Radioactive Iodine

Treatment of thyroid problems with radioactive iodine

The treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats with radioactive iodine takes a total of six days, as mandated by Dutch law. You will receive daily updates about your cat via phone, email or Whatsapp.

At Lingehoeve Diergeneeskunde, we follow a specific procedure that prioritizes a cat-friendly approach, striving to perform all examinations and treatments without sedation whenever possible.

Day 1 – Thyroid Scan and Radioactive Iodine Treatment
On the first day of treatment, a thyroid scan, known as scintigraphy, will be conducted. Using a special camera, we can locate the overactive thyroid tissue. This scan helps us confirm whether the cat is suffering from hyperthyroidism and determines the appropriate amount of radioactive iodine to be administered.

On the same day, the cat will receive an injection of radioactive iodine, effectively alleviating hyperthyroidism.

Days 2 – 6 – Admission and Monitoring
From Tuesday to Monday, the cats will stay in our specialized nuclear facility due to the radiation. O

Day 7 – Discharge
On day seven, treatment is completed, and the cat is ready to go home.

Follow-up
When your cat returns home after treatment with radioactive iodine and hospitalization, several precautions must be observed. For the next three weeks, your cat should avoid contact with pregnant women and children under the age of 18. Additionally, your cat must remain indoors for three weeks for safety reasons.

Contact with radiation primarily occurs through the cat’s urine, feces, and saliva, so it is advisable to minimize cuddling with your cat during this period. You will need to collect the litter for three weeks and then store it for an additional four weeks. After this seven-week period, the waste will have lost its radiation and can be disposed of with regular trash.

We recommend completely changing the litter box every other day and removing soiled areas daily. Please remember to wear gloves when cleaning the litter box.

Check-up thyroid, kidneys and blood pressure
After treatment with radioactive iodine, it can take several months for the thyroid gland to stabilize and for the cat to reach a new normal balance. This process may take up to six months. Therefore, we can determine definitively whether the treatment was successful only after this period. For this reason, we recommend checking thyroid hormone levels (T4), kidney function (urea, creatinine, SDMA), and blood pressure six months after treatment. This bloodwork can be performed by your own veterinarian.