a second injection. I certainly hope this isn't the case because we certainly couldn't find an extra £1500

Can't wait to pick her up next week. She must be so scared and think we've abandoned her. When she comes home she has to be in a seperate room for 2 weeks, and then can't come closer than 3 feet to us for 2 weeks after that.

Anyway just wondered what other peoples experiences were.

I haven't had a cat that needed it but my Mum had a similar treatment and is fine. Fingers crossed that the first treatment works and that Meg comes comes home asap.

I've not had personal experience of it but have known others who've had and had no problems with it-apart from the difficulty posed by adhering to the isolation rules that is!

Oh yes it always returns! People are often unaware that when one side is operated on the benign tumour returns on the other side roughly a year later and the condition starts all over again!

I'm surprised at your vet's reluctance to operate though but I suppose he may not have much experience in doing this type of op.

Having said that, having the radio-active treatment will ensure that all the tissue is targeted at once-in some instances some can actually migrate into the chest cavity and will remain there undetected even after a 'successful' removal of the original thyroid mass itself with the result that the condition is not cured!

Let us know how it goes!

I hope your cats pulls through it all, My cat is hyper she had BOTH glands taken out in November but within 1 month she was hyper again as it spread to her chest. She is back on the tablets again.

I am bringing my cat to a vets three hours away from us tomorrow morning for this treatment. Hence I can't sleep tonight. He will be away for two weeks, and they say they will keep him for another two if we want them to but I don't know what to do.

My view is that if he is in the unit, yes it's strange but a bit like a cattery for him. If he comes home and were not able to be our usual selves with him, ie shutting him in a room when he knows we are all there outside the door, wouldn't he find that much more distressing? I don't want to be without him for a minute longer than necessary but you can see my dilemma.

Any thoughts? He will be in the unit for two weeks anyway so we have some time to think about exactly when he would come out.

All the best to Meg Gemini x

I really really hope this treatment works :-( poor kitty has not been happy at all recently.

Sadie x

Btw kitty is my nickname for him, he's a boy and his name is Oliver!

Meg had her treatment at Bishopton, where Oliver is going, and they were fabulous. I really didn't like the idea of leaving her for 2 weeks, but she was fine. I was allowed to ring them as often as I wanted to check how she was. The nurses who looked after her were all lovely and friendly.

I did want Meg home asap but it was hard having to lock her in the spare room and not being able to cuddle her. I think she did find that a bit confusing. But the vet did demonstrate how radioactive she was before we left the surgery! After 2 weeks in the back bedroom where we just went in to feed her etc, and give her the odd stroke, she was then allowed to wander freely around the house, though she couldn't sit on our knee like she usually does. But eventually she was safe to cuddle, and believe me she got lots and lots!!

It's now 2 1/2 months since the treatment and she is doing really well. She's put on weight, though she's still on the skinny side. Her coat looks a lot thicker and she has also stopped crying during the night, apart from on the odd occasion. She used to do this two or three times EVERY night, so loud it woke us up. She has to go for a blood test mid June to check her thyroid levels and fingers crossed they will still be ok. All in all she seems a much happier cat.

Is your insurance paying for the treatment? Although we have insurance for Meg she wasn't covered because it was a pre-existing condition. We budgeted £1500 and were pleasantly surprised when it came to just under £1200, though still a lot of money. But I wouldn't hesitate to let any of my other cats have the treatment if they ever needed it (hopefully covered by insurance).

Good luck to Oliver. Let us know how he gets on.

Oh, I have thought over and over about having this done for Nellie.....it is the isolation period rather than the cost that puts me off!
I have been told that it is best to have a Technitium scan (sp??) rather than relying on bloods, to calculate the proper dose and avoid the possibility of a second Iodine treatment. 2 weeks at the centre would be hard enough....but I just dont think I could bear to have her separated at home...she ALWAYS sleeps on the pillow next to me!

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

Well he's all done now, he's had his treatment and is now in the unit where he will be for four weeks. Yes we decided to go for that, then when he comes home we will need to be quite careful but won't have to isolate him.

Go Oliver - were all rooting for you!

Good luck - I hope that does the job and you keep us all posted!

My cat's hyper, but I manage it with tablets as she has dodgy kidneys.

Over 5-6 years you would probably have spent that amount on tablets, and I have friends whose cats have lived to 20 or more, so I hope that's some consolation... But you can't put a price on love, as I'm sure you're aware! (Although vet bills can still sting a bit.....!)