New Treatment Option for Cats with Hyperthyroidism
If your cat is suffering from hyperthyroidism, very likely you are giving your cat Methimazole (tapazole) pills as directed by your veterinarian. You may already be aware of cat hyperthyroidism alternative medical treatments such as radio-iodine treatment or surgery. All of these treatment plans have some sort of disadvantage.
Cats on Tapazole may be fussy or difficult to pill, owners may be concerned about side effects and long term complications, and the cost of routine blood work required to stay on this pill may easily sum up over time. Surgery, of course, comes with risks for complications, it may turn out to be quite costly, and there may not be any guarantees of working. Whereas, radio-iodine treatment may look like a great solution but it requires a referral from a vet and it requires a careful post-treatment plan.
Today, there is a new and exciting option for owners of hyperthyroid cats, introducing the new Hill's Y/D for Feline Thyroid Health.
An Exciting and Promising New Treatment Option
Hill's has been producing a broad line of prescription foods specifically created to help treat a variety of pet health problems. It comes as no surprise, therefore, for Hill's to craft a product created specifically for cats suffering from an increase in the production of thyroid hormones. The food is clinically proven to restore a cat's thyroid health within 3 weeks. Sounds too good to be true?
The new food is considered to be a safe and effective way to help hyperthyroid cats. In order to work well, affected cats must be fed exclusively this diet (available in the canned and dry version) and follow the recommended feeding guide. If other food is fed, the diet will be ineffective. The Hill's y/d diet is considered to work thanks to its reduced amount of iodine. With little iodine in the food, the thyroid gland releases normal amounts of thyroid hormones. It is just as easy as that!
While this diet may sound promising, it warrants some words of caution. The over all quality of the food is not superb (way too many carbs and little actual meat protein) and since it is in the early process of being launched on the market, little is really known about its real effectiveness. However, it may have several pros such as being non-invasive, it appears to be adequate for cats suffering from the early stages of kidney disease (has controlled phosphorus and low sodium) and it may be easier than giving a cat pills twice a day. Only time, will ultimately tell if this diet will provide a breakthrough in the treatment of feline hyperthyroidism.
For further reading
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Believe it or not, your cat has reached its golden years. It did not seem too long ago when he was a small furball playing in your living room, yet here he is already in his geriartric age. - Cat hyperthyroidism alternative treatments