An elderly cat came in because he was losing massive amounts of weight very quickly. It was suspected that the was hyperthyroid and so blood was taken and sent to IDEXX for testing.
Hyperthyroidism is common in elderly cats, and usually older cats begin to show symptoms of this at around age thirteen. The thyroid glands, located on opposite sides of the windpipe in the neck, regulate the speed at which the body metabolizes food by using a hormone called thyroxine (also known as T4). An enlargement of or a nodule on that gland stimulates an excess of thyroxine to be produced. This is called hyperthyroidism.
The test we sent out to IDEXX was the T4 test. The T4 test determines the level of circulating hormone in the blood. This will tell us whether or not the thyroid gland is producing too much thyroxine.
Some of the most common clinical signs of hyperthyroidism in cats are weight loss, voracious appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, and excessive thirst. Many hyperthyroid cats are also hypertensive (have high blood pressure). Because the hormone thyroxine affects the speed at which all chemical reactions are occurring in the body (the basal metabolic rate), this disease affects multiple body systems including your pet's kidneys, liver, heart, eyes, nervous, and digestive systems.
Dog owners don't need to be as worried about hyperthyroidism as cat owners because it is a rare condition in dogs.
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