February focuses on three important areas of feline health:
I will be writing about all three in more detail, however today I'd like to focus on Heart Health Month.
Feline Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is both an important and tender subject for me. My beloved cat Bubba, was diagnosed as hyperthyroid at 16.5 years, received radioactive iodine treatment, and subsequently became hypothyroid, and, ironically, had to go back on pills. I was always worried about HCM, because I knew it was often associated with
hyperthyroidism in cats. Bubba died at 18, following a series of Vet ER trips involving rear leg paralysis. Unfortunately, as with Bubba, that is often one of the first symptoms of HCM, which is currently both difficult to diagnose and incurable.
Steve Dale, noted author, news columnist, radio host, and dedicated advocate for animals, shares my interest in feline cardiomyopathy, as it also took his beloved Devon Rex cat, Ricky in similar circumstances. Steve's interest went a lot further, however. A Board Member of the Winn Feline Foundation, he started the Ricky Fund for HCM Research, which has raised thousand of dollars for important research grants. I'll be writing much more this month about HCM Research, including interviews with Steve Dale and some of the other people involved in this important research.
Photo Credit: © iStockPhoto_Dennis Guyitt
Facebook | Twitter | Free Newsletters
Comments
My cat bandit had hyperthyroid at age 10. He had the radioactive Iodine treatment and gained weight. He was at 17.7 pds last week. The vet took a T4 and found he was hypothyroid…had a zero on the scale. I had to put him on pills Dioxine..1/2 tablet. I am not sure what happend but he was foaming at the mouth 6 hours later. We backed off to 1/4 for 3 days. He was sleeping a lot. I returned to the 1/2 tablet and 12 hours later he was foaming at the mouth and having a seizure. My cat was also diabetic and we switched his food at the same time. His levels were 234. I ran him to the ER Vet which he was having multiple seizures so they gave him valium. At the time I did not have the money for all these tests. I had him put down. I feel so bad because I am not sure if it was the new medication or what? but my poor kitty could not lose weight and being diabetic i made that decision. I will never know the answer. But I feel the medication was not good when a cat has had Iodine therapy to kill the overactive thyroid then your putting it back in his system. Any comments or experiences on this?