Aged Cat Wasting Away, Skinny And On Methimazole, What To Do?

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RealNeat

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Me: My mother in laws cat is wasting away. He is about 14-15 years old and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (years ago). I looked at his labs and they only seem to be measuring his TT4 (which was very elevated). He has been on methimazole for years. Nothing in his diet seems to suggest it's actual hyperthyroidism however ("typical" cat food diet) he is very skinny and losing weight rapidly. He can't keep much down and everything has to be watered down for him. I want to help him as I know a side effect long term methimazole is hypothyroidism. I gave him 4mcg T3 the other night hoping it would help balance him out. Do you have any experience with pets and thyroid and how to approach it?

The rhetoric is that dogs are hypo and cats are hyper, I however don't believe it, as I've read your remarks on the stabilizing ability of thyroid to both conditions and the rarity of true hyperthyroidism. (Cat name) ate canned tuna most of his life and fish and chicken are the only two things he can really keep down. He drinks a lot of water, his kidney markers are off, his paws, ears and nose are cold and he's always begging for food. These all seem like hypo symptoms to me...

Thank you.

Ray: Cachexia is the effect of complete absence of thyroid, being cold and having low kidney function are signs in that direction. Thyroid, T3, is anabolic. Have you tried blending a little raw egg yolk with tuna for extra nutrients?
 
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Can you feel his neck for lump? If you can feel the thyroid glands, he is hyperthyroid. I'll give him a 200mcg pill's worth of selenomethionine. One dose is usually enough to fix him up, but feeling for the thyroid gland lump disappearing would be your guide.
Nope can't feel anything.
 
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Hard to say really if he could have mercury poisoning, if he is still hyper or has other issues. I don't know if tuna is sufficient, just thought maybe he wouldn't throw it up. Poor guy.
Just found out he didn't eat tuna his whole life I was mistaken, he ate it for a couple years the rest of the time he was on some special vet formulation.
 

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What are the latest news? Did you try the some red light therapy on the cat?

Maybe add some liver, smoked oysters from a can, egg yolks (like Ray just recommended to you). That cat needs some serious nutrition, he's not hyperthyroid. No one is hyperthyroid and cold anywhere. With the elevated T4, he may need some more T3 to get the system running, adding some drops of T3 to his food or topically might help too.

There are some tutorials on YouTube on how to make homemade cat food. Activated charcoal powder may help clear out bugs. Maybe try some methylene blue in his water.
 
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What are the latest news? Did you try the some red light therapy on the cat?

Maybe add some liver, smoked oysters from a can, egg yolks (like Ray just recommended to you). That cat needs some serious nutrition, he's not hyperthyroid. No one is hyperthyroid and cold anywhere. With the elevated T4, he may need some more T3 to get the system running, adding some drops of T3 to his food or topically might help too.

There are some tutorials on YouTube on how to make homemade cat food. Activated charcoal powder may help clear out bugs. Maybe try some methylene blue in his water.

yeah im trying to do as much as i can. hes not my cat so im limited in my intervention powers. i want him off the meds but i doubt theyll do that. he licked some egg yolk today. ive been giving him some bone broth and weve been watering down his food so its easier to digest. i think hes stuck with the conventional cat food unfortunately, i cant see then making his food from scratch. he seems to be a bit better but still skinny. its clear he is hypo. ive been giving 4mcg t3 after seeing studies using 25mcg for diagnosis of certain conditions. this is still experimental territory as i dont know what a good dose is for him.
 
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yeah im trying to do as much as i can. hes not my cat so im limited in my intervention powers. i want him off the meds but i doubt theyll do that. he licked some egg yolk today. ive been giving him some bone broth and weve been watering down his food so its easier to digest. i think hes stuck with the conventional cat food unfortunately, i cant see then making his food from scratch. he seems to be a bit better but still skinny. its clear he is hypo. ive been giving 4mcg t3 after seeing studies using 25mcg for diagnosis of certain conditions. this is still experimental territory as i dont know what a good dose is for him.[/QU
What are the latest news? Did you try the some red light therapy on the cat?

Maybe add some liver, smoked oysters from a can, egg yolks (like Ray just recommended to you). That cat needs some serious nutrition, he's not hyperthyroid. No one is hyperthyroid and cold anywhere. With the elevated T4, he may need some more T3 to get the system running, adding some drops of T3 to his food or topically might help too.

There are some tutorials on YouTube on how to make homemade cat food. Activated charcoal powder may help clear out bugs. Maybe try some methylene blue in his water.

i wonder if the cooked potato juice would help him
 

mrchibbs

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yeah im trying to do as much as i can. hes not my cat so im limited in my intervention powers. i want him off the meds but i doubt theyll do that. he licked some egg yolk today. ive been giving him some bone broth and weve been watering down his food so its easier to digest. i think hes stuck with the conventional cat food unfortunately, i cant see then making his food from scratch. he seems to be a bit better but still skinny. its clear he is hypo. ive been giving 4mcg t3 after seeing studies using 25mcg for diagnosis of certain conditions. this is still experimental territory as i dont know what a good dose is for him.

Well see it as an experiment, I know he's not your cat, but maybe make a few portions and freeze them and bring them to the owner, and see if he'll eat them. Try to convince them to stop the conventional food, he's clearly sick and he's 15, he needs better stuff. Trust me I had a cat die at 11 from similar circumstances and I kick myself everyday that I didn't know then what I know now. At worse it'll be a learning experience, at best you'll extend his life greatly. I would really try liver, oysters and egg yolk. Maybe make some liver for yourself, throw in some oysters in there, blend it and add a few egg yolks, all mixed in and blended, see if he'll eat that, with t3, keep giving him t3. And I repeat, red light therapy.
 

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