# Thyroid Removal Operation, lots of advice/experiences needed please!



## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

Thankyou for viewing my questions.

My cat Milly is 14, I have booked her into to have one of her thyroids removed next Thursday. She first went on throid tablets but was being sick at least twice a day and loosing lots of weight  She then went on to the Hills y/d thyroid food, she really doesn't like it at all so that's why i've decided on the op even though I didn't want to else she could have heart failure.

I'd love to hear other peoples experiences of this op, how it changed their cat afterwards (weight gain? Less skittish? More happier? Return of thicker coat?) I'm so scared of loosing her, she's been my baby since I was 18, I would be devasted if anything happended to her even more so if it was because I opted for her to have surgery.

Can I ask how much you paid for the operation too as my vet quoted me from £750 up to around £900 which i'll be paying myself....I stupidly cancelled my cats insurance then Milly got Overactive Thyroidism so I've reinstated insurance for both my cats but they wont cover Milly's thyroidism which I knew they wouldn't as it pre existing, oh well lessoned learnt  I just thought that was a high price as I'm sure I saw somewhere that it was no more than £600, maybe it was an older website though.

I'd really really appreciate any kind of information, the more the better as I need to know I am making the right dicision.

Thankyou 

Allysa


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

I would look into radioactive iodine treatment before committing to the knife.

Hyperthyroidism in cats
http://www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/vet_care_leaflets/VET17-Hyperthyroidism.pdf

There are not many places in the UK that do it - the Langford is one.

http://www.langfordvets.co.uk/radioiodine.htm
http://www.barton-vets.co.uk/index.php?view=pageView&pageid=1528
http://www.rvc.ac.uk/small-animal-r...st-procedures/radioactive-iodine-i131-therapy
http://www.rowevetgroup.com/referral-services/iodine-radiation-therapy.aspx


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

OrientalSlave said:


> I would look into radioactive iodine treatment before committing to the knife.
> 
> Hyperthyroidism in cats


I agree with OS....I think I priced it at £1200 last time I checked....and while this may be several hundred pounds more than the surgical route ( BTW, I think that vet is charging a lot for the op! ) it is final and curative. With surgery there is a chance that the condition will re-occur and that the other half of the gland will need to be removed too.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

The other advantage of it over surgery is that sometimes the abnormal tissue is extopic - outside the thyroid gland - surgery doesn't get it, the iodine does.


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

I would love to do thyroid treatment but Milly does not like vets at the best of times and she would be there at least two weeks plus with costs it's not realistic.

I've spoken to another vets that has quoted me no more than £500, maybe less and they have more experience and that's with an over night stay and drip just in case calcium needs to be kick started.

I don't know how vets can get away with charging so much, my own vets quoting me possibly up to £400 more?!!

Does anyone have any experience in regards to a thyroid ectimony that can answer my questions please?


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

Paddypaws said:


> I agree with OS....I think I priced it at £1200 last time I checked....and while this may be several hundred pounds more than the surgical route ( BTW, I think that vet is charging a lot for the op! ) it is final and curative. With surgery there is a chance that the condition will re-occur and that the other half of the gland will need to be removed too.


You are 100% correct about my vets overcharging me, hence I will be moving my cats to another surgery after being with my current vets for around 13 years!

I've spoken with three other practices and two have had lots of experiance in carrying out the operation.

Thankyou for letting me know, it promted me to double check other vets and will make it less finatially hard


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## lisa0307 (Aug 25, 2009)

Can't remember how many years ago we had our cat's thyroid removed...must have been about 1998 and he lived another five years of very good quality life...can't remember the cost although I guess it was a lot less...we were worried but felt it was the right thing to do as our vet explained everything at the time and the cat was on tablets...best thing we ever did...cat was way more relaxed and his heart rate slowed down..he was 19 years old at the time so your cat is a spring chicken compared to ours 
wishing you all the best. x


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## MoggyBaby (Mar 8, 2011)

Hi there,

My old Slugger had a half-thyroid removal when he was 12-13. He was [email protected] at taking tablets so I had to go this route. 

Afterwards he was great with no side effects whatsoever. He lived until he was 17. 

I would have no qualms about putting any of my other cats through this op if it was required.

ETA: I had this op done about 10 yrs ago so can't recall how much I paid but it was certainly not the silly value of £900 you have been quoted, even with 10yrs worth of inflation!!!! 

I hope that helps.


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Having the Thyroid removed for my elderly British cream was the best thing!
I think she was 13 or 14 years old when we had it done . She hated taking tablets and so it was the only option.
I know we didn't pay any more than £200 for the operation. Blood test costs were extra. This was about 5 years ago. I keep all my invoices from the vets on my computer but she sadly died last year and I have searched through and I think I have deleted them now.
Our vet is just a man on his own and so is not in a big practice. I would be certainly ringing round but also maybe check reviews on how good the vets are. It is a simple op so I am shocked at some of the prices people are paying.
As for the health side of things. Our cat was fine afterwards and enjoyed her twilight years.


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## ljs85 (Jun 2, 2012)

Allysa81 said:


> Thankyou for viewing my questions.
> 
> My cat Milly is 14, I have booked her into to have one of her thyroids removed next Thursday. She first went on throid tablets but was being sick at least twice a day and loosing lots of weight  She then went on to the Hills y/d thyroid food, she really doesn't like it at all so that's why i've decided on the op even though I didn't want to else she could have heart failure.


Sorry to hear about your cat. It sounds just like my Tabitha (who's nearing 10). Have you possibly tried different medication? I _think _ there are different types of tablets. Currently Tabitha is on tablets twice a day (can't remember what they're called) and it has stopped the throwing up and she's remained a steady wait.


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## Tylah (Mar 12, 2011)

My cat Heinz had the OP done in the autumn. We were charged £750, as he stayed in overnight so he could remain on the drip. 

The worst thing was when he came home, just to see how much fur they had shaved away. They shaved under his chin and all this throat and chest area. He had a sticky bandage over his wound which was about 2 inches long, quite neat and tidy with no bruising. 

I was told to watch out for twitching, as it would mean he was having a seizure and would need to be rushed back to the vets as an emergency, so for the 2 weeks after the OP I only dozed on and off on the sofa next to him so I could keep an eye on him. 

Heinz had both lobes removed, so it can take up to 3 months for the body to kick start the other thyroid producing cells into making more. I felt he was feeling colder that he used to be, and would like to lie in front of the portable heater all the time. I've bought him a Petnap heated mat which is placed under his fleece blanket, so he's happier with that now. 

I was told by my vet that he wanted Heinz to gain weight before surgery, so I assist fed him 200g of raw a day in the 2 months prior to surgery. He was 4.9kg then and I'm able to assist feed him 170g now to maintain his weight. 

I couldn't of opted for the I-131 for Heinz as he no longer eats on his own anymore so 3 weeks away from home was out of the question. But i'm glad i did the surgery, it's one less thing to worry about. I would opt for surgery again straight away if any of my other cats were diagnosed hyperT. 

Since you're only having 1 lobe removed, I'm assuming you're going to get the other one taken out in a few months time? I read that's one way of doing things, but it would surely cost twice as much.


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

Tylah said:


> My cat Heinz had the OP done in the autumn. We were charged £750, as he stayed in overnight so he could remain on the drip.
> 
> The worst thing was when he came home, just to see how much fur they had shaved away. They shaved under his chin and all this throat and chest area. He had a sticky bandage over his wound which was about 2 inches long, quite neat and tidy with no bruising.
> 
> ...


Aww poor Heinz, at least he has a mummy that loves him lots though! Can I ask his age? How come you had both thyoids removed? Were both thyroid glands affected and will he know go on a supplement of some kind?

Well I've been told that 'usually' it is just one thyroid affected, which I'm hoping my Milly is in that percentage. I know that sometimes after a couple years (heard a couple cases of 5 years) the other thyroid will 'flare' up in the same way as the first so then that needs to removed and the cat goes on some kind of supplements....I would only opt for Milly to have more surgery if the other thyroid flared up but I am hoping that this surgery will make her better.

Thanyou so much for sharing yours and Heinz experience and I hope he continues to feel better!


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

lisa0307 said:


> Can't remember how many years ago we had our cat's thyroid removed...must have been about 1998 and he lived another five years of very good quality life...can't remember the cost although I guess it was a lot less...we were worried but felt it was the right thing to do as our vet explained everything at the time and the cat was on tablets...best thing we ever did...cat was way more relaxed and his heart rate slowed down..he was 19 years old at the time so your cat is a spring chicken compared to ours
> wishing you all the best. x


Wow Lisa, so your cat lived to be 24 years old? Any tips on longevity for them? Did he put weight back on after the surgery? How did his mood change?


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## 8tansox (Jan 29, 2010)

I know this is the cat section and I don't have cats, but, my 17 year old Cairn Terrier had his thyroid removed and had a great quality of life afterwards, he lived until he was 19. Just thought I'd stick my nose in and add my two-penneth. Sorry it's not a cat I'm referring to.


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

MoggyBaby said:


> Hi there,
> 
> My old Slugger had a half-thyroid removal when he was 12-13. He was [email protected] at taking tablets so I had to go this route.
> 
> ...


Aww bless you, yes I know the feeling regarding the tablet thing, it is not realistic for alot of people as it's not nice for the cat or for the person administering the tablet. I hid it in Milly's food, 50% she wouldn't eat that peice (not a nice thing to do for a vegan putting tablet in a peice of meat) Those occassions I then used a pill gun, Milly did not like pills....Anyway after taking tablets for around 4 days she started being sick so I stopped for a couple days then restarted the pills (hoping it was glitch) and sure enough after 4 or 5 days she was sick again, she was being sick at least 2 or 3 times a day, she lost alot of weight. She then went on y/d formula, she will not eat it so now I'm just in process of getting ready to start her back up on the tyroid tablets when I know when the operation date will be so her thyroid levels are lower....

Hyperthyroidism is really trial by error and each cat is different and reacts differently to treatments and some cats don't mind taking tablets, aren't sick or that they like the tyroid food....I have red lots up on thyroidism and the operation but not many first hand accounts which I was slightly nervous about which is why I came here, so pleaseed I have read some really positive experiences of the thyroid removal surgery as I'm scared for my baby Milly o this has put me at ease......Thankyou all so much!


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

MoggyBaby said:


> Hi there,
> 
> My old Slugger had a half-thyroid removal when he was 12-13. He was [email protected] at taking tablets so I had to go this route.
> 
> ...


By the way I love your video you ahve on your signature!! lol Can I ask where you got it please and how you put it on signature?


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

8tansox said:


> I know this is the cat section and I don't have cats, but, my 17 year old Cairn Terrier had his thyroid removed and had a great quality of life afterwards, he lived until he was 19. Just thought I'd stick my nose in and add my two-penneth. Sorry it's not a cat I'm referring to.


Thankyou Sox, any positive experience of the thyroid removal operation is great as it is putting my mind at ease.....I was worried it would be a dangerous op and would be devastated if I chose for her to have surgery and she died, this thread and it's comments have helped, thankyou


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## lisa0307 (Aug 25, 2009)

Allysa81 said:


> Wow Lisa, so your cat lived to be 24 years old? Any tips on longevity for them? Did he put weight back on after the surgery? How did his mood change?


Our other cat lived to 25 so both were long livers...both were indoor cats as we lived on a main road...neither of them EVER had any vaccinations...they ate anything and everything from tinned to fresh food 

..his mood did change and he became much more relaxed as his heart rate was far too fast and although he didn't gain much weight he stopped constantly pacing back and forth which he had started to do...would have this operation done again if I had to as the cat was so much better...we did worry, mainly because he was such an old cat but he was in great shape it was either watch him have a heart attack and lose weight or have the op.... please keep us updated hun...wishing puss a speedy recovery x


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

lisa0307 said:


> Our other cat lived to 25 so both were long livers...both were indoor cats as we lived on a main road...neither of them EVER had any vaccinations...they ate anything and everything from tinned to fresh food
> 
> ..his mood did change and he became much more relaxed as his heart rate was far too fast and although he didn't gain much weight he stopped constantly pacing back and forth which he had started to do...would have this operation done again if I had to as the cat was so much better...we did worry, mainly because he was such an old cat but he was in great shape it was either watch him have a heart attack and lose weight or have the op.... please keep us updated hun...wishing puss a speedy recovery x


Thankyou for letting me know your experience Lisa, it's really helped.

Well I went to another vets with Milly for a check up yesterday after work yesterday afternoon. The vet was very nice and has alot of experience it seems doing the op plus cheaper than the vets I usually go/went to. I went there thinkin that we'd arrange for him to do the surgery when I am on leave but he said he could do it this morning.. It meant I had to leave her at the vets overnight which was hard to say the least  I know she will be fine, reading peoples experiences of how their cats have been has helped. She should be having surgery this morning (late morning) I hope she is not too scared and wandering where I am.

I will let you know how she is doing as the vet said he would call as soon as surgery is completed. She most likely will be in overnight and then I can take her home tomorrow. I just phoned the vets and they said she was fine but very vocal, I think because she's hungry, part of the overactive thyroid....

I just can't wait til I get that call and when she is home and seeing her all better! At least she will be getting sorted sooner rather than later.

Thankyou everyone for your posts and I will let you know how she gets on later.

Allysa x


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## Allysa81 (Mar 19, 2013)

lisa0307 said:


> Our other cat lived to 25 so both were long livers...both were indoor cats as we lived on a main road...neither of them EVER had any vaccinations...they ate anything and everything from tinned to fresh food
> 
> ..his mood did change and he became much more relaxed as his heart rate was far too fast and although he didn't gain much weight he stopped constantly pacing back and forth which he had started to do...would have this operation done again if I had to as the cat was so much better...we did worry, mainly because he was such an old cat but he was in great shape it was either watch him have a heart attack and lose weight or have the op.... please keep us updated hun...wishing puss a speedy recovery x


Hi, my cat Milly had the thyroidectimony about 7/8 weeks ago and she is well, she had both removed and luckily the vets only cut away a little of the pyrogland so her calcium levels and thyroid levels came back totally fine after her surgery She is I think nearly 14 years now and I notice that she kind of goes into her own world alot, may be more so since surgery (could be my parranoia but at least she is better and she is even sleeping back on my bed 

My other cat Mollymay has now become hyperthyroid....She had blood analysis done a few weeks back and there was a slight abnormality so then they tested her thyroid which is at 106 (normal level is 60) So now I will be bookign her in for the thyroidectimony, at least I wont need to do any investigatory work for Molly as I did with Milly for treatment as I know that tablets and thyroid food didn't work at all for Milly only the operation did.....I had to pay for all treatment for Milly as it was pre existing issue when I got pet insurance so I am hoping that insurance covers Molly's blood works costs that I've paid for....If they do then they will pay for operation so I'm just wiating for a week to see if they do but either way I will be booking her in for the op within the next three weeks time....I'm not looking forward to it as Molly does not like vets and she is my little sweetpea, Milly is quite chilled when she goes vets.....I am thinking positively as it could have been worse....

The vet was surprised really as she said that Molly does not have over active thyroid symptoms so she thinks it has just started....


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## Etienne (Dec 8, 2010)

I am pleased to read that Milly`s op went well and she is getting back to normal.
Also may I add my wishes that Mollymay comes through okay and is reasonally back to normal very soon


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