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When
considering a referral for I-131 therapy, please
review the following protocol:
1. A
Complete Blood Count, General Health Profile, and
Thyroid level (T4) must be performed by your
veterinarian within 30 days of therapy. Chest
radiographs and urinalysis, especially specific
gravity, are also recommended. Any further
diagnostics such as ECG, thoracic, and abdominal
ultrasounds should be performed by your veterinarian
but upon request by your veterinarian, can be
performed at our facility. Patients on methimazole
for longer than 90 days should discontinue the
treatment at least 7 days prior to I-131 therapy and
have a thyroid level done 7 days after discontinuing
the medication. Please contact our facility or
consult with your veterinarian for a list of
medications that may interfere with I-131 therapy.
2.
Upon admittance, patients will be hospitalized in
the nuclear medicine ward, separate from the rest of
the hospital.
3. The
first day in the hospital we will place an
intravenous catheter and administer Tc99, a
radioactive isotope to measure the thyroid glands
activity. This will help us determine the proper
amount of I-131 to administer to the patient.
4. On
day two, the patient will receive their dose of
I-131 by a simple subcutaneous injection. This is
quick and virtually painless for your pet. Patients
receiving I-131 therapy will stay in the hospital
for 4 to 6 days. This insures us to monitor the
patient and to insure their radiation level is safe
prior to discharge.
5. During your pet’s stay, they will receive daily
assessments by our team of doctors and veterinary
technicians. They will have daily radioactive
levels done to assess the decline in
radioactivity. Please feel free to contact our
facility to check the status of your pet, but we ask
that you do not visit with them until the day of
discharge. These are Federal guidelines on radiation
safety.
6. Upon discharge you will receive instructions from
our staff as well as guidelines to follow for the
first 3 months your cat is back in your home. Your
veterinarian will also receive medical records from
our staff so they can better assist you in your cats
post I-131 treatment and monitoring. It is vitally
important that any diseases that your cat may have
acquired due to the hyperthyroidism be kept in check
by regular (every 6 months) examinations and
diagnostics done by your veterinarian.
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Picture of a thyroid during function test (courtesy
of NY Thyroid Center). Red areas are the “hot”,
overactive areas, illustrating that this is a
hyperthyroid.
Chart
Disclaimer: These basic costs do not include
additional diagnostics done at our facility or with
your current veterinarian.
