Hello again from the Compound Lab!
It’s another Friday, and you guessed it—we’re still talking about animals!
This week I’m focusing on treatment for a disease that is relatively common in cats: hyperthyroidism.
Like humans, cats can have overactive thyroids. The thyroid is a gland in the body that can affect many other parts of the body and how they function. I tend to think of it as an engine in the body—you want it running at a mid-range. If it’s overactive, it can cause such “burnout” symptoms as weight loss, insomnia, increased heart rate, and much more. We’ll talk more next week about what happens when the thyroid is underactive—but it’s rare for this to happen to cats.
Of course, only a vet can diagnose a cat with hyperthyroidism. But once they do, how can it be treated?
Fortunately, there’s a medicine that directly decreases the thyroid’s output: methimazole. Methimazole works by lowering the amount of hormones produced by the thyroid—in other words, it slows down the thyroid “engine” to safer levels. Our most common way to compound methimazole is to make it into a transdermal gel that’s applied directly to cats’ ears. This is a great option for cats that are picky eaters, but we also can compound methimazole into flavored liquids or capsules too. If you have a cat with hyperthyroidism, and you’re looking for a pharmacy to help treat them, please reach out. We’d love to help! As always, we're available in the lab Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm. Or you can email me anytime at brandon.ladage@belewdrugs.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Until next time, Brandon
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