Making An Appointment

The consultation with Dr. Vaughan or Dr. Mahoney and the I-131 injection will be done the SAME DAY to reduce car trips for both you and your cat. Appointments are offered on Mondays and Thursdays in Shoreline, and in Tacoma on Tuesdays. Our physical exam and review of your cats' medical records help determine whether your cat is a good candidate for I-131 treatment, and if so, what dose will be best. A family member or someone that lives with the cat needs to be present during the consultation. This person should know the cat's history and be able to make medical decisions for the cat.

If your cat is arriving by air, we will want them to arrive no later than the day before treatment. When possible, we do recommend flying with your cat to minimize risks associated with cargo transit. However, if this is not possible, we will give you the phone number of a courier service which you can call and make arrangements to transport your cat to and from the airport. An additional fee will be charged by the courier company.

We heartily recommend using the WAZE navigation application on your Smart phone to direct you to our facility. This free phone application will generally provide the fastest route and will warn you about road hazards. Just enter our address and press GO.

Why Does My Cat Need to be Scheduled at a Specific Location (Shoreline vs. Tacoma)?

If your cat meets any of the following criteria, they will be scheduled 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 (thyroid hormone) level of 12 or higher. Cats with this severe degree of hyperthyroidism may have heart issues and/or other complications from this level of thyroid hormone, and this location is connected to a full-service veterinary hospital.

If your 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 you, your cat (T4 less than 12) can be scheduled for treatment 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 your treatment date. See our timeline below for requirements.

What is required prior to treatment?

The following procedures* must all be less than 6 weeks old:

• Complete physical exam
• Full CBC
• Full chemistry screen with total T4
• Urinalysis
• Blood pressure (recommended but not required)

*If your cat is currently on Methimazole/Felimazole or the y/d diet, please call our facility before having updated procedures performed

If Your Cat Is On Thyroid Medication:

Do I need to stop the antithyroid medications (Methimazole/Felimazole®) prior to treatment?

Yes. They should be discontinued approximately 1 week before treatment. Exceptions can be made if your cat has serious cardiac disease. If this is a factor, you will be instructed by your veterinarian or by Dr. Vaughan to keep on the medication until treatment. If your cat can tolerate being without these medications for longer, then discontinue them even sooner. The antithyroid medications may increase the uptake of radio-iodine into the normal thyroid tissue and increase the possibility of hypothyroidism after therapy. Therefore, the longer they can be off these medications without compromising their health, the better.

Are there any medications or supplements I should avoid prior to therapy?

As previously mentioned, Methimazole (Felimazole®) should be stopped 7 days prior to the treatment.

Any supplements containing iodine, kelp (high in iodine), or are high in calcium or magnesium should be discontinued one week prior to therapy.

We have had some treatment failures in cats on holistic/herbal nutritional supplements, therefore we ask that supplements and additives not be given for 1 week prior to treatment and one week after. Continue all prescriptions i.e. antibiotics, heart medication, and/or flea products as directed by your veterinarian.

Anything else I should do to prepare my cat?

Yes! Immediately begin giving your cat UNLIMITED* amounts of canned/wet food. Hyperthyroid cats should not be on a restricted or measured amount of food; you may resume that once the hyperthyroidism has been cured. Hyperthyroid cats need high calories and high protein.

*If your cat has a Body Condition Score (BCS) of 5 or higher, we do not recommend unlimited amounts of food. For those cats, continue portioned feedings, but DO change the diet to all canned/wet, if possible. Your veterinarian will be able to provide the BCS.

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