Does hyperthyroidism cause pain in cats? The reference books I have do not say that pain is directly caused by this disease.
I believe that you have to know what causes hyperthyroidism in cats and ask if the illnesses which causes it also causes pain in the cat. As mentioned hyperthyroidism per se does not cause pain. It is either the disease behind the disease or the symptoms of the disease that can cause pain in my opinion but I will give way to superior knowledge.
Feline hyperthyroidism is almost always ‘associated with cancer‘, either a benign cancer or a malignant one (malignant adenocarcinoma).
In reference to humans and on the basis the same applies to cats, cancer can cause pain by (1) growing into or destroying nearby tissue or (2) putting pressure on nerves and other organs.
Feline hyperthyroidism causes weight loss, vomiting and panting. Vomiting causes temporary pain and discomfort. The website canna-pet.com says that feline hyperthyroidism can cause pain and anguish but don’t explain how.
Feline hyperthyroidism can cause kidney and heart disease in cats. Kidney disease is not as far as I know painful but it must be distressing for the cat. A cat with heart disease may have trouble breathing and refuse to eat. Once again there appears to be no direct pain from feline heart disease but distress.
Finally, it may be necessary to operate on a cat with hyperthyroidism to remove the cancerous gland. Another treatment is radioactive iodine to destroy cancer tissues. These operations and treatments will cause pain.
I think a fair conclusion is that hyperthyroidism in cats may cause pain and/or distress indirectly. It should not be ignored.
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