Anyone have experience with hyperthyroidism?

[xloadiex]

My 15 year old cat, Sugarbear, was diagnosed 3 weeks ago with hyperthyroidism. He was prescribed Methimazole.
He's not starving all the time like he was before the meds but now all he does is sleep and has become very unsociable.
Does anyone know if this is usual behavior for being on this medication? He has to go back in 2 1/2 weeks for a follow up. Is there another way to administer this med besides pills? He is on 5mg 2x per day and is NOT happy about that. He refuses the pill pockets.

I have have to take him to the Humane Society vet due to being without a job and my husband losing his job in 2 weeks
They aren't free but lower cost. (his visit for blood work and meds was 180.00) OUCH! Now with the economy, there is usually a 4 hour wait and the vet is some what rushed.

If anyone could share their experience with hyperthyroidism, I would appreciate it.

So I now have a 15 year old with hyperthyroidism. His pills were 42.00 for 40 pills. I also have a 16 year old, Sweetie, with diabetes. He gets insulin 2x per day. He is on Lantus. That is 118.00 a bottle. If I have to, I'll collect cans to make sure both my babies have their meds. It's going to be a rough year.

[Kookaburra]

1. My cat had to take that, but it didn't affect him like that

In fact, the only difference I could tell with him was he no longer ate everything in sight and he stopped losing weight. My uneducated guess would be that the dosage he's taking now is too high. I'd check with the vet.

One other thing -- you may want to check with your local pharmacy/apothecary about the meds. I didn't pick mine up at the vet's office -- got them from the apothecary down the street. Instead of pills, they would mix up a liquid and flavor it with tuna or chicken. It was ever so much easier than pills, and he loved the taste. Plus, I don't remember it being so expensive. In fact, I think I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $35/month for it (may have been less). Someone posted on here earlier that Walgreen's would let you use your store discount for your pet's meds if you're a current customer. Might be something to pursue.

I hope all works out well for you and your furry kids.

[xloadiex]

3. I've been looking around

and found it much cheaper at Costco. Last night I also read it can be made into a compound and rubbed into the inside of the ear. I'm going to try and see if I can get the vet to call me back today. It being Monday,one of their busiest days, I doubt I'll get called back. Thank you for your help. I'm very worried about him.

[Kookaburra]

4. Word of caution on the transdermal thing.

If you have more than one cat, the other one may lick the meds off of your kitty's ear. That's what happened with my cats. Not good, because the other cat didn't need the meds.

I found it much easier just to have the liquid made up and give it to him that way. He loved the taste of it.

[ehrnst]

2. Do you get the meds online or from your vet?

My vet charged $12 for one month of medication for my dog with a hypothyroid condition, and I was able to get a 6 mo supply online from Drs Foster and Smith for $11.00.

[xloadiex]

5. Thank you for mentioning Dr Fosters and Smith

Their prices are very reasonable. I see they have the transdermal gel also tho it may be too pricey for me right now. I don't have to worry about my other cat licking it off him. They pretty much stay clear of each other. I even feed them separately since Sweetie has diabetes, he gets a special diet. I put a call into the vet this morning. I hope she finds the time to call me back.

[tencats]

6. My 15 yr old also .

My Old Cat is on 2.5 mg Methimazole twice daily and its now been near ongoing 20 months. She has been good, recovered to good weight and heart rate returned to normal. She has another problem now along with the hyperthyroidism but is good yet. You say your kitty is prescribed 5 mg twice a day? My Old Cat weighs in at a little over 10 lbs. I'm thinking then that your cat must be extraordinarily big to be on the 10mg Methimazole daily. Seems odd to be that heavy on the Methimazole, but I'm saying that knowing very little about it. I have known of 3 other hyperthyroid cats and they were all on the same dose of 5mg a day or less. I'm paying $60 for 120 5mg tablets dispensed form the Vet clinic. The T4 feline thyroid re-test is $45.00 without exam/office visit charge and that includes drawing the blood sample sent to the lab. Someone mentioned Costco and I'm going later today and will check their price for the prescription. Take my cats to a near-west side Chicago Veterinary clinic.

Old Cat
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[ginnyinWI]

7. what were your cat's symptoms?

I'm wondering about our cat--whether she's got something like hyperthyroidism. She seems normal except maybe a little more restless than she used to be, and she yowls more. She's probably between 14 and 15 years old. She drinks a bit more water than the other two cats but doesn't seem any more hungry than they are.

It might just be cabin fever. She's been cooped up all winter as we all have been. Normally in nice weather she goes out near the house and chews grass and sniffs the breeze.

[xloadiex]

8. My cat lost weight

We use to call him a football. He wasn't a big cat at all, just thick. Suddenly he developed a voracious appetite, yet was losing weight. He was also drinking a lot of water. He was also very restless. At first I thought he had diabetes because these are very similar symptoms. I checked his sugar as I do with my diabetic cat and his sugar was normal.

Of course the vet never called me back yesterday. I have another call in this morning. He did eat and drink this morning, but I have cut way back on his medication. I think this dose was way too high for him.

Tencats,your fur babies are beautiful. I lost 2 last year. One to kidney failure and one to cancer, both seniors. I also lost my 14 year old lab. It was a very heartbreaking year.

[ginnyinWI]

9. I'm just going to watch her for a while.

She's got a normal appetite, her weight is stable and she sleeps all day like a log. She's got a more active period in the evening but that seems normal. Once the weather warms up and if she's still yowling a lot I'll reconsider. She always does it after eating--she goes somewhere in the house with an echo--which is either at the bottom of the stairs or else in the basement--and lets out several yowls. As soon as someone talks to her, she shuts up, as if to say, "oh, there you are--sorry I made a fuss!" It may be a little deafness or blindness creeping up on her and making her feel a little more isolated.

[xloadiex]

10. My Sweetie Yowls

It seems like he does this when he thinks he's alone. It's a funny sound. It almost sounds like he's yelling "help" and it's loud. He's been doing this for years.

[ginnyinWI]

11. exactly like my Camilla

She never starts it when anybody is around--she's always out of sight of any human. Then it's "ah-ow, ah-ow, ah-ow!" It does sound like "help". Maybe that's why us humans get so concerned.

[japple]

12. My cat does that yowling thing, too. Usually, it's when she

loses one of her toy mousies under the closet door or refrigerator. I think she wants me to come fetch them for her. BTW, your Camilla's scratching pad looks like it's been worked over by a tiger. Did she do that? My kitties love theirs, too.

[ginnyinWI]

13. we currently have three cats--

And three of those scratch boxes. They love them and leave my furniture and woodwork alone, thankfully! That's the old one-actually two skinny ones taped together with one insert missing; they got two new ones for Christmas and that one has been retired to the upstairs hallway. :)

Tip: I heard that it's important to put them in "socially important" areas, like near the front door where they are apt to want to mark territory with their claws. I have one near the front door/living room sofa area, one in the kitchen near the patio entrance where they like to sit and watch birds, and one upstairs. We've had boxes where they got right down to the bottom--scratched clean through all that cardboard.