Hyperthyroidism In Cats Diet
In cats thyrotoxicosis is usually caused by a benign tumor on one or both thyroid glands.
Hyperthyroidism in cats diet. Forty-nine client-owned cats with. Cats suffering from hyperthyroidism can become emaciated if not diagnosed and treated promptly. Four potential options for managing cats with hyperthyroidism are.
Exclusive feeding of an iodine-restricted diet has been proposed as a method for controlling clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism in hyperthyroid cats. The best diet for your hyperthyroid cat satisfies hisher nutritional requirements as an aging carnivore recovering from a muscle-wasting disease and avoids chemicals that may contribute to thyroid disease. That would be a diet composed of approximately 50-60 protein 5-10 carbohydrates and 30-50 fat.
As soon as I changed his diet Buddy stopped vomiting and over the next several months all his other symptoms cleared up. Instead of these other therapies your veterinarian may recommend feeding your cat a special cat food that is iodine-free. The iodine-restricted diet meant no fish or seafood no salted human foods because table salt is usually iodized and no cat food containing iodine supplements in the form of potassium iodide calcium iodate or kelp.
Anti-thyroid drugs inhibit the production of thyroid hormones. Although thyroid tumors can be cancerous the chances are less than 5 percent in cats. 237 Whilst the mechanisms behind these effects are currently unknown the findings are significant as a decrease in renal function.
Increased metabolic activity often results in weight loss and loss of muscle mass so increasing your cats protein intake will help him gain weight and rebuild muscle. Without iodine the thyroid gland cannot make any hormones. Studies have shown that an iodine-restricted diet alone can control thyroid hormone levels without the need for medication.
We encourage you to read cat food labels and consider these guidelines. Like normal and diabetic cats I believe that it makes sense to feed most hyperthyroid cats a diet composition close to what they would be getting in the wild. The ingredients arent appropriate for an obligate carnivore and can cause other health problems over time.