Return to article List
A New Treatment For Hyperthyroidism!
It’s not often that something completely new comes along, but Hills Pet Nutrition have done it with Hills Y/D.
Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disorder in older cats. (Have a look at “Mouse, a hyperthyroid cat” story on our website.) It is caused by a benign growth of the thyroid gland, which causes an overproduction of thyroid hormone. The hallmark symptoms are weight loss despite an increased appetite, and an increased heart rate. Ultimately death is often due to heart failure. Traditional methods of treatment are oral medication, surgical removal of one or both of the thyroid glands or radioactive Iodine treatment. Now we have another option!
The science behind Hills y/d is really quite simple. Production of thyroid hormone requires dietary iodine and that is the only known function of iodine. Hills y/d is a limited-iodine therapeutic food. Putting the theory into reality took Hills more than a decade of research and development. As well as the usual clinical studies to undertake, the challenge was achieving a consistently low iodine level, which requires extensive analysis of all ingredients for every batch. But they’ve done it.
Each treatment option has its pros and cons and concurrent disease further complicates the options. Thyroidectomy is curative but expensive and carries the greatest risks. Anti-thyroid drugs control the disease but require twice daily pilling. Radioactive iodine is safe but requires a stay in Auckland. Hills y/d is safe, easy to get into the cat and doesn’t have a big one-off cost. The main downside is that the cat has to eat y/d only.
If your older cat is losing weight, a great appetite may not mean he’s not sick: it could be another symptom! Hyperthyroidism is easily diagnosed with a blood test and if confirmed we then talk through all the treatment options and decide on the best treatment for each individual.
Return to article List