This condition is becoming more and more common in older cats. The good news is that it is very treatable. If diagnosed early and treated appropriately, hyperthyroidism does not shorten a cat’s life expectancy.
For cats that do not have coexisting kidney disease, radioactive iodine therapy is usually the best treatment option.
Surgery is a second, but rarely best option.
Methimazole, a drug that controls the amount of thyroid hormone produced is the most popular treatment for this disease. Because many cats are difficult to pill, we are able to have methimazole compounded into a good tasting liquid, a chewy treat, or even a transdermal gel (a gel that is applied to the skin on the inside of your cat’s ear where it is absorbed into the bloodstream). Methimazole is not a cure however, and your cat will need to take it for the rest of its life.
