nakemiso
12-14-2010, 12:25 AM
Hi All!
I'm hoping to shed some light on kitty thyroid tumors if anyone is in need.
I haven't been to visit k9cushings.com for a few months, and seriously for years back when Blue was sick. It's been about two years since he's passed and I still miss him!
On to the topic - Blue's kitty sister Kolohe (about 15 years old) is on Adequan for arthritis. I took her in for a routine shot and Alfie (vet tech at Stonecreek Animal Hospital in Irvine, CA) told me she'd lost weight so I should probably bring her in for blood work. Dr. MacDonald told me that Kolohe's blood work and new found heart mumur was consistent with thyroid tumors so I was referred to Dr. Broome at Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging.
Kolohe checked in on Sunday, and was imaged. Indeed, there is a benign tumor. (Not unusual at all in older kitties.) Based on the size of the tumor, Dr. Broome ordered the appropriate amount of radioactive iodine. The radio-iodine was delivered to AVMI today, and delivered to Kolohe today. She has to stay in her deluxe kitty condo for a few days while she reduces in radioactivity. (Most condos at AVMI have webcams for kitty humans to sneak a peek at, but Kolohe pitched a fit and had to be put into the larger condo sans webcam. She hates the scary hospital and needs her space from strangers! Very unlike Blue, who loved and hugged EVERYONE, including all of his veterinarians!)
AVMI calls and updates me regularly, and so far so good!
It is a fascinating process and prognosis for tumor destruction is good. Radio-iodine attacks the tumors and ONLY THE TUMORS. Kitties must be monitored post-radioactivity for kidney and other organ issues, but quality of life is much improved as metabolism returns to normal. For a while, litter must be flushed because sewers are actually capable of handling small amounts of radioactivity! (Don't throw it in the trash - garbage trucks are geiger scanned as they enter the landfill and of course radioactive material is highly monitored - the Doc has to turn in addresses of kitties on the program so the radioactive "stuff" can be traced back to you, and you will be heavily fined.)
The veterinarians here in Orange County, California are ON TOP OF IT. Wow... I'm completely impressed.
Whew - scary, but a lot less scary than doggie Cushings!
:o)
Love,
Julie
PS - I have a pic of the image of Kolohe's tumor on Facebook if you can see it from the link below. Otherwise I'll try to get it posted...
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?fbid=474331333491&set=a.42687303491.55020.542268491&pid=5894402&id=542268491
I'm hoping to shed some light on kitty thyroid tumors if anyone is in need.
I haven't been to visit k9cushings.com for a few months, and seriously for years back when Blue was sick. It's been about two years since he's passed and I still miss him!
On to the topic - Blue's kitty sister Kolohe (about 15 years old) is on Adequan for arthritis. I took her in for a routine shot and Alfie (vet tech at Stonecreek Animal Hospital in Irvine, CA) told me she'd lost weight so I should probably bring her in for blood work. Dr. MacDonald told me that Kolohe's blood work and new found heart mumur was consistent with thyroid tumors so I was referred to Dr. Broome at Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging.
Kolohe checked in on Sunday, and was imaged. Indeed, there is a benign tumor. (Not unusual at all in older kitties.) Based on the size of the tumor, Dr. Broome ordered the appropriate amount of radioactive iodine. The radio-iodine was delivered to AVMI today, and delivered to Kolohe today. She has to stay in her deluxe kitty condo for a few days while she reduces in radioactivity. (Most condos at AVMI have webcams for kitty humans to sneak a peek at, but Kolohe pitched a fit and had to be put into the larger condo sans webcam. She hates the scary hospital and needs her space from strangers! Very unlike Blue, who loved and hugged EVERYONE, including all of his veterinarians!)
AVMI calls and updates me regularly, and so far so good!
It is a fascinating process and prognosis for tumor destruction is good. Radio-iodine attacks the tumors and ONLY THE TUMORS. Kitties must be monitored post-radioactivity for kidney and other organ issues, but quality of life is much improved as metabolism returns to normal. For a while, litter must be flushed because sewers are actually capable of handling small amounts of radioactivity! (Don't throw it in the trash - garbage trucks are geiger scanned as they enter the landfill and of course radioactive material is highly monitored - the Doc has to turn in addresses of kitties on the program so the radioactive "stuff" can be traced back to you, and you will be heavily fined.)
The veterinarians here in Orange County, California are ON TOP OF IT. Wow... I'm completely impressed.
Whew - scary, but a lot less scary than doggie Cushings!
:o)
Love,
Julie
PS - I have a pic of the image of Kolohe's tumor on Facebook if you can see it from the link below. Otherwise I'll try to get it posted...
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?fbid=474331333491&set=a.42687303491.55020.542268491&pid=5894402&id=542268491