This webinar provides a comprehensive overview of feline hyperthyroidism, the most common endocrine disorder in older cats. The session begins with a review of thyroid physiology and the mechanisms underlying excessive thyroid hormone production, most commonly caused by adenomatous hyperplasia or adenoma of the thyroid gland. Epidemiology and risk factors, including age, environmental influences, and dietary factors, are also discussed.
Participants will learn how to recognize the typical clinical manifestations of the disease, such as weight loss despite polyphagia, gastrointestinal signs, behavioral changes, cardiovascular abnormalities, and thyroid enlargement. The webinar explains how hyperthyroidism affects multiple organ systems, including the cardiovascular and renal systems, and highlights common comorbidities such as chronic kidney disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
A structured diagnostic approach is presented, focusing on interpretation of thyroid hormone testing, including total T4, free T4, and TSH, as well as additional diagnostic tests when results are equivocal. The session also reviews treatment options, including medical management with antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine therapy, surgical thyroidectomy, and iodine-restricted diets. Advantages, limitations, monitoring strategies, and potential complications such as iatrogenic hypothyroidism are discussed to help clinicians select the most appropriate treatment for each patient.
