Thyroid Deficiency In Cats / Felines.

Question:
My seven year old tortoiseshell cat Ivy has been diagnosed with a thyroid deficiency following a visit to my vet for problems with her coat. She has lost her coat around her hindquarters and down her flanks and was itching and biting herself.

My vet gave her a steroid injection to ease the Itching.
which he told me should last about . month, and he has
also put her on thyroxine tablets. She has been on them
for just over a week and It is oily just or two weeks ago
that she had the Injection but she Is back to scratching
herself and there is certainly no improvement in her coat.

I am so worried about her and don't know what to do. In herself she is lively enough and is a keen hunter but I don't know what else i can do to help her regain her coat and get her back to full health. Vet visits are very expensive and my vet told me that she will need these tablets for the rest of her life. Can you tell me what the long-term effects of her condition are going to be?

Answer:
Thyroid deficiency (hypothyroidism) is very rare in cats, especially in adults, however it is quite common for the thyroid (T4) level to be suppressed in cats that are unwell for other reasons. When hypothyroidism does occur it can have an affect on the coat, but it is not an itchy condition. so i do not think that it is likely to be the sole cause of Ivy's skin problems.

It is very disappointing that the steroid injection she had only produced a short-term improvement in her itching and i would recommend that you seek further advice from your vet.

You might ask whether there is anyone there who has a particular interest in cat skin conditions who might be able to give you a second opinion.

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