“Clinical improvement, as well as a significant decrease in T4, was noted in all cats.”
T4 means serum thyroxine levels. In layman’s language the treatment reduced the amount of thyroid hormone in the cat, which is the objective because hyperthyroidism is an excess of the hormone due to over-production.
This video show how to apply the drug and clean the cat’s ears because the gel builds up. Ear cleaning should be done carefully and this presenter is careful and thoughtful. The interesting aspect of this is that the drug is absorbed through the skin and where the skin is thin allowing absorption into the bloodstream is the ear flap (the bit of the ear that you see). Applying drugs this way is called “transdermal” meaning via the skin.
There are of course some negatives to this one of which is that the ears need cleaning. The video also covers this. The gentleman presenter has a very gentle and sensible approach which is ideal.
Hyperthyroidism is most common in middle-aged and older cats caused by these environmental factors. The prevalence is 0.33%. This means a third of one percent of all cats get it; quite a high figure when you work out the numbers – about 3 million domestic cats in the USA.
Transdermal application avoids “oral daily administration” which I presume means giving pills to a cat – hurrah! Incidentally the treatments listed on the top website (Google search) for this feline condition does not refer to transdermal methimazole. They list treatment with radioactive iodine and surgical removal of the affected thyroid gland as alternatives to oral medication.
Another benefit of this method that it requires a lower dose can be used:
“a lower dose of methimazole can be used to obtain an equivalent plasma concentration and clinical effect, with reduced risk of side-effects”
A concern is whether this treatment damages the delicate skin of the ear. Apparently the study found that it did not except for one of 13 cats. To quote:
“no cutaneous reactions were noted at the site of the application of the methimazole gel during the length of the study”
The assessment is qualified by saying that they can’t be sure there won’t be some problems in the long term. Always ask your vet about treatments such as this as they should be up to date.
A disabled friend who is an amputee in a wheelchair, phoned the vets, the same practice we use, as he was a bit worried about his cat. For a vet to call out at his house would be £80 plus the treatment.
We were at the vets with Walter yesterday and it cost us almost £70 so going by that it would have cost our friend around £150.
His carer called for a tube of Katalax which thankfully put his cat right, it must have been hairball trouble.
People just can’t afford to call a vet to the house in our area.
I see what you mean now. Clear to me at last! 😉
Matted fur – but it shouldn’t peal off like this. The obvious choice is to stop the flea treatment shampoo and see what happens.
This is a new problem and the only change in his lifestyle is the shampoo as far as I know.
Fleas per se don’t cause this. Another possibility is this: matted fur is heavy because it is dense. It may be connected to the skin by relatively few hair strands which under the weight give way and release the entire wad of hair. Just a thought.
Yes its great to be able to talk with each other about probs affecting our cats and help each other out.
I guess some would come but it would be a big cost esp if was after hours. Thankfully the local Vet is just down the road like 5 mins away. I learnt how to give worming tablets and antibiotics. The vet here explained and showed how to do it. So feel kind of Lucky. We take our cats in a large size Cage they hate going to the vet, but seem OK once we are there with them. I dont know about this situation as experienced it, but there was some talk before Cassy had got sicker they thought she may of had that. It would be nice if there were just Cat Vets
Michael,thanks for the suggestion.Even i suspected the “Anti-flea shampoo”.I will stop using the same.He is otherwise perfectly normal,hale and upto his pranks.Here is a view of his peeled fur which resembles a “Skinned animals fur”.It just peels off from his skin.
Hi Rudolph, I have not read about skin shedding akin to a snake. Sounds like dry skin. If he is healthy, was this skin condition present before you started using the shampoo? I presume it was. You think it is caused by the fleas. I don’t think it is. Flea bit allergy causes red lumps due to an allergic reaction. I would have remembered peeling skin in the books use. Thyroid conditions can cause flaky skin but I wonder if the shampoo might be a factor. Why not try a flea spot treatment (Frontline for example) and stop the shampoo?