Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Prevalence, clinical and epidemiological features of feline hyperthyroidism at a veterinary teaching hospital in Brazil: a retrospective study
- Journal:
- Acta Veterinaria Brasilica
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Taranti, Leila et al.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
Hyperthyroidism is a common hormonal problem in cats, and this study looked at its occurrence and characteristics in cats treated at a veterinary teaching hospital in Brazil from 2002 to 2007. Out of 234 cats admitted, 26 were found to have hyperthyroidism, which is about 11%. Most of these cats were older, between 6 and 27 years, with an average age of just over 13 years. Interestingly, only two of the hyperthyroid cats had been diagnosed with the condition before their hospital visit. Many of these cats also had chronic kidney disease, highlighting the need for regular checks for hyperthyroidism in older cats.
Abstract
The hyperthyroidism is the most frequently endocrinopathy in cats. The increasing number of diagnoses over time is due to the greater familiarity with the disease and the development of increasingly sensitive diagnostic tools available. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of hyperthyroidism in cats admitted at one of the largest veterinary teaching hospital in Brazil. Between 2002 and 2007, 234 cats were admitted to the veterinary teaching hospital of the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Total thyroxine (T4t) serum concentration was measured from all cats. Also analyzed the medical charts of cats. Of the 234 cats, 26 (11.1%) were considered hyperthyroid (T4t ≥3.8 μg/dL). Of hese 26 cats, only two (7.7%) were initially diagnosed as hyperthyroid. The age of cats ranged from 6 to 27 years old (13.1 ± 4.5 years). Twelve patients (46.2%) were female and 14 (53.8%) were male. Eight (30.8%) cats were Siamese, while the others were mixed breed (69.2%). Dry food was the most common food type consumed by cats. There was a high prevalence of hyperthyroid cats with concomitant chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study sheds light on the importance of routinely monitoring feline hyperthyroidism and brings epidemiological and clinical data of this endocrinopathy in cats from one of the largest veterinary teaching hospitals in the country.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://doi.org/10.21708/avb.2022.16.3.10733