Cat with Thyroid Problem

I'm guessing you mean Midnight has hyperthyroidism, not hypothyroidism -- two different conditions. Hyperthyroidism is much more common.

Yes, I've had cats with this condition, one of whom developed it at age 17, too. The medication helps keep the cat on an even keel, but one of its biggest downsides is doing a number on your cat's appetite -- it can really nauseate him.

We had to undergo several adjustments to the amount for our cats -- the "normal" dose for treatment of this is often way too much. Our vet started with a very low dose and worked up to a level that our cats could tolerate...rather than going with the "normal" dose. This went a long way to keeping their appetites healthy.

After a time, though, we also requested ongoing anti-nausea medications to help make them feel better while undergoing treatment.

Some advocate feeding the cat a "raw" diet, but in elderly cats with immune systems that are weakened, that can lead to a host of other problems. Our cats needed a lot of variety to tempt them to eat, so I had a buffet of soft foods on hand -- from Fancy Feast to Friskies to Purina One and so on. I also bought a grain free dry food to use as a treat, and they loved it...and eventually switched over to that for their regular dry food.

Best wishes for successful treatment of Midnight. To prevent more weight loss, don't feel like you have to wait until next month to alert your vet to an appetite slide -- call now and ask if an adjustment in the dosage would be smart to begin right away.

My kitty, Rick, is 17 and was diagnosed about three years ago. The pills haven't done anything to his appetite. He's always been a big eater and that hasn't changed. He's dropped quite a bit of weight over the years. Last month the vet increased his pills to 4 a day. For the most part, he takes them without issue. His last blood work was perfect. He eats friskies canned food. I don't give him dry food. He used to eat it, but I kept finding spots were he threw up. After talking with the vet, I stopped giving it to him.

I did Radiocat for my hyperthyroid kitty. I learned later that she did have kidney disease, but it bought her another year and a half of good quality living. I would not hesitate to do it again for a future kitty.