Cat Owners give your cat the best care for hyperthyroidism
Radioactive iodine 131 (I-131) treatment for cats with hyperthyroidism is now available for your cat at the Sydney Hyperthyroid Cat Hospital located on Sydney’s North Shore.
Radioactive Iodine (l-131) Treatment for Cats
SHCH is Located on Sydney’s North Shore
Vet Referrals welcome.
Cat Owners can book directly.
Benefits of radioactive iodine treatment
Radioactive I-131 therapy is globally recognised as the gold standard treatment for feline hyperthyroidism and is a highly effective treatment. It treats 95% of cases with a single pill.
- ZNo daily medication
- Z No regular blood tests
- ZIt is a safe cure without anaesthesia
- ZNon-invasive: Unlike surgery.
- ZMore cost-effective in the long run
How are the patients cared for at SHCH
What is the process
Radioactive I-131 is administered via a single oral capsule. The cat is then housed at the Sydney Hyperthyroid Cat Hospital in the customised lead
lined Cat Capsula for a period of 5-7days.
What is a Cat Capulsa
The Cat Capsula is a state-of-the-art cat facility specifically designed by Gammasonics and further customised by Dr Perkins for the effective and
safe treatment of feline hyperthyroidism using radioactive iodine.
Cat Capsula has climbing shelves for the cats to explore, is fitted with a camera for constant monitoring and supervision, and of course has its own litter tray, water and food bowls which are changed and refreshed by our trained staff daily.
Dr Martine Perkins
Dr Perkins is fully licensed and trained in the medical administration of radioactive I-131.
As a senior veterinarian with advanced medical training Dr Perkins is highly qualified to identify health issues and their implications before, during and after treatment where needed and will work with your vet to make sure the best plan is put in place for your cat.
Care and Monitoring
The feliway diffuser is constantly running in our radiation ward to keep our patients settled and calm during their stay.
Constant air circulation is maintained with an inbuilt fan refreshing the capsula with climatised air to keep the temperature at a comfortable stable state.
An oxygen port is available to provide support for those patients in need.
The radiation levels are closely monitored so the cat can be released to the owner as soon as it is safe to do so.
As a general rule, the patients spend one week with us. All our support staff are professionally trained in the use of the Cat Capsula and the correct and safe handling of radiation and the affected waste.
All treatments will be personally overseen by Dr Martine Perkins.
Learn More
Sydney Hyperthyroid Cat Hospital is based in Killara on Sydney’s North Shore.
If you would like to know more about this facility, please email us with how and when you would like Dr Martine Perkins to contact you (phone or email) so that she can answer your questions and talk you
through the procedure.
How we work with cat owners
Booking Enquiry
If your cat has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism please submit a booking enquiry
Treatment plan
Our team will contact you to see if anything else needs to be done before your cat receives treatment. We will discuss your cats condition with your cats veterinarian and make sure the best treatment is offered to you.
Care for your Cat
We schedule treatment at the SHCH where our Veterinarians and Veterinary nurses will take the utmost care of your cat during its stay in our radiation ward. We will keep you updated every step of the way.
Frequent Questions for Cat Owners
How much does it cost?
The cost is $1850 assuming your referring vet has already done a total T4 level and kidney blood test (creatinine level).
We would prefer the T4 level to be done from an external laboratory as this is more sensitive and it helps us to better determine the correct radiation dose for your cat.
If your cat needs a blood test for these values or a heart evaluation then some other charges will be necessary. All this however will be communicated beforehand so you are fully aware of costs beforehand as we do not believe in nasty surprises!
How long is the cat away from the owner?
We house them at the SHCH for a period of around 7days. After that time the cat may be discharged .
Our recommendation at discharge however is that the owner avoid the cat sleeping right next to them for prolonged periods for the following 2 weeks after discharge.
We also advise that for the following 2 weeks they wash their hand after handling their pet, particularly before eating and avoid the pet licking their face. They should avoid direct contact with soiled litter, urine or faeces and wash hand after cleaning litter trays.
If there is someone pregnant in the house then it is best to let the cat board with us for a bit longer until the radioactivity levels are even lower.
What is the success rate?
95% of cats will be cured. 5% may require a second treatment and this will be charged at $925 if a second treatment is required. RA similar proportion of cats may become sub clinically or clinically6 hypothyroid post treatment. If this is the case we recommend supplementing with thyroxine 50 to 100mcg / day at retesting thyroid levels again in a month. Occasionally she cats require lifelong thyroxine supplementation.
Does the patient need to be off medication 2 weeks prior to treatment?
It is still our general recommendation to have a withdrawal period for antithyroid diets and methimazole /carbimazole prior to treatment of 2 weeks, HOWEVER this is not supported by the literature, and for cats with severe hyperthyroidism a 3 day withdrawal period may be safer than having an at risk cat off medications for 2 whole weeks.
Can other medications be given to the cat whilst it is hospitalised with you in the radioactive iodine ward?
We are not allowed to physically handle the cat whilst in the radiation ward. We can however supply medication in the food if needed.
Do I need to discontinue anti-thyroid diets or medications prior to radioactive iodine?
If your pet is being teated for its hyperthyroidism with any diets or medications please check with your vet about stopping these medications. Ideally we like cats to be off all these medications for 10-14days prior to admission to the radiation ward however in some
severe cases we will reduce this time to 3 days.
When do I know if the treatment has been effective?
8-10 weeks after discharge we recommend you see your vet for a weight check, and blood test. Please ask your vet to notify us of these results.