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The following guidelines should be considered when referring patients to Feline Hyperthyroid Treatment Center for I-131 therapy.

1. For our uncomplicated hyperthyroid patients, we require the following laboratory work-up prior to admission: 
• For recently diagnosed cats, never on Tapazole/PTU, we need a CBC,Chemistry Panel, T4 and Urinalysis performed within 30 days of treatment. 
• Cats with a urine specific gravity of greater than 1.040 are considered excellent candidates for Radioiodine treatment.  
• For recently diagnosed cats, on a Tapazole/PTU trial, we need a Chemistry Panel and T4 when the cat is on a therapeutic dose of Tapazole/PTU as well as the T4, CBC, Chemistry Panel and Urinalysis from when the initial diagnosis was made. 
• For cats that have been on Tapazole/PTU for a period of time, we need a CBC, Chemistry Panel, T4 and a Urinalysis performed within 30 days of treatment.
• For all cats we need full body radiographs, chest and abdomen.
2. General considerations: 
• For cats with a heart murmur, we require an Echo Cardiogram ultrasound.
• We also highly recommend a blood pressure reading.
• Patients need to be off Tapazole/PTU for 5 days prior to admission for I-131 therapy except for patients with significant cardiovascular disease.
• We also need current status on patients' vaccination history, including Rabies.
3. If your patient has pre-existing medical problems, such as cardiovascular/renal disease, please discuss this with our staff. Our patients should be medically stable prior to treatment.

Included in our fee for I-131 treatment are the following:

• Case review and evaluation on the day of admission. 
• A thyroid scan to determine if the hyperthyroidism is due to a benign or malignant process. 
• I-131 injection and appropriate radiation monitoring. 
• The mandatory 2-day hospitalization in our I-131 cat ward. 
• Daily patient care. 
• Daily progress reports for clients. 
• Client visitation through our large observation window. 
• Follow-up consultations regarding test results between our staff and the referring veterinarian.

Not included in our cost of I-131 treatment are the following:

• All necessary diagnostic tests performed at your hospital prior to therapy. 
• Cardiac or abdominal ultrasound that may be indicated on an individual basis prior to I-131 treatment. 
• Any emergency care required during hospitalization.
• Elective boarding in the I-131 cat ward once the patient has reached safe release level of radioactivity. 
• T4 level and blood chemistries performed at your hospital one month and three months post I-131 therapy.

Please feel free to give our phone number (702) 368-CATS to any of your clients who may be considering the I-131 therapy for their cat. Our staff would be happy to explain our treatment process, fees associated with treatment, the precautions that must be followed for ten days following discharge from our facility and to address any questions or concerns they may have while deciding if I-131 therapy is the best choice for their cat.

Contact Us with questions.