Cat Hypothyroidism

Is your cat over the age of 13? If the answer is yes, your cat may have hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a common disease that is the result of an overactive thyroid hormone usually resulting from an enlarged thyroid gland, and it is most common in older cats. While it does occur in younger cats, it is a rare occurrence as only about 5% of cases are from younger cats. [4] The enlargement of the thyroid gland is typically the result of a non-cancerous tumor located in the gland. The thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) is produced in the two thyroid glands in the neck on either side of the trachea.
The thyroid hormone regulates metabolism, digestion, the heart, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance. As you can see, those tiny glands have a large role in maintaining
[3,5] Hyperthyroidism is the result of a problem within the HPT axis (Hypothalamus pituitary-thyroid axis). The HPT axis works as a constant chain reaction within the body. The hypothalamus releases thyroid releasing hormone (TRH) into the anterior pituitary that releases thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) and finally the thyroid (T4 and T3). If the HPT axis were working properly once the hypothalamus sensed that there was too much thyroid hormone most specifically T4 was in the body, it would produce a trickle-down effect by stopping the release of TRH and eventually the other two glands would stop producing the hormones too. When a cat is experiencing hyperthyroidism, there is a problem with the negative feedback patterns so the thyroid will not stop producing its’ hormones. Feedback, so the thyroid never receives the signal to produce fewer hormones, thus leading to an overactive thyroid gland. [3]

• What are the signs of hyperthyroidism? [1,2,4]
Cats affected by hyperthyroidism can show some of the following symptoms:
• Weight loss
• Increased appetite
• Increased activity and