Hyperthyroidism is one of THE MOST common senior cat conditions. In the majority of cats, one or both thyroid glands develop a benign enlargement, whereby the glands secrete more and more of the active thyroid hormone - the hormone responsible for your metabolic rate. These cats cannot be accused of "slowing down" at all, as they are often quite hyperactive and restless. This condition causes a gradual weight loss, sometimes vomiting or diarrhea, increased drinking and increased vocalization. Because most cats with hyperthyroidism have an excellent to ravenous appetite, people often do not suspect that their aging cat has a medical condition. Due to the hypertension (high blood pressure) that develops with hyperthyroidism, however, damage to the heart, kidneys and eyes can occur. After diagnosis, the majority of cats can be managed with medical therapy, a medication called methimazole. A very small percentage will not tolerate oral medication, though, and these cats are then recommended for either surgery or a procedure called Iodine 131 Therapy. These last 2 options are usually encouraged for the younger senior patient as they have the chance for a complete cure of this condition.

A single assessment cannot tell how fast kidney disease is progressing, so we often reassess our patients every 4-6 months. The majority of patients just have aging kidneys, but making sure that high blood pressure or infection have not been involved in the kidney's loss of function, is important. A urine culture early in this process can be critical to diagnosing an infection. We can potentially reverse and/or treat hypertension or infection. Otherwise, our goal is to give our patients the best quality of life we can, and slow the progression of kidney disease. So, a patient diagnosed at IRIS stage 2-3 will most likely be prescribed a reduced or restricted protein diet. There is long standing data to show that reduced protein diets can slow the progression of kidney disease. There is no benefit to giving a reduced protein diet to a pet who does not have kidney disease, though. Besides dietary therapy, keeping a patient well hydrated can be achieved by adding water to dry and canned foods,encouraging more drinking with offering circulating water fountains or administering supplemental fluids subcutaneously. Sometimes potassium supplements, phosphate binders, acid reducers, and appetite stimulants are also given. The biggest complaint we hear from clients who are treating a cats with kidney disease is that their cats will not eat these low protein foods. Pet food companies like Hills, Royal Canin, and Purina have worked hard to create palatable diets and we offer quite a few options between these foods to discover which prescription diet is best accepted by our patients. Again, with early diagnosis and support with dietary and medical therapy, many patients will enjoy a good quality of life for months to years.