Hyperthyroid in cat

My 12 year old was just diagnosed with hyperthyroidism.
She started on pills yesterday and the vet told us another option would be to treat her with one dose of radioactive iodine, which would eliminate the need for daily meds and routine blood tests the rest of her life.
Does anyone have experience with the radioactive iodine treatment ?

The though of having here isolated for a few days is not sitting well with me. This is a very affectionate cat that needs attention, and not being able to go near her or touch her has me feeling very bad.

It's early though, we have to see what the pills do and maybe switch her food to a no-iodine diet which might even eliminate the need for pills.

My poor baby

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No experience, just hugs.

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No advice on that, but can I ask what the symptoms were?
I am starting to think my male cat might have this.

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I have no experience with that therapy, but it's really good that you got it early. When I was young, we had a cat that had that, but it wasn't taken care of early. It was not pretty, so good thing you are doing something now.

Symptoms include weight loss, running around more than normal, and gobbling food,

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Thank you. Was she acting like she was starving all the time and begging/meowing for food constantly too?
That is what my cat has been doing lately.
I need to make a ver appt

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She didn't beg for food, but would eat like normal and lost weight.

She's at the vet today. Was throwing up yesterday and during the night without eating or drinking, so I took her in this morning and they are keeping her for observation and hydration.
She may be reacting to the meds, vomiting / diarrhea is a common side effect.

So, if that's the case, we have to do the radiation treatment.

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Thanks for the info
I'm sorry your girl is feeling sick.
I hope they find out what the issue is and get her feeling better really soon!

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Update :
She's been on the pills since January, and her dose was reduced in February. Went for another checkup and her thyroid levels are dropping again.

She's on Hills Prescription low iodine food, my picky eater actually likes it, and there is a really good chance that she can come off the meds entirely.

If she still does need the meds after all this, then the vet recommends we do the radiation treatment.

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Thanks for the update- been thinking about you. Hope she continues to do well!

I actually took my cat in thinking it was thyroid too- he lost so much weight and was ravenous all the time.

Turns out it wasn't. It also wasn't diabetes. All his levels were normal except his white count was high. They thought it could be lymphoma. We did an xray and a sono and no sign of lymphoma- thank God.

As of now they have no idea- they are saying he has a lot of inflammation so could be inflammatory bowel disease. No way to definitive diagnose that without exploratory surgery and they don't recommend that.
He went from 12 pounds to 8.5 pounds in a little over a year. That much weight on a cat is a LOT. He looks like he is emaciated but he is eating like a horse. He also acts 100 percent fine. Not sick at all. Just hungry.

He's on steroids now to reduce the inflammation and the vet has us adding white bread to his wet food to add additional calories.
We will check back in a few weeks to see if he put on some weight.

Always something with these fur babies!

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Aww,hope your fur baby does well.
Bell gained 1.5 pounds since January, which is great.