Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Managing hyperthyroidism in cats with methimazole treatment
By Trepanier, Lauren A·Published in The Veterinary clinics of North America. Small animal practice·2007·Department of Medical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Pharmacologic management of feline hyperthyroidism.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 10-year-old cat with hyperthyroidism was treated with methimazole, a medication that helps manage the condition. While this treatment can be effective, it sometimes causes side effects like upset stomach or skin irritation. For this cat, a transdermal form of methimazole was used to reduce gastrointestinal issues. The cat was closely monitored with blood tests to ensure kidney function remained stable. Overall, the treatment helped manage the hyperthyroidism, but blood pressure issues were also addressed with additional medication.
People also search for: cat hyperthyroidism treatment · methimazole side effects in cats · transdermal methimazole for cats
Abstract
Radioiodine is considered the treatment of choice for hyperthyroidism, but in some situations, methimazole therapy is preferred, such as in cats with preexisting renal insufficiency. Unfavorable outcomes from methimazole are usually attributable to side effects, such as gastrointestinal upset, facial excoriation, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, or liver enzyme elevations. Because restoration of euthyroidism can lead to a drop in glomerular filtration rate, all cats treated with methimazole should be monitored with blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels in addition to serum thyroxine (T(4)) and a complete blood cell count. Transdermal methimazole is associated with fewer gastrointestinal side effects and can be used in cats with simple vomiting or inappetence from oral methimazole. Hypertension may not resolve immediately when serum T(4) is normalized, and moderate to severe hypertension should be treated concurrently with atenolol, amlodipine, or an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17619011/