My 17-y-o cat, Peach, went from a normal reading at age 16 to registering a 14 a year later with significant weight loss. All the other readings were great.
They started her on the pills ($24/month from my vet) and within 30 days she was perfectly within range and had already gained over a pound. She’s now on her to becoming pudgy and continues to test exactly the same every time I have her level checked.
Thank you both for sharing your experiences. I am
So hopeful he will be feeling better soon.
My oldest, Mick, is hyperthyroid. She’s now 20, was diagnosed a year ago.
She was managed fine on the meds (had to do the liquid) but in the past couple of weeks has undergone some changes - she’s lost a lot of weight and her appetite is through the roof, so we’re probably going to have to adjust the dosage. She’s still spry, active, demanding, and fully in control, so whatever we need to do, we’ll do.
I did ask my vet about the radioactive iodine treatment, and he didn’t think it would be good to put her through it at her age. I do wish we had tried it, though. Dosing her twice a day is the pits!
Thank you for sharing your kitty. Here’s hoping a med adjustment does the trick!
I’ve had 3 hyperthyroid cats. Two got the radioactive iodine treatment. Myrtle because she couldn’t tolerate the meds, and Gracie because she was fairly young (12). In Gracie’s case, the treatment made her hypothyroid- which is uncommon. I kind of wish I’d kept her on the transdermal medication instead. Now I have to give her a pill every day, which is worse. The third cat, Naku, I chose not to do the RI treatment on because of her age (17); she lived 4 more years on trandermal meds and did quite well until the last couple of months.
@quietann when do you have time? Can you explain to me how applying the transdermal meds works and how careful you have to be about petting your cat afterwards and such?
The transdermal meds go on the inside of the ear flap - not an area where most cats want us putting our fingers. It’s a small amount of meds, maybe the size of a grape seed or an apple seed.
I used a finger cot for the finger that would be rubbing the med on the inside of the ear. But I’ll admit, I eventually figured out that I could dispense the med directly onto the inner earflap from the (needle-less) syringes it came in, and then fold the ear like a taco and rub it in that way, so no medicine got on my fingers.
Thank you!!!
HELP. Eddie has been on his transdermal meds for 1 week. Two days ago he became quieter. Less interested in food. I’ve tried everything. Garbage food. Expensive food. Human food. He eats very little. Maybe a 1/4 to barely 1/3 of what’s offered. His appetite pre meds was voracious. But he utilized none of the nutrition. Now he’s medicated and not hungry. He has a follow-up bloodwork in 10 days to assess. Any ideas? Surprisingly his initial bloodwork was pristine except the thyroid. I’m wondering if this is the cure is as bad as the disease. He’s definitely elderly. Unknown age. Likely mid to late teens. Also he’s FIV +. Wondering if a kind end is in the cards.
Try him on pepcid! I love it for inappetant cats. 2.5 mg once or twice a day. If he’s really just not eating at all, you might have to pill him a few times (I’m sorry, I know you said he wasn’t happy with that.) But once they eat, you can crush and powder it into their food. It doesn’t seem to have much taste.
It’s a big swing for them to be ravenously hungry because their thyroid is going wild to…not. It’s got to be weird for them. Give him some time, and help his belly. See what happens! He might just need to settle in to his new normal 
Thank you Simkie! I have famotmide? (Spelling) is that Pepcid ? I bought it six months ago, but was afraid to pill him because he’s like a vampire but I will try.
I have it in 10 mg. So a quarter ?I googled
What if I take the pill. It’s tiny and put it in a small amount of liquid like 1/10 of a cc and scruff him and put it in the back of his mouth in a syringe?
Yep this is all fine! You’ve got the right stuff and right idea. I hope it helps!
I did it!!! Thank you. 
My vet told me to call immediately if Peach stopped eating after starting the thyroid meds.
I would recommend calling your vet immediately to ask about this, just to be safe.
I hope he’s ok! Sending jingles!
Some cats can’t tolerate methimazole. Or your cat may just need to have the dose adjusted. Have the vet check him out and then you can decide what to do.
The first cat I treated with radiation, Myrtle, was one who could not tolerate methimazole. It was pills back then (2001) and they threw her off her food.
She was an old dilute tortie I adopted. Said to be 14 at the time, but the vet thought she was older. She had a heart murmur and her teeth were awful but the vet wanted her thyroid under control before he’d put her under. Eventually that all got taken care of. But she was a hard luck kitty and had to have a front leg amputated about a year later because of bone cancer. Eventually her kidneys started going, and for about 18 months I gave her sub-Q fluids every 3 days - which she was very good about; she’d just rest in my lap and purr the whole time. I had her put to sleep when it looked like the bone cancer was coming back on a different leg. She was definitely into her 20s by then.
Hey Simkie ! You are a genius. Dosed the famotidine last night and this morning and Eddie is eating again with vigor !! Thank you
Oh yay I’m so glad to hear that!!! Hooray!!
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