Cats discharged following radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism are still excreting radioactive iodine in their urine. As a result clients need to utilize appropriate oversight to prevent canine family members for consuming the litter box contents for the interval after radioiodine therapy during which the cats' urine is still radioactive.
What is the best litter for hyperthyroid cats treated with radioiodine?
As a result, the default recommendation for managing the litter box contents of hyperthyroid cats treated with radioiodine is to flush the waste into the sanitary sewer. Luckily numerous brands of biodegradable and hence flushable cat litters (e.g., World's Best, SwheatScoop, and Blue Naturally Fresh) are available.
Can dogs and cats share litter boxes after radioiodine therapy?
As a result clients need to utilize appropriate oversight to prevent canine family members for consuming the litter box contents for the interval after radioiodine therapy during which the cats' urine is still radioactive. In multi-cat households, cats generally share litter box resources.
Is there radiation in my Cat’s litter?
The level of radiation in your cat’s waste is not high enough to be harmful, but may be detectable in the litter for months. For our national security, if radiation is detected in garbage going through waste disposal stations, it must be traced to the point of origin to make sure it is not related to the production of explosives.
Did the radioactive treatment work for my Cat?
I can say the radioactive treatment worked very well, and she went on the upswing pretty quickly. Her weight is back up and she is doing great.I hope your kitty gets better soon.
How do you dispose of cat litter after radioactive iodine treatment?
Use a non-scented plastic liner in the litter box for this 2 week period. We recommend use of flushable scoopable litter. All soiled litter must be collected and either flushed down the toilet (ONLY if using flushable litter!) or stored for 81 days after release (if non flushable litter is used).
Can I be around my cat after radioactive iodine?
After radio-iodine treatment all cats will return to normal (“background radiation”) by 28 days. Cats can be discharged from the Centre from 4 days after treatment, although this depends on exactly how much radio-iodine is given and on how quickly the radiation levels fall.
How do you clean a bathroom after radioactive iodine treatment?
First 8 hours: Drink one glass of water each hour and use the bathroom as soon as possible when you need to empty your bladder. Men should sit on the toilet while urinating to decrease splashing. Use a tissue to wipe up any urine on the toilet bowl and flush twice.
How long does it take to get radioactive iodine out of your system?
Most of the radioiodine not collected by your thyroid gland will be eliminated during the first two days after your treatment. It leaves the body primarily through your urine, but very small amounts may leave in your saliva, sweat and during a bowel movement.
Can I touch my cat after radioactive iodine treatment?
Your cat may be slightly woozy when you pick them up. For the first two weeks after I-131: Keep your cat indoors or supervised when outside to prevent contact with other people. Limit close contact (closer than 1 foot) to one hour per day.
How long do cats live after radioactive iodine treatment?
“Studies have shown that cats treated with I-131 live longer than those treated with pills,” added Mosenco, citing a study where I-131-treated cats lived an average of four to five years following treatment, versus an average of only two years for cats on medication.
How do you clean your house after radioactive iodine?
The iodine-131 will wash out in the laundry. Vacuuming will pick up hair that is shed, which will have small amounts of radioactivity in it since our heads also sweat. The conservative approach would be to cover the chair with a sheet.
Do you gain weight after radioactive iodine treatment?
Treatment of hyperthyroidism with RAI or anti-thyroid medications is associated with an increased risk of gaining weight and even developing obesity. This risk is slightly higher with RAI therapy compared to medications.
What are the long term side effects of radioactive iodine?
Possible long term side effectsAbility to have children (fertility) Some women may have irregular periods after radioactive iodine treatment. ... Inflammation of the salivary glands (where spit is made) ... Tiredness. ... Dry or watery eyes. ... Lower levels of blood cells. ... Lung problems. ... Second cancers.
Can I be around my pets after radioactive iodine treatment?
It is safe to be around your cats after you are treated with radioiodine therapy because even if they are in your lap, the exposure is low. People do sweat out the radioiodine, but if you wash your hands regularly, that is very effective in washing away the small amount of contamination on your hands.
How long to stay away from pets after radioactive iodine?
Here are some ways to minimize radiation risks to other people (and pets) after you have had RAI treatment: Stay at least six feet away from other people, including members of the public, family members, and co-workers, for three to 11 days.
Can your thyroid start working again after radioactive iodine?
Once hypothyroidism has been achieved, it is usually irreversible with the patient requiring lifelong thyroid replacement. Recurrence of hyperthyroidism after RAI therapy may be due to inadequate dosing or early Marine Lenhart syndrome.
How many I-131 treatments are there for cats?
The vast majority of cats will be cured with just one I-131 treatment.
How long can you keep litter box in basement?
Put a lid on the bucket and store out of your way (garage, basement, outdoors) for 80 days, after which time the contents of the bucket may be placed out for collection or taken to the dump. You may recycle or reuse the bucket.
What medication should I give my cat to help him with anxiety?
We give anti-anxiety medication daily while your cat is here. (Gabapentin). Your cat may be slightly woozy when you pick them up.
When to return to vet after I-131?
At 1 and 3 months post I-131, please return to your regular veterinarian. A physical exam and blood work should be performed at both visits.
Can cats have thyroid problems?
On the other hand, some cats have insufficient normal thyroid hormone production after the abnormal tissue is destroyed, and may require a natural supplement daily for life. Consider this a tolerable adjustment after successful cure of hyperthyroidism.
Can you take cat meds with pregnant women?
Under or next to the bed, or off your feet is safe. Wash your hands after handling your cat, its dishes, and litter box. Do not allow pregnant women or children to hold your cat. The dose you are exposed to is extremely low and will have no medical consequences for you.
Can cats share litter boxes?
There are no contact restrictions for this cat with other animals as this small amount of radiation has no impact in their relatively shorter lives with little exposure to other sources of radiation. They may safely share feeding bowls, cat beds and litter boxes.
How long does it take for a cat to be treated for radioiodine?
Your cat is then monitored over the next four to five days, until the cat’s radioactivity level is low enough to permit his or her return to you.
How do I check on my cat’s condition during treatment? Is visiting allowed?
Due to the nature of the treatment, visitation is not permitted. The cats are fed, monitored, and medicated if needed, two to three times daily by a veterinary technician and one of our doctors during their stay - we will call, text, or email you with daily updates and photos. If you wish, you can call us during our normal working hours to check on the status of your cat.
What is hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism is the condition resulting from secretion of excess thyroid hormone. In cats, this usually results from adenomatous hyperplasia (overgrowth) or adenoma (benign tumor) of the thyroid gland. Carcinoma (cancer) is a very rare cause of hyperthyroidism in cats.
How can hyperthyroidism be treated?
Hyperthyroidism can be treated medically, surgically, or with radioactive iodine. Medical treatment consists of administration of methimazole (Tapazole) one to three times a day. Methimazole treatment will usually control the signs of hyperthyroidism, but it is not a cure. (The drug will block thyroid hormone secretion, but will not remove the thyroid tumor.) The drug must be given for the rest of the cat’s life. Surgery will cure the hyperthyroid condition and consists of the removal of part or all of the thyroid gland (the feline thyroid gland consists of two separate lobes.) Radioactive iodine (I-131 or radioiodine) will also cure the hyperthyroid condition. The procedure for this treatment is relatively simple, consisting of a single oral or injectable dose.
How does radioiodine therapy work?
Iodine is an element that is required for normal health. In the body, it is used primarily by the thyroid gland (located in the neck) to produce the thyroid hormones. T4 and T3 are the two major thyroid hormones.
How is therapy given?
Your cat will receive a mild anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) medication that also relaxes the cat. In special circumstances, if we have a particularly non-compliant cat, it may receive some tranquilization to ad minister the radioiodine.
What aftercare will my cat need?
The vast majority of cats require no specific aftercare. Your veterinarian should perform a complete blood analysis and a urinalysis two and a half weeks after discharge from our hospital. Your veterinarian will also monitor the thyroid function three months after discharge and then every six months as a part of their ongoing health care plan for your pet.
How to treat thyroid tumor in cats?
1. Medication to suppress the thyroid hormone. 2. Surgical removal of the thyroid tumor. 3. Feeding a life-long low-iodine commercial diet. 4. Radioactive Iodine (Radioiodine I-131) therapy to destroy the thyroid tumor . Radioiodine I-131 is the treatment of choice because it is effective and a safe cure regardless of your cat’s age.
What is radioactive iodine in cats?
Hyperthyroidism is a disorder caused by excess thyroid hormone in the bloodstream and body. It is the most common hormonal disorder in domestic cats. The same treatment options that exist in humans exists in cats. These treatment options include:
What happens if a thyroid tumor is overactive?
All of the thyroid tumor will take up the radioactive iodine. Once all of the tumor uptakes to I-131, the radioiodine starts emitting radiation, destroying the overactive thyroid tumor cells. A hyperactive thyroid tumor, suppresses the function of any normal thyroid tissue.
What happens when a cat eats iodine?
When iodine is ingested, the thyroid gland takes up the iodine. Here the iodine becomes incorporated into thyroid hormone. When your cat receives radioactive iodine, the tumor in the thyroid uptakes the radioactive iodine much like it does normal orally ingested iodine. All of the thyroid tumor will take up the radioactive iodine.
How to treat hyperthroidism?
Hyperthroidism can be treated medically, surgically, feeding a life-long low iodine diet, or Radioactive Iodine. Medical treatment consists of administering a medication called methimazole once or two times daily. This medication helps control clinical signs but is not a cure.
How long does it take for a cat to recover from iodine?
After treatment, the normal thyroid tissue will regain full function within 1-3 months.
What causes a cat to have a high thyroid?
It is seen in middle-aged to geriatric cats. It is caused by one or more benign tumors of the thyroid gland. Occasionally a carcinoma (cancer) is a very rare cause of hyperthyroidism we see. The most common finding is weight loss due to an increase rate of metabolism. Cats will tend to eat more (sometimes having a ravenous appetite). Weight loss can sometimes be quick or gradual. Other signs include anxiety, nervousness, increased heart rate, vomiting, diarrhea, increased thirst and urination, panting and sometimes a poor haircoat. Overtime if left untreated, hyperthyroidism can have effects on internal organs such as the liver, kidneys, and muscle. Hyperthyroidism is easy to diagnose by your veterinarian based on history, physical, and routine blood tests.
How long after hypurrthryoid treatment can you use cat waste?
Remember that pregnant women and children under the age of 18 should not have any contact with your cat’s waste products for at least 2 weeks after release from Hypurrthryoid Treatment for Cats.
How to minimize cumulative exposure to cats?
Exposure to other pets is fine. Wash hands carefully with soap and water after handling your cat, its food dishes and litter box (es). Wear disposable gloves (we will provide to you at release) when handling litter box excrement.
What is the appointment for a cat to be examined?
THE DAY OF YOUR CAT’S SCHEDULED TREATMENT. The morning of your cat’s scheduled treatment, you will have an appointment scheduled for your cat to be examined by Dr. Currigan. The doctor will then provide a presentation about the radioiodine procedure, including both your responsibilities regarding after care and ours while your cat is hospitalized.
How long does a cat stay in hospital after radioiodine?
During the hospitalization stay, which is usually 2-5 days, ...
What is included in the fee for a cat?
This fee includes the radioiodine itself, the cost of hospitalization and monitoring, blood pressure measurements as needed throughout your cat’s stay, and any oral anti-anxiety medications or appetite stimulants required while hospitalized.
What medication does a cat need to stay in a hospital?
DURING YOUR CAT’S STAY. Once admitted to our facility, your cat will receive a mild anti-emetic (anti-vomiting) medication that also helps to relax him or her. We want to be sure that the cat does not vomit the radioiodine once given.
How long do you have to wait to put a cardboard cat carrier in the trash?
If a cardboard carrier is used, and your cat should urinate (or defecate or vomit) in the carrier, necessitating disposing of the carrier, you will need to wait 81 days prior to putting the carrier in the trash until the level of radiation in the urine (or excrement) has reached a low enough level for routine dumping in the trash.
How long do cats stay in a hospital after radioiodine?
Typically cats treated with radioiodine in our facility spend a total of 3-6 days with us following the radioiodine therapy.
How long does a cat live with radioiodine?
So the real risk is associated with not treating a hyperthyroid cat with radioiodine, as chronic medical management reduces the cat’s life expectancy by approximately 2 years on average. Click here for a more detailed discussion on radiation risks.
How long does a cat stay in hospital?
How long is the hospitalization period? The length of stay varies and is determined by the remaining radioactivity in your cat’s thyroid gland. Most cats stay a total of 4 days, but cats with larger thyroid tumors require higher doses of radioiodine and can require hospitalization of up to 7 days.
What causes thyroid cancer in cats?
In rare cats (~1.0 %) a functional thyroid carcinoma (cancer) is responsible for the over-production of thyroid hormone that leads to the symptoms of hyperthyroidism. The most current data suggest that these tumors develop as the result of a mutation in the gene for the production of an inhibitory protein (G inhib ) that turns off the thyroid cell. In other words the thyroid cell loses its ability to regulate its growth and its production of thyroid hormone. What causes this mutation is still under investigation.
How long can cats be exposed to radiation?
At discharge clients are advised to limit close contact with their cat for approximately 12 days. These precautions are designed to limit exposure to adults in the household to less than 1 mSv (100 mrem). Using the most conservative model of radiation exposure risks, namely the linear no-threshold model, exposures to 1 mSv of radiation increase the lifetime risk of malignancy by less than 1/100th of 1 percent. Follow this link for a more detailed discussion on radiation risks.
What is the role of parathyroid glands in the body?
These parathyroid glands are responsible for calcium balance in the body and damage to them can lead to low calcium levels, seizures and even death. C.) Radioiodine – A single SQ (under the skin) injection of radioiodine can result in the destruction of the small tumor that causes hyperthyroidism without damage to other parts of the body.
Why do thyroid tumors develop?
The most current data suggest that these tumors develop as the result of a mutation in the gene for the production of an inhibitory protein (G inhib ) that turns off the thyroid cell. In other words the thyroid cell loses its ability to regulate its growth and its production of thyroid hormone. What causes this mutation is still under investigation.
How long after radiation treatment can cats be released?
Due to our licensing regulations we cannot release your cat for a minimum of 4 days post treatment. However, this is dependent on dose and expected clearance. All animals must reach a specific radiation background (or below) before they are allowed to leave our facility (1mR/hr or 10uSv/hr). We will give you an idea of what we expect for your cat.
What is the cause of hyperthyroidism in cats?
Hyperthyroidism is caused by a benign growth in the thyroid gland which are over-producing T4. It is important to realize that these tumors are almost always benign and represent a form of goiter rather than a form of cancer. Only 3-5% of hyperthyroid cats have a cancerous thyroid growth.
What is a planar thyroid scintigraphy of a cat?
Planar thyroid scintigraphy of a normal cat. Hyperthyroid cat with a unilateral thyroid adenoma. Feline Hyperthyroidism is a disorder that occurs when the thyroid produces and excess of thyroid hormone. Hyperthyroidism occurs in middle aged and older cats. Both sexes and all breeds are equally at risk.
Where is the thyroid gland located in cats?
In the normal cat, the lobes of the thyroid gland are butterfly-shaped and located in the neck region cannot be felt with one's fingers. In the hyperthyroid cat at least one lobe is usually prominent and may be detected by your veterinarian during a physical exam. Seventy percent of cats have both lobes affected.
How long do you need to flush litter?
If you have multiple cats and wish to reduce the amount of litter to flush, you will need to separate them into different rooms for the 14 days.
What is the role of T3 in the body?
Active thyroid hormone (nicknamed "T3," short for "triiodothyronine") sets the body's metabolic rate, sort of like a volume dial. One might say T3 determines how hard or how fast each cell works to do its job. Every cell of the body is affected by T3. The thyroid glands (there's one gland on each side of the windpipe) do not produce T3.
How long after a cat's meds are they discharged?
However, this is dependent on dose and expected clearance. Most cats are discharged between 4-7 days after treatment.
What happens if a cat doesn't take up thyroid?
What is not taken up by the thyroid will be present in the cat's bodily fluids and will primarily be voided in the cat's urine (in those first four days at the vet hospital). What is taken up by the thyroid will be released slowly over the next days/weeks to the other bodily fluids which is why they have the precautions that you describe.
How to control radiation exposure?
The three ways that we control exposures to external sources of radiation are time, distance, and shielding. Reduce the time near a source, increase the distance from the source, or use some sort of radiation absorbing shielding between you and the source of radiation and you will reduce your radiation dose .
Why is my cat being separated for 4 days?
One of the reasons the cat was held for four days was to allow for much of the radioactive 131 I to be excreted in urine so that the amount of external radiation exposure is significantly reduced.
Is cat litter radioactive?
Further, the litter will be radioactive as most of the radioactive iodine will be excreted via this route. I am certain that your veterinarian probably told you to take care when handling the litter and to wash your hands thoroughly after handling litter, the cat, and items that the cat came into contact with.
Does a cat have radioactive iodine?
Now let's deal with the issue of radioactive iodine released by the cat, which I believe is actually the bigger concern. All bodily fluids in the cat will have trace amounts of radioactive material within them, but it will be most prevalent within the urine.
Does iodine make cats drool?
I have a cat also and I know when she is happy and purring while sitting on my lap getting strokes, she drools. In a cat treated with radioactive iodine, the drool will contain radioactive materials. Cats also sweat through their paws and the sweat will have trace amounts of radioactive iodine.
Can you use a Geiger counter for home testing?
As for equipment for tracking radioactive contamination, there really is no readily available "home-testing" equipment. In the hospital (or veterinary hospitals) we would use a Geiger counter with a thin-window probe to find the radioactive contamination. But those instruments are quite expensive and are not readily available in stores.
How do I treat hyperthyroidism in cats?
There are currently three treatment options: lifelong medication, surgery, and the gold standard, radioactive iodine therapy. A single injection of Radioiodine (I-131) cures 98-99% of feline hyperthyroidism cases without any adverse side effects. There aren’t many diseases that have that simple a cure and such a high cure rate.
What is radiocat hyperthyroidism?
Hyperthyroidism is a common disease that typically affects middle-aged and older cats.
Why does my cat have thyroid problems?
It is caused by an excess production of thyroid hormones, which are produced by the thyroid gland, located inside the cat’s neck. Thyroid hormones affect nearly all organs, which is why thyroid disease can sometimes cause secondary problems such as hypertension, heart and kidney disease.
Why do cats need I-131?
The reason this is done is because thyroid disease can mask kidney disease. The medication trial is designed to determine whether the cat’s kidneys will still perform once the thyroid is under control.
Why don't cats pee outside the litter box?
Cats don’t urinate outside of the box because they’re mad. If your mother hasn’t already consulted with her vet about this issue, she needs to do so immediately to rule out any medical issues. This article provides more information on possible causes for inappropriate urination: http://consciouscat.net/2015/08/24/litter-box-issues-a-round-up-of-solutions-for-a-frustrating-problem/
How long does a cat have to be hospitalized for radiation?
One of the requirements of the treatment is that the cat has to be hospitalized for 3-5 days, until she has reached the safe and legal level of radiation release. The length of the stay varies by state and is governed by Nuclear Regulatory Commission guidelines.
Is Amber's thyroid regulated?
A very small percentage of cats becomes hypothyroid following the I-131 treatment, but thankfully, Amber’s thyroid regulated back to normal levels very quickly, and she was completely cured.