ABSTRACT: Feline hyperthyroidism is considered the most common endocrinopathy in cats, with an estimated 10% of senior cats developing the disease. Accurate diagnosis is essential to allow for the most appropriate treatment to be implemented, thereby leading to a mutually beneficial outcome for owner, practitioner and patient.Treatment options include medical management, surgical intervention, dietary modification and radioactive iodine, the most suitable protocol can only be determined following thorough analysis of the patient and the owner during the diagnostic process.

This two-part review will look at the methods currently used to obtain a definitive diagnosis and the challenges facing the practitioner along with the various treatment methods and their indications for use.

Author

Kelly Druce BSc(Hons) RVN DTLLS

Kelly qualified as a VN in 2001 and later completed the BSc top-up in veterinary nursing, gaining a first class honours degree. She has a keen interest in feline internal medicine and domestic animal behaviour: In 2005 she gained the Improve International Nurses Certificate in Animal Behaviour and in 2007 the Improve International Nurses Certificate in Advanced Anaesthesia. Kelly worked as a nurse, assessor and internal verifier in practice until 2008 when she left to pursue a career in teaching, and has since gained her DTLLS. She currently works as a VN lecturer in the further education sector and recently returned to practice as a locum RVN.

Keywords: Hyperthyroidism, Clinical, Diagnosis

To cite this article: Veterinary Nursing Journal • VOL 30 (08) • August 2015 • pp229-231

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