Hyperthyroidism In Cats Diet

Studies have shown that an iodine-restricted diet alone can control thyroid hormone levels without the need for medication.

Hyperthyroidism in cats diet. Cats with hyperthyroidism can lose a noticeable amount of weight especially older cats who may already find it more difficult to absorb essential nutrients. Without iodine the thyroid gland cannot make any hormones. And while it appears to be effective in the interim we would not recommend this diet for long term use.

However it may not be appropriate for all cats depending on other medical conditions so important to work with your veterinarian and decide if using this therapeutic diet is the best way to manage your cats. Many hyperthyroid cats that are being treated with radioactive iodine therapy methimazole or thyroidectomy can benefit from eating a high-protein high-energy food like Instinct by Natures Variety Original grain-free chicken recipe wet cat food or Tiki Cat Hanalei Luau wild salmon grain-free wet cat food. Four potential options for managing cats with hyperthyroidism are.

We encourage you to read cat food labels and consider these guidelines. 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. Cats suffering from hyperthyroidism can become emaciated if not diagnosed and treated promptly.

In cats thyrotoxicosis is usually caused by a benign tumor on one or both thyroid glands. Hills Pet Nutrition produces a prescription diet for cats with strictly controlled iodine levels. 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.

Restoring and preserving any remaining muscle tissue in cats treated for hyperthyroidism depends upon the cat. Next you need to increase the amount of healthy food or even base the entire diet exclusively on this. 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.

All cats require a protein-rich diet but protein is particularly important for cats trying to recover from hyperthyroidism. A common diet traditional veterinarians recommend for a hyperthyroid cat is a prescription canned diet by Hills yd. Once your cat is diagnosed with hyperthyroidism you must manage their lifestyle from their medication to their cat hyperthyroidism diet.