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Ask the Vet About Hyperthyroidism in Cats

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While efforts are made to answer all questions as quickly as possible, if an immediate answer is required or if your pet is in need of urgent or emergency care, contact your pet's veterinarian immediately.
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Our cat requires a cream (Methimazole 2.5MG) for a thyroid problem. The instructions say NOT to get the cream on your skin. Years ago my thyroid was irradiated, essentially I have no thyroid. Can the cream still have an effect if it gets on my skin? Thanks!
Yes, you can still absorb it through your skin and it can adversely affect your thyroid levels.

13 yr old cat very bony despite great appetite and energy
Yes, you categorized your question correctly because that does sound like hyperthyroidism, which is easy to diagnosis with a quick blood test at your veterinarian and pretty cheap and easy to control with medication. Here is a link to an article about hyperthyroidism and treatment options: https://www.1800petmeds.com/education/hyperthyroidism-cat-12.html

Her prescription is on file. Why is she now urinating copious amounts? Is her prescription too much or too little? She doesn’t play much now. Her balance is way off, and she cannot focus easily. I’m very worried her medication may be off.
Definitely have your veterinarian recheck her and run some blood work to check her thyroid and her kidneys.

My now 19 year old cat has been treated for hyperthyroidism with transdermal Methimazole for over 3 years now, and her ears are starting to show it. The skin on the inside of her ears gets so red, and her ears get so warm, and she scratches at them. What would work to clean/flush out her ears, to wash off the dried Methimazole, to apply to the irritated area to soothe her skin?
I would really need to see her ears to be able to recommend something. If it's really irritated, Zymox Otic with hydrocortisone may help - here is a link to that: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Zymox+Otic+Enzymatic+Solution+with+Hydrocortisone-prod10622.html. If they just need cleaning, Epi-Otic Advancced is my favorite cleaner: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Epi+Otic+Advanced+Ear+Cleanser-prod11109.html

Is this medication can be purchased with you
I need to know exactly what medication you are looking for. You categorized this question under hyperthyroidism and that is an extremely rare disorder in dogs. (Hypothyroidism is much more common in dogs.) Or do you have a cat? (In which case, hyperthyroidism is much more common.) Feel free to submit another question if you still need help.

Do you carry the twist-a-dose applicator for putting methimazole (sp?) gel in my cat's ear? Or something like it, where it gives the correct dose automatically?
We do carry the transdermal methimazole if that is what you are looking for, see this page: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Methimazole+Compounded+-prod90110.html

I have a prescription from my vet & I’m wondering how to get the information to you.
It depends on what medication you are trying to order. since you filed the question under "hyperthyroidism", I'm going to guess that you are looking for methimazole, so here is a direct link to the order the product: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Methimazole-prod10491.html

My cat was estimated to be 6 years old when I adopted him from a shelter and shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. He's now 11 years old. We tried methimazole first but he would vomit it up shortly after administering it. Vet switched him over to Hill's prescription diet dry food y/d which worked for a while but with vomiting that worsened over time. The whole time he had very loose, watery stools. Switched to the Hill's y/d can food. The vomiting slowed for a while then became more frequent again. Stools continued to be loose. It was getting so bad that he was sick daily. He'd howl and vomit, and try unsuccessfully to make it to his litterbox. I could tell he was in pain and distress. I suspect he has IBD as well. He has gone from a healthy 12 lbs when I adopted him, to less than 8 lbs. He is so skinny his bones are protruding, and he sleeps all the time. My last desperate attempt to help him was to give him a raw food diet consising of organic chicken thighs, hearts, liver, and supplements recommended by a holistic vet. He did amazingly well at first. Solid stools, no more vomiting, and became playful and energetic. Sadly, this only lasted about a week. It's been 3 days now and he hasn't eaten. I'm out of ideas and cannot afford the radiodine treatment that could potentially cure him. I guess I need to know when it's time for me to let him go - to have him euthanized.
It does sound like he has more than one problem (possibly IBD with hyperthyroidism) - maybe the diet helped the IBD but it sounds like the hyperthyroidism is totally uncontrolled if he isn't on any methimazole. Ask your veterinarian about transdermal methimazole.

I accidentally gave my one cat the other cats felimazole, 2.5mg dose. She seems ok. What should I watch for?
If she is otherwise healthy, just a one time, normal dosage, shouldn't cause any major issues. She might be a little more tired, but I doubt you will notice anything.

What are the symptoms of a thyroid problem in cats?
Here is a link to a really good article, written by another veterinarian, from a site that I trust about the symptoms of hyperthyroidism - there are other links on the page to treatment options as well: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951398

Is there a transdermal compound that would deliver 2.5mg of Methimazole 2X per day? What would be the cost of a 30 day supply? This is for a 15 year old female cat. Thank you!
Here is a link to our transdermal methimazole, with the price: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Methimazole+Compounded+-prod90110.html

Seeking a second opinion, going to try to keep this brief! My 14-year-old cat Budder has hyperthyroidism and severe anxiety — he shakes, howls, etc. while being transported, in unfamiliar environments and around unfamiliar people. Tomorrow we plan on taking him to a friend’s house for a few hours while things are done in our apartment, but it seems likely that he has high blood pressure and I’m worried that the stress of transporting him + the new environment could cause a stroke or a heart attack. He started transdermal Methimazole last week after months of inconsistent treatment with tablets throughout which time he continued to show symptoms of hyperthyroidism. We’re still waiting for the results of urinalysis and bloodwork so we ultimately don’t know anything about the state of his heart and kidneys. We have Gabapentin that he was prescribed some time ago, before his hyperthyroidism diagnosis but some time after the onset of symptoms. He was still very stressed the last time he took it but it definitely helped and there were no complications. I realize this may be too much to ask of someone who has not examined him, but is Gabapentin more likely to help or harm in this scenario? Are there other medication options we should be exploring (ex: blood thinners, etc.)? Should we postpone the work in our apartment until we have all of his results back? Again, my biggest concern is the stress causing his blood pressure to sky rocket, causing a stroke or something of that nature. I can’t overstate the severity of his anxiety. He basically has panic attacks. Finally, if he does in fact have high blood pressure or a heart condition, what is the likelihood of extreme stress causing a medical emergency? Apologies for the many questions, just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing for him. Thank you.
All of these questions are going to be best answered by his veterinarian who has access to his bloodwork. I would wait on that to come back to see if the gabapentin is ok to give him, so yes, it sounds like it's best to postpone if that is an option, until his bloodwork comes back, then ask your veterinarian. That will give the methimazole patch a little longer to hopefully get him more regulated as well.

My cat is showing many signs of a thyroid condition..sudden ravenous appetite..matted fur..weight loss..could this be the problem?
Yes, hyperthyroidism is fairly common. Many other conditions can mimic it (especially the weight loss and unkept hair coat) so see your veterinarian for some quick & easy blood tests to see exactly what is going on.

Do you have a medication called ( Methimazole) 50mglml transdermal gel if so what is the cost and do you take CareCredit MasterCard thank you Kathy
Yes, here is a link to read about it, with the price: https://www.1800petmeds.com/Methimazole+Compounded+-prod90110.html As far as CareCredit, you will have to ask Customer Service about that - here is their contact information: Toll Free Number (Call or Text) 1-800-PetMeds® (1-800-738-6337) Email Address customerservice@1800petmeds.com

My 12 year old cat has been on Methimazole (1/2 pill 2 x day) for almost a year and has been doing great on it. Before being diagnosed she had what we thought was a seizure. None since being on the meds until today. is there any connection?
Seizures are not a common clinical sign with hyperthyroidism, but it is certainly possible as the thyroid gland affects the entire body and since the medication to regulate her seems to help.