Our 12 year old male tabby cat (Mojo) which we absolutely love and adore was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in February 2013. Our vet put Mojo on anti-thyroid tablets, however after one week he had very bad reaction to the tablets and we were forced to stop the medication. Mojo then had one thyroid removed. Two weeks after his surgery, his blood tests showed that his T4 level was still as high as it was before the surgery.
We then put Mojo on a diet of y/d wet food and biscuits + some grilled chicken and steak! He was still not very well and continued to lose weight, although not as bad as before.
Our vet suggested that Mojo should have the radioactive iodine treatment. We were told that the minimum period of hospital stay for radioactive iodine therapy in the UK is 2 weeks. The animal is kept in a very small led lined cage in isolation, then moved to a slightly bigger cage and scanned every week to measure the level of radiation. This could take up to 4 to 6 weeks before going home.
My son and I were not prepared to put Mojo through this as although his hyperthyroidism may have been cured, he would have been mentally destroyed. Imagine if you are put in a room big enough for a bed and bowl of food for 4 months with no one to talk to! One week for a cat is equal to 2 months for humans.
After some research, I found out that in most countries the duration of hospitalisation is 5 days only, therefore we decided to have Mojo’s treatment overseas. I contacted the animal university hospital in Belgium (Ghent) and booked Mojo for radioactive iodine therapy, purchased our Eurotunnel tickets and prepared to travel.
A week before our trip, by some miracle I came across the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre website and to my surprise, the period of hospitalisation was 7 days only. I contacted Mr Andrew Bodey on 14th Jan and made an appointment for Mojo, I then cancelled our trip to Belgium. Mojo was booked into Andrew’s clinic on 27th January and had the radiation injection the same afternoon which reduced his hospitalisation by one day. We were delighted.
Initially Mojo was kept in high radiation ward for 4 days but then moved to a massive room with massive windows which looked like a playground for cats, for a further 5 days until his radiation level was safe enough for him to be discharged. During Mojo’s hospitalisation, Andrew and his amazing team kept us informed of Mojo’s wellbeing every day and gave us excellent support.
Upon collection, Mojo was in great spirits and his T4 level had dropped from 120 to 30. Mojo has been home for 9 days now and his health has continued to improve.
My son and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew and his team for their professionalism, kindness, continued support and guidance. Thank you for taking such good care of Mojo and making him better.
We highly recommend the Hyperthyroid Cat Centre and wish them all the best for the future.
Big thanks and best regards
Mojo pre-radio iodine treatment
Mojo post radio-iodine – he has put on weight and is looking much more relaxed and calm
My son and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew and his team for their professionalism, kindness, continued support and guidance. Thank you for taking such good care of Mojo and making him better.