RIP ~ Beloved Naku ~ knowing you will always be loved and remembered ~
((hugs)) laced with strength and comfort for the family she leaves behind ~
I am so sorry. You gave her the best life she could have had, and you are giving her the last gift you can give her.
Hugs and jingles to you both.
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RIP Naku
I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope her passing was peaceful.
I also hope the I-131 is successful for Gracie. I can’t imagine a month of no treatment. I only had to stop Snickers’ meds for 3 days.
Different treatment centers have different protocols. I considered the treatment for Naku a few years ago, but decided she was too old. At that point the place wanted 2 weeks off meds and a T4 test just before they came in. Now it’s 2 weeks off meds, T4 test at least 10 days before treatment.
The other cat I had I-131 treated was back in 2001 or so; she was off the meds because she could not tolerate them. She had to stay at the treatment center for almost 2 weeks! I got Gracie back after 2 days, have to collect her radioactive waste for 2 weeks, then store it for several months before it goes in the trash. “Officially” I was supposed to use flushable litter and flush her “output”, but DH nixed that on account of our septic system.
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So sorry to hear this
Godspeed Naku. The final act of love is taking their pain and making it our own. 
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I’m very sorry about Naku. I just looked back at your original post to check her age and saw she was 21. What a wonderful long life and she was obviously very loved. Hugs to you. 
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RIP Naku! I am so sorry for your loss. Naku was so lucky to have you and make it to 21.
RIP Naku good kitty
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Argh, y’all, now we have problems with Gracie.
The short version: when your vet gives you a medicine for your pet, be sure it’s the medicine you’re expecting.
Gracie ended up with hypothyroidism after being treated with I131 for hyperthyroidism. In the fall, she was gaining weight and sluggish and always seemed cold, so she got labwork done and her T4 was right on the line, so the vet did a full thyroid panel, and she is now hypothyroid. Also, as often happens with cats treated for hyperthyroidism, she had underlying kidney disease, not terrible, but certainly of concern.
The vet gave us medicine, and we tried a range of foods for “kidney cats” to find something she would eat. (She’s now eating Royal Canin T and D, after a long period of only eating kd “stews” until she decided they were no good. And regular LiveClear dry food as she refuses to eat any dry kidney food.)
Based on weight gain and a repeat blood test, her medication was doubled at the start of this year. And then she just got a bit weird. Her desire to drape over one’s shoulder and be carried around became an obsession. Her appetite was either gone, or she overate. She continued sleeping under all the blankets on the bed for most of the day.
I was having trouble pilling her, and could not find a transdermal form of levothyroxine, which was the medicine I thought she was on. I’d ordered methimazole by accident, and the vet called last Monday to ask about it. And then we proceeded to have a weird conversation where she insisted that Gracie was hyperthyroid, and that she rarely puts cats on levothyroxine. I had COVID at the time and was feeling pretty awful, but DH brought me Gracie’s rx bottle… and it was Felimazole! So my hypothyroid cat has been on medicine for hyperthyroidism since November.
At the advice of a vet friend, I called the clinic and asked to speak to the senior vet, who was there when I started taking animals to that clinic in 1999 and knows me pretty well. He called back after reviewing Gracie’s records, and was very upset at what had happened. He said he wanted to take over Gracie’s care, and that she’d need a medication-free washout period, and we’ll get bloodwork done this Friday to see what she needs. He didn’t say anything about the vet who screwed up, but “through the grapevine” I hear that this isn’t the first major error she has made… so she may be gone.
And now Gracie’s really looking like a cat whose kidneys are failing. Her fur isn’t pretty anymore, and she’s losing weight. Her appetite is pretty good, and while she’s still obsessed with getting shoulder rides and spends a lot of time sleeping under all the blankets on the bed, it’s not like it was 2 weeks ago.
I just feel like an idiot for not catching this sooner.
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Jingles & AO for your dear Gracie ~
- how awful ! Yes, that vet needs to be gone !
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Please don’t blame yourself. You’re a good owner, and who would expect a vet to make such an error?
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I’m so sorry! Poor Gracie. If you haven’t already, starting her on subQ fluids will perk her up and help her kidneys. The vet can help you determine how often.
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Wow. I am not someone who is litigious but… in your shoes…
Big hugs to you, and I hope Gracie turns a corner soon. I don’t know if I would have caught that either - I have never brought home medicine and googled it to make sure that it’s the medicine they’re supposed to have. If we knew this stuff, we would be vets…
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(((hugs)))
I hope Gracie starts feeling better after she’s correctly medicated.
And don’t blame yourself, that’s on the vet. I’d be very upset with her/him.
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I can’t do anything until she’s had her blood draw on Friday. She’s not dehydrated and she’s eating and drinking well, so I’m letting her be.
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Poor kitty! I am glad you caught this so she can get on the road to recovery very soon. I would be so pissed. You’re supposed to help my pet not harm it.
I hope you are feeling better as well.
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I hope Gracie improves soon. So sorry you are going through this.
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I really wouldn’t be too worried about her fur not being pretty and losing weight that can all really easily be attributed to her thyroid being “off” which wasn’t helped by the vet who should absolutely be fired. It’s also quite common for hyperthyroid cats to swing to hypo for a few months after treatment and then swing back to normal. My cat did that and the vet did not want to medicate her just wait 3 months for a recheck of her bloodwork.
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agree on all points, but she had her I131 treatment last April… and was testing low in November.
