I had noticed Pepper losing some condition but it was easy to overlook
this as general decline, despite me being a veterinary nurse used to
looking after hyperthyroid cats. I first met Pepper as a stray cat in
2018 so I’ve never known how old she is. She is naturally vocal, greedy
and playful so her clinical signs of hyperthyroidism were not as obvious
as I would have expected. Her stools were normal and her
thirst/urination seemed normal too. But her poor coat, thickened nails,
weight loss and lastly finding a goitre (swelling in her throat – a
thyroid tumour) made me very suspicious of this condition.
Once we had carried out initial blood tests at my place of work, which
confirmed she was hyperthyroid, I knew that my first choice of treatment
would be radioiodine therapy – I had kept Pepper insured for this very
reason! Considering a stay at a referral centre versus lifelong
medication and blood tests, the choice was easy as my insurance policy
would cover it and thankfully, she was eligible for the treatment. I
knew others who had used their service with great results so I was
confident Pepper would be in safe hands.
The team at the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre are so professional and
considerate, the communication received from them was very thorough and
clear all the way through the process. We were prepared for the 8-12
week waiting list but were very grateful to be offered a slot after just
4 weeks. Their website and owner handbook are very helpful, as well as
all the staff. The waiting area and meeting room have lovely cat
friendly touches and it is clear they understand cats – as a cat
friendly veterinary nurse myself, this is very important to me! It was
a bit of a drive for us (2.5 hrs each way) but Pepper traveled very well
with her anxiety-reducing medication on board. Even her blood pressure
was normal not long after we got there!
We were able to leave Pepper in their care for two weeks, as
quarantining her at home would have been a challenge for us. Now the
treatment is administered orally, there was no sedation involved, which
is a bonus. We received updates each day, even just to say that
everything was going well, and this was so reassuring. I could pick up
their voicemail messages on my lunch breaks and they were always lovely
to hear. We were sent away with a record book to keep track of her
progress, indicating the trends we want to see going forward with her
results.
I’m writing this just over a week after collecting Pepper and her coat
is already starting to improve. She is happy to be back with her dog
but is very grateful to everyone for helping her feel better! She is
still shouting for food and love as usual but is much more settled and
the difference in her is obvious. Thank you to everyone at The HCC.
The team at the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre are so professional and considerate, the communication received from them was very thorough and clear all the way through the process.