Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat owners' experiences with radioiodine for hyperthyroidism in the UK
By Boland, Lara A et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2014·School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK, United Kingdom·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: A survey of owners’ perceptions and experiences of radioiodine treatment of feline hyperthyroidism in the UK
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Many cat owners with hyperthyroid cats were surveyed about their experiences with radioiodine treatment, which is a well-known option for this condition. Before treatment, owners rated their cat's quality of life as a 4 out of 10, but after receiving radioiodine, this improved to a 9 out of 10. Most owners (91.7%) felt satisfied with their decision to pursue this treatment, despite concerns about their cat's hospitalization and potential side effects. The study highlights that many owners were unaware of radioiodine as a treatment option, especially for older or uninsured cats.
People also search for: cat hyperthyroidism treatment options · radioiodine for cats · cat quality of life after treatment
Abstract
The efficacy of radioiodine treatment of feline hyperthyroidism is well established; however, limited information is known about owners’ perceptions or experiences of radioiodine. This study aimed to examine factors that influence owner treatment choices and their opinions following radioiodine. Surveys were sent to owners of cats referred for radioiodine treatment between 2002 and 2011 (radioiodine group; 264 cats) and owners of non-radioiodine-treated hyperthyroid cats seen at first-opinion practices (control group; 199 cats). The response rate was 67.0% (310 returned: 175 radioiodine, 135 control). Of 135 controls, 72 (53.3%) were unaware of radioiodine as a treatment option. Owners of cats ⩾15 years old and uninsured cats were less likely to pursue radioiodine. Cost of treatment, travel distance, potential human or animal health risks and waiting periods for radioiodine had a low impact on owners’ treatment choice. Owners reported a moderate level of concern about treatment hospitalisation length, which included (158 respondents) the possibility of the cat being unhappy 130 (82.3%), owner missing the cat 102 (64.6%), inappetence 50 (31.6%), other pets missing the cat 32 (20.3%), development of co-morbid disease 28 (17.7%) and side effects 25 (15.8%). Owners assessed their cat’s quality of life on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 10 (excellent), as 4 (4) (median [interquartile range]) pre-radioiodine (134 respondents) and 9 (2) post-radioiodine (131 respondents). Of 132 respondents, 121 (91.7%) were happy with their decision to choose radioiodine. The results of this questionnaire may assist veterinarians in addressing common owner concerns when discussing radioiodine as a treatment option for hyperthyroidism.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612x13518939