o We are pleased to offer radioiodine services for treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats. We welcome and appreciate your referrals for treatment of this common feline disease.
o Hypurrthyroid Treatment for Cats is owned by Dr. Colleen Currigan, former owner of VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago. Hypurrthyroid Treatment for Cats is housed within VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Currigan continues to practice feline medicine part-time at VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago. Dr. Currigan is the supervising veterinarian for all radioiodine patients. VCA Cat Hospital of Chicago veterinarians Drs. Daphne Thompson, Elizabeth Czerwonky, and Mariah Foose are available to assist with care when needed.
o Veterinary endocrinologists agree that radioiodine is the preferred treatment for hyperthyroidism in the majority of cats. It has a very high success rate (95% of patients will be cured with one treatment), and it eliminates the need for twice daily oral medication (or surgery in patients that are higher surgical risks) in most cats. While radioiodine treatment is not a 'perfect fit' treatment for all hyperthyroid cats, depending on the cat’s overall health, as well as the owner’s preference, we do know that in general it is the preferred treatment for hyperthyroidism in many cats, and especially in newly diagnosed cats, or younger cats without concurrent non-thyroidal illness. For additional information on hyperthyroidism in cats, visit http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/practice-guidelines/feline-hyperthyroidism.
o In an effort to avoid subsequent hypothyroidism following I 131 treatment, we are using much more conservative dosages of radioiodine than we were even as recently as just a few years ago. To date, we have found that the lower dosages are equally as effective in addressing the hyperthyroid state without resulting in post treatment hypothyroidism, which we now recognize can result in a more rapid decline in renal function in affected cats, and may necessitate short or long-term treatment with levothyroxine in some cats.
o Thank you in advance for your referrals! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We know that your clients value the care that you have given their cat over the years, and our goal is to work closely with you to assure that we are a part of strengthening the bond that your clients have with you. We ask that you forward subsequent laboratory results to us following discharge of your patient from our care, and we are happy to discuss post- I 131 case management both prior to and after I 131 treatment with you at any time.