Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Feline hyperthyroidism: Pretreatment clinical and laboratory evaluation of 131 cases
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 1983
- Authors:
- Peterson, Mark E. et al.
- Affiliation:
- From The Animal Medical Center, 510 E 62nd St, New York, NY 10021 (Peterson, Kintzer, Cavanagh, Fox, Johnson); the University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, The Endocrine Section, 522 Johnson Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Ferguson); and The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, 525 E 68th St, New York, NY 10021 (Becker). · United States
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Over a period of three and a half years, 131 cats were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland produces too much hormone. These cats, aged between 6 and 20 years, showed common signs like weight loss, increased appetite, high energy levels, excessive drinking and urination, and vomiting. Blood tests revealed several abnormalities, including elevated liver enzyme levels, and many cats had fast heart rates and heart enlargement visible on X-rays. Most cats had higher than normal levels of thyroid hormones in their blood, and imaging showed that the thyroid gland was enlarged in nearly all cases. The findings confirm that hyperthyroidism is a significant health issue in older cats, and the treatment options would depend on these evaluations.
Abstract
SUMMARY Hyperthyroidism was diagnosed in 131 cats during a 3½-year period. The cats ranged in age from 6 to 20 years; there was no breed or sex predilection. The most frequent clinical signs included weight loss, polyphagia, increased activity, polydipsia, polyuria, and vomiting. Common serum biochemical abnormalities included high values for alkaline phosphatase activity (75%), lactate dehydrogenase activity (66%), aspartate transaminase activity (66%), and alanine transaminase activity (54%). Electrocardiographic changes included tachycardia (≥240 beats/min) and increased R-wave amplitude in lead II (≥0.9 mV) in 66% and 29% of the 131 cats, respectively. Thoracic radiography in 82 cats revealed cardiomegaly in 40 (49%) of these cats; 16 cats with congestive heart failure also had pulmonary edema or pleural effusion. In 5 cats with markedly increased fecal volume, mean 48-hour fecal fat content was significantly greater than normal, with daily fat excretion 2 to 15 times the upper limit of normal. Base-line serum thyroxine concentrations were increased above normal range in all cats, whereas triiodothyronine concentrations were increased in 127 (97%) of the 131 cats. In 11 cats tested, mean thyroxine concentration did not increase significantly after thyroid-stimulating hormone administration. Mean 24-hour percentage of thyroid radioiodine uptake in 32 hyperthyroid cats was significantly higher (39.1%) than normal (9.2%). Thyroid scans, performed on 126 cats, showed enlargement and increased radionuclide accumulation in 1 thyroid lobe in 36 (29%) and both lobes in 90 (71%) of the cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.1983.183.01.103