The hyperthyroid cat is not well controlled - he vomits his food (any type), and can only tolerate a low dose of his meds.
Someone mentioned Hills YD to me, that she fed this to her cat and was even able to come off meds.
Other than iodine and radiation therapy (which im not doing for this cat), he doesnt have any other options. Hoping to hear someone had success with this food?
Hills y/d ingredients:
Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Whole Grain Corn,
sounds super-yummy and oh so healthy for a cat, don’t you think?
clinical research: the diet “works” solely by providing a very restricted intake of iodine. Basically, there is practically no research to support the use of this diet in particular, and little to no evidence supporting the use of iodone restriction in general as a treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats.
Info on Y/D from
http://endocrinevet.blogspot.com/2011/0 … odine.html
"Based on the data so far, however, the serum T4 concentrations in many cats fed this diet remain in the high-normal range, rather than the lower half of the T4 reference range. As you can see in Figure 3, the mean T4 values after feeding the diet fell to 40-45 nmol/l (3.1-3.5 ¦Ìg/dl), in the upper half of the reference range limits (8). Based on our studies, as well of the studies of other investigators (9), most older, clinically normal cats have serum T4 values that run lower than that, typically in the lower end of the reference range (e.g., 10-30 nmol/L or 1.0-2.5 ¦Ìg/dl). Therefore, in my opinion at least, that should be considered the ideal target range for success in treating cats with hyperthyroidism ¡ª no matter what therapy is used.
…
Overall, this data does indicate that feeding y/d, a diet severely restricted to overtly deficient in iodine, will result in normalization of T4 levels in most hyperthyroid cats. How well-controlled the hyperthyroid state will be maintained in cats fed y/d remains to be determined. We need additional studies to answer that question, as well as the long term safety aspect of feeding this iodine deficient diet.
Remember that all of the current data we have on this diet is based on only about 150 cats or so, most of which were colony cats at the Hill’s Pet Nutrition Center. Based on their vigorous marketing program, the Hill’s pet food company is highly recommending this diet as a new treatment for hyperthyroidism, meant to replace the other time-proven therapies. They even are providing guidelines for how to weaning the cats off of methimazole and transition them on to the y/d diet."
the drug methimazole is even available as a gel to rub in the cat’s ear and has data to support it:
Can Vet J. 2006 Feb;47(2):131-5.
Clinical efficacy and safety of transdermal methimazole in the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism.
L¨¦cuyer M, Prini S, Dunn ME, Doucet MY.
Source
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire V¨¦t¨¦rinaire (CHUV), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, C.P. 5000, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. manon.lecuyer@umontreal.ca
Abstract
Thirteen cats, newly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, were treated with a transdermal formulation of methimazole at a dose of 5 mg (0.1 mL) (concentration of 50 mg/mL) applied to the internal ear pinna every 12 h for 28 d. Baseline hematologic and biochemical values, along with serum thyroxine (T4) levels, were obtained on presentation (day 0). Cats were evaluated at 14 d (D14) and 28 d (D28) following transdermal therapy. At each visit, a physical examination, a complete blood cell count, a serum biochemical analysis, and a serum T4 evaluation were performed. Ten cats completed the study. Clinical improvement, as well as a significant decrease in T4, was noted in all cats. Serum T4 measured at D14 and D28 were significantly lower at 27.44 nmol/L, s = 37.51 and 14.63 nmol/L, s = 10.65, respectively (P < 0.0001), as compared with values at D0 (97.31 nmol/L, s = 37.55). Only 1 cat showed a cutaneous adverse reaction along with a marked thrombocytopenia. The results of this prospective clinical study suggest that transdermal methimazole is an effective and safe alternative to conventional oral formulations.
I know its full of gross things,but his hyperthyroidism is so uncontrollable I really am running out of options.
He can not tolerate an increase in tapazole, he vomits like crazy. Without it, he vomits and looses weight. Tried all sorts of the fancy grain free foods (TOTW, Orijen etc) and its the same thing. He will gobble up raw food - and continues to vomit it up a few hours later.
Full workup has beendone, its not a GI issue, but his thyroid is the highest our vets have seen.
I would hate to euthanize him without giving it a try first…
Oh…corn and animal fat sound tastier than cardboard - on which he is gnawing on right now… pooor kitty.
Seems like it’s worth a try as a last resort option. While I’d really like to never have to feed Hills anything, I have found them useful in some circumstances, and their quality control seems to be a hell of a lot better than Royal Canin.
I’d be curious to hear how he does on it. Is there at least a canned version, or do you have to go with a dry food? Ah, there is a canned, with meat ingredients before the grains. Could you try that first?
I havent seen the canned before, will absolutley look into it. Looks like ingredients arent so bad for hills food. I’ll see if I can give that a try. Id rather that than the blue juice for the little man. He’s typical obnoxious hyperthyroid cat who wants to eat ANYTHING in his path including the cardboard in the recycling bin… So far, he hasnt vomited the cardboard lol.
She hated it!! Back to pills.
I put kitty on a high quality diet, some raw liver etc.
The vet doubled her dosage after the last test ( up to 5mg, I think).
BUT, I left one can overnight of her old favorite, cheap fancy feast turkey in gravy. She gobbled it up and actually had the energy to play.
So cheap cat food is back on the menu.
Maybe it’s because of her “hard” kidneys and the cheap food has less protein.
With the Hills, kitty must not get any other cat food because the other cat food will contain iodine.
Anyone know what the isolation period is for the radioactive treatment is?
If I had to treat it I’d do that because sometimes the thyroid cells are located outside of the thyroid, so surgery wouldn’t work.
Hmm…still think Ill give it a try. Kitty eats ANYTHING, absolutley anything. High quality, raw, crap, cardboard etc. Im sure he wont turn up his nose at the YD. He just cant tolerate a dose higher than 2.5mg, and even with that it is too high - however his values are still through the roof. Last resort.
Hey Squish, Im a tech - we recently switch a not well regulated 14 year old hyperthyroid cat from felimazole to y/d. The owner was a bit reluctant because he does have hairballs and on hairball formula food, does quite well. After some discussion we successfully tranisitioned him to Y/D and he came off meds after 3 weeks (1/2 dose the first week he was completely transitioned and then completely off the following week). We followed up with bloodwork with T4 (obviously) 6 weeks after transition to Y/D and 4 weeks off of all meds. His T4 was 33!!! He had gained 0.75 lbs and his owner was estactic. This cats previous T4s were ever only as low as 60 (again not well regulated) and his last T4 about 4 months ago was 84. Plus the cat hasn’t had any hairball problems since switching. ** I personally think the “hairball” problems were more of a vomiting problem from not being well regulated.
This cat is in a one cat household so feeding this food only is not difficult. We did have to adjust how much she is feeding because of the high caloric intake and the weight gain. He is now ideal 3/5.
I would 100% try this food if my guy becomes hyperthyroid. Much easier than pills, transdermal gel and then all the followup bloodwork that needs to be done with getting a cat regulated on meds.
And OMG it drives me crazy how many people on this board will slam a food for its ingredients without really understanding how it works why it would be beneficial to a pet.
Thats great news!!! ON his pills, his last T4 was 180!!! Yep, it was in the 200’s before, not really compatable with life.
He was 14lbs at one point, and now weighs just under 4 lbs. I really pray this works. Each time I up the tapazole, he vomits every 30 minutes 
OK, so pulled T4 last week before starting the YD. His T4 was 184. He is going on the YD for 4 weeks, and we are going to remeasure. He weighed in at 3.9lbs and he is severely underweight (healthy weight should be over 10lbs)
So far, he is eating it like its candy, he loves it. Its staying down, so far no vomiting and its been 3 days.
Really hope this works!
Squish, I thought of you when I took my cat into the vet to check for hyperthyroid yesterday. He said the food was an option, that he’d seen good success with it, and he called it a “very cool option” 
I’m glad to hear your kitty likes it and is tolerating it well!
Yep, so far so good!!
I think traditional tapazole is always a good option if the cat tolerates it well…but apparently about 15% of cats cant deal with it at all,andup to 50% cant tolerate it in high enough doses to make it really effective.
I guess the food is relatively new, none of our internists have had actual experience with it yet but apparently a lot of general practitioners are getting good results. YAY! Keeping fingers crossed.
He’s still obnoxious, but at least theres no vomit to step on!
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;6135551]
Yep, so far so good!!
…but apparently about 15% of cats cant deal with it at all,andup to 50% cant tolerate it in high enough doses to make it really effective. [/QUOTE]
I’m glad your kitty is feeling better on the diet.
do you have data to back up your statement on tapazole/methimazole? the studies i have seen report less than <20% of felines have clinical side effects from tapazole/methimazole [JVIM, Volume 2, Issue 3, pages 150–157, July 1988] and report ~87% effectiveness (when given BID vs SID (~54%). [JAVMA 222 (7):954-958; 2003].
As posted earlier in this tread, while y/d was shown in a VERY small number of cats to lower T4 levels, it isn’t low enough. At T4 >2.5 in the hyperthyroid cat, end organ damage can still occur.
Did you consider I131??
just start y/d canned
I have a 19-year-old cat who has been hyperthyroid for two years and has moderate renal failure. I started her on the canned y/d yesterday. I reduced her transdermal Methimazole by 50 percent today. She is eating the y/d, whereas she has only nibbled on a variety of canned food during the past few weeks. I’m willing to give this food a try because she is eating it right now. I hope all our cats have good luck with y/d.
[QUOTE=Brydelle Farm;6138655]
I’m glad your kitty is feeling better on the diet.
do you have data to back up your statement on tapazole/methimazole? the studies i have seen report less than <20% of felines have clinical side effects from tapazole/methimazole [JVIM, Volume 2, Issue 3, pages 150–157, July 1988] and report ~87% effectiveness (when given BID vs SID (~54%). [JAVMA 222 (7):954-958; 2003].
As posted earlier in this tread, while y/d was shown in a VERY small number of cats to lower T4 levels, it isn’t low enough. At T4 >2.5 in the hyperthyroid cat, end organ damage can still occur.
Did you consider I131??[/QUOTE]
That data is what the vet told me. Tapazole is quite effective, but many cats (she said about 50%) cant tolerate the exact dose needed - or it takes time to built it up to the amount needed to normalize the T4. Mine cant take it - he wont stop vomitingwhen on it. Off it, he doesnt vomit.
He doesnt vomit on the YD and has already gained weight and looking better. We are not repeating his T4 for another 4 weeks. To be honest, if his T4 isnt lower but he’s happier thats just fine with me. Quality of life is the goal here.
Not interested in I-131. He is very very difficult to handle in clinics and gets stressed.
[QUOTE=SquishTheBunny;6173081]
…
He doesnt vomit on the YD and has already gained weight and looking better. We are not repeating his T4 for another 4 weeks. To be honest, if his T4 isnt lower but he’s happier thats just fine with me. Quality of life is the goal here.
Not interested in I-131. He is very very difficult to handle in clinics and gets stressed.[/QUOTE]
Hi,
I just discovered my dear 15 year old cat has a too high T4, and we’ve been recommended by the vet. to feed him Hill’s y/d. At the same time I hear so much about the lack of nutrition and strange ingredients in Hills among other brands… Then again, of course I would like to avoid meds and I 131 if possible. He is still playful and curious, though lost some weight and vomits now and then, a bit more tired. I came upon this thread today, and am very curious… How did it go? Any other experiences? All the best to you and your kitties!
Well, the cat’s T4 did come down significantly on YD. Not normal, but much closer to normal than we could get him with the tapazole pills.
However, as of last month he now has GI issues (lilely lymphoma), and unless he is on a very bland diet he gets diarrhea. He is back on the tapazole pills at a lower dose three times daily, (1.25mg three times daily), his T4 has crept up a little but not an alarming amount. If he gets a larger dose in one sititng, he will vomit.
I think the food is very cat specific. It did work well for mine, pretty much normalizing his T4 and the vomiting had ceased completely. I know many cats who it also worked for. However some do not do well with it.
Its worth a try, but if it doesnt work tapazole is cheap and IMHO just as effective in most cats.
My elderly neighbor’s hyperthyroid cat successfully transitioned to the Y/D from Tapezole with EXCELLENT results - T4 back in normal range, and went from extremely skinny with poor hair coat (she literally looked like she was about to die) to sleek, sassy and fat within about 6 months.
Another hyperthyroid cat of a friend that’s in vet school with me would NOT TOUCH IT. Wouldn’t eat canned or dry. I guess it’s palatable to some and not others!
The Y/D diet could really revolutionize hyperthyroidism treatment, and in my opinion it’s a fantastic product.
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