# Nutritional Advice for Cat with Hyperthyroidism who won't eat!



## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Hi, I'm new to the site but am desperately looking for ideas on getting my 17yr old cat to eat. She has recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and only weighs 2kg. She has always been a small cat but since Christmas the weight has just fallen off her. Her back legs are also going. Yesterday she managed to eat a thumbnail sized piece of sardine but had sicked it up by this morning. She has her medication now but as she's bringing up her food I don't know that her body is absorbing it or if it's being regurgitated. I am managing to get her to eat the most miniscule amounts of food but I just don't see this being enough to support a recovery. Any advice on what to offer her would be gratefully received.....


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

I'd get her to the vets, they might be able to provide you with a high calorie meal replacement drink for cats that she might be able to keep down til she gets her strength up again for light meals. They might also be able to give a medicine to help her keep food down.


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Thanks for that. Was going to give the vets a ring tomorrow about her not eating but hadn't thought about meal replacements....will definitely mention it, cheers.


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## Argent (Oct 18, 2009)

Good luck, hope you manage to get some weight on her


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

Definitely a vet visit but a few pointers to discuss with them.

I assume she was eating pre the hyperT diagnosis? Felimazole or Vidalta? What was the T4 on diagnosis and medication dose?

IF this inappetence has coincided with commencement of the medication there's a very good chance the dose is too high as this can be a side-effect of what is essentially overdosing. A low-dose start is always advised ( lowering the T4 too rapidly can have a major impact on the kidneys and the back leg weakness sounds to me as if this could well be the case here ) though I have to say in the UK vets do not always comply with this. Have you noticed any increased drinking or urination? If this is the case then you need to inform the vets.

I would also highly recommend joining the Yahoo Hyperthroid group-an excellent source of advise and information from owner's who're currently dealing with the condition.

feline-hyperT : A support list for people whose cats have been diagnosed as hyperthyroid (hypothyroid also welcome).

Hope thinks resolve soon for you and keep us posted!


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

I also have a hyper-T cat, Henry, who was diagnosed in October. Thanks to the yahoo group, I have learned so much about it, so I really recommend you join. They are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive. And quick to respond, so if you post, you'll have a lot of useful info in a few hours.

Some of the things I've learned (and Henry eats anything, so I'm passing along wisdom, not experience.

The pills can cause stomach upset in and of themselves. Symptoms usually don't show up for a few weeks, because they have to build up in the system a little. The transdermal meds help this--they aren't available in the UK, but I want to say they are in France, so if you can get a prescription filled there, that might help. If not, Pepcid will help, or aloe vera juice. Everyone recommends George's brand, because it has no flavour or odour, but again, I'm not sure about availability in the UK. 

As for tempting your cat to eat, try anything, even poor quality wet food. Whatever smells good to her. If she won't eat at all, you may have to syringe feed her and they recommend human baby food. The idea is any nutrition is good nutrition when they aren't eating, and you have to jump start the appetite sometimes. Warming her food could also help, because it releases smells. 

I hope this helps get you thinking and please do join the hyper-T forum. You'll feel so much better when you do. I knew nothing and my vet only knew slightly more, but now I realize he told me a lot of things that were either wrong or not useful. Now I'm armed with an arsenal of knowledge to help my cat get better.

Good luck and keep us updated on her progress.


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Thanks for advice and info....have spoken to the vet tonight and she says to only give Molly a tablet every other day as she is on 20mg and it may be a little too much. She's still not eaten a thing though and has been sick again...


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

...and have joined yahoo group.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

wormitgirl said:


> Hi, I'm new to the site but am desperately looking for ideas on getting my 17yr old cat to eat. She has recently been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and only weighs 2kg. She has always been a small cat but since Christmas the weight has just fallen off her. Her back legs are also going. Yesterday she managed to eat a thumbnail sized piece of sardine but had sicked it up by this morning. She has her medication now but as she's bringing up her food I don't know that her body is absorbing it or if it's being regurgitated. I am managing to get her to eat the most miniscule amounts of food but I just don't see this being enough to support a recovery. Any advice on what to offer her would be gratefully received.....


My old cat had this and he was fussy about what he ate anyway. He got so thin he looked scary. I tempted him with anything I could think of, cooked white fish, salmon, tuna, soft boiled eggs. Anything to get the food down him.



Argent said:


> I'd get her to the vets, they might be able to provide you with a high calorie meal replacement drink for cats that she might be able to keep down til she gets her strength up again for light meals. They might also be able to give a medicine to help her keep food down.


For dogs they have a syrup to line the stomach, but I don't know if the same applies to cats.

I hope she gets better with the lower dose.


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

wormitgirl said:


> ...and have joined yahoo group.


Excellent. Make sure you post an introduction. You'll get all sorts of tips right away and I know there are a lot of people on there from the UK, so they'll be able to help you with things that you can and can't get over there.

And they will tell you that the vet is incorrect in the dosing---the half life of the pill is only about 12-16 hours, so giving it to her every other day won't do her any good at all. Breaking the dosage up for morning and night might help alleviate some symptoms. Don't worry, you're doing all the right things by consulting the vet. I've just seen similar vet advice so many times since joining them that I can predict what they'll say. And they'll tell you great stuff to help her.

The other thing is, the pills only manage the illness, they don't cure it. So, even though she's 17, if she's healthy otherwise, you might want to consider the surgery or, better, I-131 treatment. But they'll tell you more about that too


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

wormitgirl said:


> Thanks for advice and info....have spoken to the vet tonight and she says to only give Molly a tablet every other day as she is on* 20mg* and it may be a little too much. She's still not eaten a thing though and has been sick again...


This is an excessively high dose so I'm not surprised you're seeing the current symptoms.  Regardless of initial T4 reading the recommended starting dose is 2.5mg methimazole ( Felimazole) daily split into two doses.


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Thanks for responding. The consistent message I'm getting is the dose is way too high and I should ask the vet for the twice daily option instead of the slow release...so that is what i'm going to do! Clair


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

I've been reading your thread on the hyper-T forum . I'm so happy you and Molly are getting some guidance and I'm sure she'll be feeling much better soon. Just keeping some food in her will help a lot.


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## Cats cats cats (Feb 4, 2011)

20 mg!!! In my experience that is FAR too much! Is your kitty taking Vidalta? 


I was told vidalta can't be cut but through the yahoo group and contacting the manufacturer I learned that it can! Cut but not crushed. 

Even cutting a 20mg into quarters would still be on the high side though I feel. I would ask for 10 mg tablets and cut into quarters to start with 2.5 mg. 

Hyper t usually results in increased appetite so I would definitely suspect the dose is too high. 

Hope this helps  xx


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Hi guys,
Well the saga with Molly goes on..She is not taking any meds at the moment as she is still not eating. Last Monday she had a steroid injection to increase her appetite but that was unsuccessful. Tonight she's had an anabolic steroid injection to try and jump start her appetite, will have to wait and see what tomorrow brings. I have tried everything I can think of and what others have recommended to get her to eat but with no success. 
I began assist feeding last week which she will tolerate for about 5 mls of food and then she gets too distressed. She is still losing weight and her hyper-t is not being managed. 
What is really weird is that she appears interested in food but just will not eat. I got the vet to check her throat tonight and there is nothing wrong there....I just don't know what to do to tempt her. She is still giving me lots of love though and spends a lot of her waking time purring, which is lovely to hear!
Clair and Molly


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## wormitgirl (Jan 12, 2012)

Thank you all so much for your advice and support over the last couple of weeks.
Unfortunately Molly didn't respond to any treatment at all. Neither of her
steroid injections increased her appetite at all and although we were syringe
feeding her she found it very distressing. In the last week she deteriorated
even more to the point she couldn't walk and had even given up drinking water.
I took her to the vets last night and we took the excruciating decision to put
her to sleep. Lexie and I brought her home and we said goodbye to her as a
family before my husband and I took her back to the vets. The vet warned us
that it may actually take 20-40 seconds for her to go but in the end she passed
on immediately, an indication apparently of just how poorly she was.
I do feel we made the decision at precisely the right time, she still knew who
we were and was purring when we gave her our goodbye cuddles.
RIP Molly, Love Clair, Boris and Lexie xxx :crying:


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## dagny0823 (Oct 20, 2009)

wormitgirl said:


> Thank you all so much for your advice and support over the last couple of weeks.
> Unfortunately Molly didn't respond to any treatment at all. Neither of her
> steroid injections increased her appetite at all and although we were syringe
> feeding her she found it very distressing. In the last week she deteriorated
> ...


Oh Clair, I'm so sorry to hear this. I just read your post on the hyper-T forum as well. At least you were with her and not only did you do everything in your power to make her life better, but you gave her the gift of letting her go in peace when it was time. She knew that and she'll be waiting for you at the Bridge

RIP Molly. Run free with the butterflies and all our lost angels at the bridge


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## spid (Nov 4, 2008)

RIP little one. Hugs for your human slaves


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## Ianthi (Oct 21, 2008)

Really very sorry to hear this. Missed your other update and hadn't realised she'd deteriorated.

RIP little Molly


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