Like humans and dogs, cats also suffer from hypothyroidism, a disease caused by low thyroid function. It can be due to different causes, but the main problem is the decrease in secretion of thyroid hormones. These hormones, when scarce, will cause an imbalance in different functions of our cat's organism.
In this article on our site we will explain everything you need to know about hypothyroidism in cats - Symptoms and treatments that as an owner you can face to help your kitty in his quality of life.
Feline hypothyroidism
As we mentioned in the introduction, it is a state of hypofunction of the thyroid that can be due to different causes and that will result in an insufficient amount of thyroid hormones.
The causes are varied but easy to understand. It can occur due to an alteration at any level of the Hypothalamus - Pituitary - Thyroid axis or commonly known as the regulatory axis. It can also be caused by a lack of thyroid development and in both cases it will be considered as Primary hypothyroidism Here we can also include gland atrophy and/or tumors.
In the case of Secondary hypothyroidism we have a problem in the synthesis of thyroid hormones because there is a problem in the functioning of the hormones that control the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones are amino acids with iodine secreted by the gland that produces them, being the only compounds that possess it. Therefore, they have essential functions in the body such as:
- Regulate homeostasis giving a good balance of the internal environment
- Regulate body growth and development
- They act on the synthesis and degradation of proteins and fats
- Increase oxygen consumption
- Regulate body temperature
- Form vitamins from carotenoids
- Essentials for the nervous system
Symptoms of hypothyroidism in cats
The symptoms that our cat can present when suffering from this disease are mainly weight gain and/or obesity without dietary changesThey are the so-called "warning signs" of the owners when faced with something very simple to measure and observe. We will see other symptoms that may or may not accompany the disease:
- Neurological disorders such as depression, confusion, stupor, intolerance of movement, etc.
- Dermatological disorders (although they are more common in dogs) lack of hair in areas, a lot of itching on the head and extremities, bad appearance of the fur, hyperpigmentation in areas, increased edema (such as inflammation), seborrhea, etc.
- Cardiac alterations such as decreased heartbeat or alterations at the heart level.
- Neuromuscular signs such as weakness, lack of desire to walk or play, limb atrophy at the muscular level.
- Reproductive disorders such as longer periods of heat, infertility, testicular atrophy almost to the point of disappearing from the scrotal sac, decreased sexual desire, etc.
Diagnosis
If our cat shows any of the symptoms described in the previous section, we recommend making a visit to the vet to assess what is happening with our little. A general check-up will be done with a blood test to evaluate the thyroid hormones and the corresponding biochemistry to see if it is accompanied by something else.
Treatments for hypothyroidism in cats
Once the hypothyroidism in our feline has been correctly diagnosed, we must start with the treatments since, if not done, it could lead to heart damage and, sometimes, death.
We must know very well what type of hypothyroidism we are dealing with in order to adapt the treatment. The supplementation of synthetic hormones is sometimes the path chosen to regulate their levels in the blood. They are treatments for life, but there are natural ways that can help so that we do not have to increase the dose in a short time.
We can resort to Reiki to give you peace of mind and be able to regulate it as a living being, many people forget that these diseases can get worse and these techniques are ways to delay early progress. With Homeopathy we can work from another plane. We will look for your basic medication so that you feel as comfortable as possible with your illness and, on occasion, we will achieve such well-being that instead of increasing the dose of synthetic hormones, we will be able to decrease them.
