Need Advise Please! My Tinker has Feline Hyperthyroidism

[Bonkers]

Tinker is doing pretty well. Her appetite has improved and I am doing better at getting the pills down her on the first try. I need to get her back to the vet so her levels can be checked. Not sure if she has gained any weight so it will be interesting to see how much she now weighs.

One thing I have noticed since starting the meds is that her poop smells REALLY BAD!

[Sharon L.]

A friend just had her cat diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, but has been giving tapazole (or its equivalent, she wasn't sure of the exact name) via a gel applied to the inside of the ear. Which is good for her, as this cat is an old semi-feral stray and pilling consistently every day might not have been doable.

If pilling continues to be a headache this might be an alternative.

[Bonkers]

Thanks Sherry, I will definitely keep that as an option, but my vet feels that the topical version is not as effective. I have noticed from reading posts on the Yahoo Hyper T group that many cats that are treated this way do not always have good results in getting their values down. But of course if pilling is too hard on the cat then this would be an option. Flavored liquid forms are also available thru a compounding pharmacy. And then there are the chews that coontuffy had mentioned.

[coontuffy]

Bonkers thank you for the warning on the smelly poop..............

My Rikers was diagnosed last Friday with hyperT, so we am right there with you and Tinker.

I am glad to hear that Tinker is doing well and her appetite is improving.
Rikers was totally asymptomatic..........not one clinical symptom, although my vet said constipation can be the only clinical symptom in hyperT kitties.  Rikers would get constipated maybe once a month, but I assumed it was due to diminished activity from her severe arthritis.

Continuing positive energy and good thoughts coming for you and Tinker

[Bonkers]

 Oh no ct! I am really sorry to hear about Rikers.
 
 Have you started him on the tapazole yet?

[Bonkers]

  I thought I would post an update on my Tinker. She was finally taken to the vet this week to have her bloodwork checked from being on the tapazole.

Good news is that her kidney values are fine and her TSH now has a read of 3.6. A normal read according to the lab should be between 0.4 - 5.7. So she is a bit on the high end of normal on the chart.

Bad news is that she has lost almost a pound these past two months. Her original weight was 7.3 lbs. She now weighs 6.4 lbs. Vet suspects that there is something else going on with her.

 So he has recommended performing a Folate and Cobalamin test to check her B12 levels. If these come back low, then there is a good chance she is suffering from malabsorption. If they come back normal then more testing will have to be performed to see why she is continuing to lose weight..............

[sherrylynne]

Thanks for updating, Bonkers! Here's hoping for the best outcome, and I hope everything gets settled for her soon.

[Bonkers]

 Tinkers Folate and Cobalamin test came back normal so the vet increased her tapazole to 7.5 mg per day to see if that would help.

 A wonderful friend who used to post here thinks that she may just not be eating enough. She recommended that I try some Clinicare. Clinicare is a high calorie liquid meal replacement that can also be used for tube feeding. So I am picking some up from her vet today.

 If this does not remedy the problem then we may want to try putting her on a postassium supplement. Her vet wants to try one thing at a time so that we are able to tell what actually may work best for her.

 Anyone have any other ideas on how to fatten up a cat??? 

[sherrylynne]

This may not work, but have you considered Kitten Milk Replacer? It's a non-lactose supplement used for kittens, and ill animals. It's chock full of all the nutrients they need. I use it with my ferrets when they're under the weather, and to mix in with their liver meals to entice them.
I get the powder form, and mix it as needed. The powder will last 6 months in the freezer.

[Bonkers]

   Bad news...   Tinker does not like the Clinicare. 
 
   Since she will not drink it on her own I am syringing it. She is not very happy about it but it is loaded with nutrients so it can do nothing but be beneficial for her.

   Just one more thing for her to hate me for...............

[sherrylynne]

Here's hoping it helps get some weight on her, as well as helping her feel better. And Bonkers? She's not going to hate you for it. I really believe that on some level, they do realize we're helping them.

[Sharon L.]

Anyone have any other ideas on how to fatten up a cat??? 

Nutrical? Lots of sugar, but lots of calories and I've never had a cat refuse a helping.
http://www.1800petmeds.com/Nutri+Cal-prod1340.html

Good thoughts out to Tinker.