For Veterinarians

Veterinarians: If you would like to consult about a patient or to see if your patient is a candidate for I-131, please email 2 years of medical notes and lab reports, along with your questions/concerns, to felinehtc@gmail.com. Dr. Vaughan considers multiple parameters on the physical exam, history, and lab work when considering candidacy.

1. Procedures to perform prior to referral: (ALL procedures, including the full physical exam, must be within 6 weeks of appointment with FHTC):

  • Complete Physical Exam
  • CBC
  • Full Chemistry Screen
  • Urinalysis 
  • A Non-Medicated T4 (done either as the original diagnostic T4 or after your patient has been off all thyroid specific medications, foods, and/or supplements for a full 7 days)*
  • Blood Pressure (recommended, but not required)

Free T4s are typically not necessary. You are welcome to call Dr. Vaughan to see if a Free T4 is advised.

*If your patient is currently taking Methimazole/Felimazole®, you are welcome to call our office so we can discuss the timing of labs for your patient. The true (non-medicated) thyroid hormone (T4) level that is less than 6 weeks old is needed to determine a treatment dosage of I-131. 

2. How should I prepare my client?
Have your client read all sections of Essential Reading prior to scheduling

3. When can my patient be seen? How far out is scheduling?
Normally we can see and treat your patient within 2-3 weeks

4.Why Does My Patient Need To Be Scheduled at a Specific Location (Shoreline vs. Tacoma) ?

If your client's cat falls into any of the following categories, they will need to be treated at our Shoreline facility:

  • Cats that are considered "medically fragile" (i.e. have additional illnesses affecting the heart, the kidneys, etc.), which is more likely in senior cats.
  • Feral cats or cats requiring sedation to be examined
  • Cats with a T4 level of 12 or higher

If your client's cat has a T4 of less than 12 and is otherwise healthy, they will be scheduled for treatment at our Tacoma facility. This clinic is our satellite facility, designed to treat cats that require lower doses of radioiodine.

Our Shoreline clinic treats patients from all over the Pacific Northwest, as well as from Alaska and Hawaii. Therefore, severely hyperthyroid cats must be prioritized. If traveling to Tacoma is a true hardship for your client, their cat's (T4 less than 12) treatment can be at our Shoreline location. However, there may be a delay of up to 4 weeks*

*Please note: This delay in treatment could result in you having to obtain additional lab work prior to the patient's treatment date. See the above timeline for requirements.

5. What is the total cost of the treatment?

The cost ranges from $1,755.00 to $1,955.00, depending on what dose the cat receives. Our doctor determines the dosage during her consultation with the cat and the owner.

6. What is the success rate of the treatment?
Over 95% of cats we treat are permanently cured of hyperthyroidism

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