Nutritional Therapy for Hyperthyroid Disease in Cats

It makes sense that, if the diet your cat is eating is making her sick, then you must change that diet. What else is there, you ask, besides dry and canned cat food? Homemade, of course! Sorry, but there is no way around it: Even prescription canned cat foods contain additives that will continue to weaken your cat's health. Will nutritional therapy really work? Here's a story to illustrate just how important nutrition is to a cat with hyperthyroid disease.

I have lunch occasionally with a former co-worker and friend who owns many pets, including dogs, cats, geese, ducks, rabbits, goats and pigs. One day she told me how one of her dogs was not eating well, so I brought her a pint of the food I make for my cats so that she could tempt her with it. A week later she called me to ask for as much of the food as I could spare. When I asked if it got her dog eating again, she said: "She's fine, but I gave some of your food to my 15-year-old cat with hyperthyroidism and for the first time in 7 years, he didn't immediately vomit, nor did he have bloody diarrhea!" Well, as you can imagine, this was music to my ears. She began feeding the food to this cat exclusively. Within 2 weeks, he had gained weight, and continued to do so (he was down to 6 pounds). By 6 weeks, he looked like a completely different cat, and my friend reported that she had cut his daily dose of Tapazol down by 2/3. He no longer vomited or had diarrhea, and he was much less agitated. He continued on with this recovery for several months until the years of illness took its toll and he became ill with a cancerous tumor. My friend credits the remission entirely to the homemade diet, which she said even the expensive prescription diet couldn't rival.

In addition to the homemade diet, be sure to add a good multi-vitamin and digestive enzymes to your cat's nutritional repertoire. Do not try to go back to the commercial diet, or the symptoms will return. Be sure to add a few sprinkles of kelp powder to your cat's meals, as well. The change you will see in your cat's health within a few days will convince you that all this effort is worthwhile!

Prevention of thyroid disease? A homemade diet, from day one. You should also rethink the need for multiple and too-oft repeated vaccinations. Find a holistic veterinarian with whom you can freely discuss these matters. As it happens, there are more and more vets that are realizing that the conventional vaccine schedule can be hazardous to pets' health.
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Causes and Symptoms of Feline Hyperthyroidism

As I mentioned in the previous post on this subject, hyperthyroidism in cats has been associated with the feeding of a canned commercial diet. Although no one knows why the two are correlated, some postulate that allergies to additives may be to blame. Another theory is that multiple vaccinations over the course of a cat's lifetime may cause the immune system to either shut down or turn against the body itself. The one common thread here, of course, is the role of the immune system in this disease.

Thyroid hormones, mainly thyroxin, have a direct impact on body metabolism. When something causes the thyroid gland to overproduce this hormone, metabolism speeds up and does not modulate. Why does this happen? Often, a tumor growing on the gland will cause this, possibly as a result of suppressed immune function. Too little iodine in the diet can cause enlargement of the gland, hence hyperthyroidism. Richard Pitcairn, DVM, believes that the gland becomes hyperactive due to attack by the immune system brought about by over-vaccination.

The effects of this disease on a cat's health will be noticeable as the body reacts to the increased metabolic rate. The animal will lose weight despite a voracious appetite. Diarrhea, sometimes bloody, is almost always present, and vomiting is common. The fur will look dirty since over-active oil glands make the coat greasy. Increased thirst and urine output will also be present. Personality changes occur as well, such as nervousness, hyperactivity and constant crying for attention (and food). A higher body temperature may cause the animal to pant and/or look for cool places to stay.

As you can see, this disease causes a whole palette of other health problems. Since food is passing through the digestive tract too quickly to allow for adequate absorption of nutrients, the animal will eventually become nutritionally deficient. Another side effect of hyperthyroidism is high blood pressure, which in itself can cause many problems, not the least of which is heart disease.

Left unchecked, this disease will be fatal, possibly in a matter of weeks or months. What should you do if your cat starts exhibiting the above symptoms? Treatment options do exist, and I'll discuss some of them tomorrow.
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Hyperthyroidism in Cats: The New Scourge

Hyperthyroidism, or excessive production of thyroid hormones, is fast becoming a common and intractable disease of older cats. Once a cat is struck by this disease, it becomes quite ill and needs constant and expensive treatment. Why has this disease become so widespread?

When I was studying veterinary science in the late 1970s, hyperthyroidism was not considered very significant. Even while working for veterinarians in the early 1980s, I don't recall seeing many cases or hearing about it very often. Nowadays, it seems that not only do I read about it on a regular basis, but I know people whose older cats have been diagnosed with this disease. What happened between the late 1970s, and today?

Thyroid disease, whether hyper- or hypothyroidism, is considered to have its roots in the immune system. Either the immune system is over-stimulated, causing it to attack the body itself, or it is suppressed, allowing pathogens and mutated cells that would normally be disposed of to thrive and cause disease. According to veterinarian-authors such as Donald R. Strombeck and Richard H. Pitcairn, hyperthyroidism is a disease that was seldom seen in cats until well into the 1970s. Strombeck notes a direct correlation between the feeding of canned cat food and the emergence of this disease, as does Pitcairn, though they state that the reasons are unclear. Pitcairn also indicts the practice of administering multiple vaccines at once, a method that evolved over the years and was not common 20 or 30 years ago.

Another well-known author of holistic pet-care books, Anitra Frazier, mentions the fact that commercial cat foods are processed at very high heat. To replace nutrients lost during this process, additives and chemicals are introduced, and these can cause allergic reactions in cats. Allergies, an over-reaction by the immune system to some irritant, can, over time, cause the immune system to go into overdrive. In humans, this often presents as "multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome". In cats, it is probably something similar. A bombardment of an animal's immune system by multiple vaccinations can have the same effect. Conversely, the opposite can occur, whereby an overtaxed and stressed immune system just "gives up", resulting in diminished immune function.

Next week, I'll talk about the prevention, symptoms and treatment of this disease. Stay tuned!
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Vaccinations for Dogs: Kennel Cough and Rabies

Kennel cough, usually caused by the Bortadella bacterium, can really be a term used to describe any extremely contagious upper respiratory infection in dogs.
Because of this tendency to spread easily to other dogs through aerosol droplets, supportive home care is the usual course of treatment, rather than hospitalization. The disease, which can last up to three weeks, generally exits the acute phase within the first few days and is self-limiting. Symptoms are influenza-like in nature, and complete recovery is the norm.

Vaccinating dogs against this disease is very common. Since, like many other vaccines, the usefulness is questionable and negative side effects occur with some regularity, you might well wonder why it is even necessary. Like the rabies vaccine, politics are responsible for the majority of dog owners getting their dogs inoculated against these two diseases.

In the case of rabies, as we have seen, a serious, usually fatal disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans cannot be overlooked as a public health concern. Legislation in most states requires rabies vaccination in order to license a dog. This is not negotiable, so in order to reduce vaccine-induced reactions, one should try to limit other, not-so-necessary inoculations.

Dog owners will have difficulty avoiding kennel cough vaccination, as well. If you board your dog, this will have to be done if not up-to-date. Otherwise, the kennels will not board your dog. If your dog needs hospitalization, the veterinarian will require the same. Therefore, this is another shot that many dogs receive on a regular basis.

Although you cannot avoid these two inoculations, limit vaccine exposure by choosing against other, unnecessary (and ineffective) vaccinations; avoid getting more than one vaccine inoculation at a time and don't get vaccinations early--wait the full, required time before boostering.

In the near future, I will be discussing homeopathic "nosodes" for immunity to common diseases. Stay tuned.
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Vaccinating Dogs Against Lyme Disease

If you live in a rural area, chances are you are familiar with Lyme disease, whether or not you own a dog.  Transmitted by deer ticks, this disease can become chronic and debilitating.  If diagnosed early enough, a long course of antibiotics can often be curative. If diagnosed only after a period of illness during which the bacteria, Borrelia bergdorferi, seems able to "dig in its heels", cure is often elusive.  The ticks generally ingest the bacteria from mice, upon whom they feast early in their life cycle.  By the time they bite humans or dogs, they have the ability to transmit the organism through their salivary glands.

The symptoms of Lyme disease are fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, pain and joint swelling.  It is difficult to test for infection serologically (blood serum tests) due to false positives/negatives.  Usually, diagnosis is made using symptoms (which can mimic other diseases) and the fact that the dog lives in an area known to have ticks (dicey, again).

Chronic Lyme disease infection has been blamed for many cases of arthritis and auto-immune disorders.  We have friends whose old Labrador Retriever was diagnosed late in life, 10 years old or so.  She went through the treatment, to no avail.  Supportive treatment kept her comfortable for two more years.  Unfortunately, by the time a dog is that age, all health problems become magnified by the mere passage of time.

This is a disease that dogs should be vaccinated against, since it is such a health threat.  As you may have guessed, though, an organism so tricky that it cannot even be serologically identified as being present or not, does not lend itself to efficacious vaccine protocol.  Vaccines have been known to actually cause the disease, and, when these dogs were tested it was found that the inoculation was the source.  Not very helpful.  So far, no vaccine has shown promise.  The best way to avoid this problem is to check your dog daily for ticks, and remove promptly.  If they are removed within 24 hours, chances of disease transmission is extremely slim.

Just So You Know:  Check yourself daily, as well!
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Dogs, Canine Distemper and Vaccination

Canine distemper is a disease for which veterinarians have been vaccinating dogs for decades.  It is not related at all to feline distemper (actually, panleukopenia) which, as we've seen, is more closely related to parvovirus (or, at least, was at one time).  Distemper in dogs is caused by a morbillivirus, which is more closely related to measles than anything else.

Mainly an upper respiratory disease, most dogs will be exposed to the distemper virus at some point in their lives.  Even unvaccinated, though, few dogs will actually become ill; this could be a result of natural immunity from repeated exposure.  Dogs that do develop symptoms will present with fever and lethargy, which seems to resolve itself within a week.  The fever relapses, however, with nasal discharge, eye inflammation, coughing, anorexia (no appetite) diarrhea and lethargy.  In severe cases, the dog's foot pads become thick and hard, hence the moniker, "hardpad disease".

Due to its close relation to the measles virus, some countries use that vaccine to inoculate against both distemper and measles.  In the U.S., a modified-live vaccine replaced the less efficient killed version decades ago.  The  vaccine has good efficacy, but has been known to induce disease, particularly in young pups.  Interestingly, there have been reports of dogs exhibiting behavioral changes after inoculation, similar to the autistic changes noted in some children after a measles shot.  Again, it is best to not bundle this vaccine in with others but to give separately to avoid vaccine-induced reactions.

So Cute:  The other day, a mama deer and her two fawns were grazing in our front yard.  I grabbed the camera, but, unfortunately, they must have sensed something was up, as they took off, little white tails waving.  That would have been a great pic!
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Parvovirus, Dogs and Vaccination

I had started my first job with a veterinarian in the late 1970s when the parvovirus outbreak occurred.  Scores of dogs were admitted with bloody diarrhea, the smell of which could literally choke you.  If memory serves, it took about nine months for the outbreak to run its course, and those were not happy days for veterinary technicians, I assure you.  Almost all the dogs recovered, and life went on.

Of course, such a canine health crisis did not go unnoticed by the drug companies, who naturally came up with a vaccine for the disease.  Its sudden appearance spurred research into its source, which seems to be feline panleukopenia, which somehow morphed into a canine virus.  There is a theory that this mutation occurred in the laboratory, most likely while producing panleukopenia vaccines.

Symptoms of "parvo" are, besides the bloody diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, fever, lethargy and anorexia (no appetite).  The treatment is still supportive, consisting mostly of fluid administration until the disease runs its course.  The vomitus and feces can carry the virus, so scrupulous clean-up is a must.

Canine parvovirus vaccines seem to vary widely in their efficacy.  As I recall from my vet tech days, dogs were initially inoculated with the feline panleukopenia (distemper) vaccine, which was thought to be similar enough to induce immunity.  Wrong!  After experimenting with killed virus, a modified live version came out that instilled a limited immune response.  By this time, however, the disease had mutated into two distinct strains, so the vaccine lost efficacy after a time.

Parvovirus vaccines don't work well on young pups.  Otherwise, in adults, protection lasts approximately 5 years; due to the modified-live aspect of the vaccine, though, more side effects can occur.  Intestinal as well heart problems have been reported in inoculated dogs, and side effects are exacerbated when given in tandem with other vaccines.  Since parvoviruses depress the immune system, the list of health problems that could conceivably occur with repeated vaccination seems endless.

What to do?  If you really need to inoculate your dog against this disease, it seems prudent to wait until he's older than 16 weeks, give the parvovirus shot separate from all others, and don't inoculate again until at least 5 years.  This should give your dog protection without unduly taxing his immune system.

Next up:  Canine distemper.
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Canine Vaccination Protocol

Now that we've covered feline vaccinations, it's time to go back and cover the protocol for our canine friends.  It's not as easy to dispense with inoculations with dogs as it is with cats, for several reasons.  One is that dogs cannot, reasonably, be considered "indoor" pets.  They need exercise above and beyond what cats need, and, the larger the breed, the more exercise is necessary.  Also, unlike cats, they need to do their "business" outside.  I have yet to hear of anyone  successfully litter box training a dog (or wanting to)!  Going outdoors on a regular basis means that dogs come into contact with other animals, both domesticated and wild, that can carry disease.  Mosquitoes, vectors of such canine illnesses as heartworm and lyme disease, also bother dogs more than cats, who are not as susceptible to those two diseases anyway.

There is also the issue of laws and regulations.  Since dogs must be licensed in almost every state (perhaps every state, by now), state laws generally require certain vaccinations to be up-to-date or the license will not be issued.  These requirements vary from state to state, but rabies vaccination is one that I believe is always required.  As discussed here recently, the public health aspect of this disease cannot be ignored, nor should it be.

When cat owners go away for the weekend, they often leave bowls of water and dry food out for their cats, knowing that they will be gone only overnight.  I'm not saying I agree with the feeding of dry food, mind you, only that this is a convenience many people like about owning cats versus dogs.  At any rate, dogs need much more attention than cats and it's still simpler to have someone come in a couple of times each day to feed your cats and clean boxes than it is to set up in-house care for a dog.  That is why most people board their dogs at a kennel when they go away.  Most, if not all, reputable kennels require proof of state-mandated vaccinations before boarding, and usually insist upon inoculation against kennel cough as well.  This disease will spread like wildfire through their facility if given a chance, something that is definitely not good for business!

Next week, we'll start looking at which vaccinations you'll most likely be considering (or be counseled to consider) when you adopt your new pup.
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Rabies Vaccination

Rabies affects all warm-blooded animals.  It is only considered a threat in some and not others, however.  For example, mice and squirrels can contract rabies; their size and the speed with which the disease kills them however, keep them from being much of a public health problem.  Where they present a problem is when a cat comes into contact with them, setting the stage for infection.  Cats and dogs, infected by wild animals like foxes, coyotes, racoons, skunks and even fisher cats (though most don't survive that encounter!) are the main concern of public health officials, both because they live in close proximity with humans and also because we are in a position to control their health care, including inoculating them against disease.

The rabies vaccine, first developed by Louis Pasteur, was used on a human bitten by a rabid dog circa 1885.  The boy survived.  Until about 1920, the vaccine was only used on humans.  A killed-virus vaccine was then developed for use on animals.  Generally, inactivated virus vaccines are used on dogs and cats today.

The efficacy of the rabies vaccine is unclear.  Some studies have shown the vaccine to induce the paralytic type of rabies in cats receiving the vaccine.  Catherine Diodati, author of Vaccine Guide for Dogs and Cats,
relates the experience of Pennsylvania in the late 1980s.  Rabies vaccinations were legislated for cats in 1987, despite no increase in rabies cases.  What did increase, however, were the cases of negative reactions at the injection site, including cases of fibrosarcoma.  When researchers examined the tumors, they found traces of aluminum, which was used in the vaccines.  Of course, they couldn't prove that the tumors were caused by the rabies shots; she notes, however, that the cases of fibrosarcoma in Pennsylvania outnumbered the number of nation-wide rabies cases in 1991 alone.

For cats, the risk of health problems due to inoculation are probably greater than that of contracting rabies.  Since these vaccines are usually administered  along with two or three others in one shot, the risk of complications increases.  From a public health point of view, vaccination doesn't always alleviate the risk of humans contracting rabies from a cat that has been bitten by a rabid animal.  Just handling the cat can allow infected saliva to enter wounds or breaks in the skin; the idea of rabies seldom enters the minds of concerned owners who see Tom limping home after a rumble, wounded and needing care.

Can you guess what the solution is?  Keep your cats indoors!

Happy Labor Day, when we remember all those who came before us, fighting for the 8-hour day, child labor laws and work place health and safety legislation.
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Rabies, Vaccination and Public Health

When I was a kid, I remember watching a movie on a Saturday afternoon. It was about a man, bitten by an angry dog, who became obsessed by the notion that he had contracted rabies. I'm pretty sure this movie was black and white, from the 1950s or even 40s. The entire film followed the hapless fellow as he lurched from one room in his apartment to another, thirsty but unable to drink a glass of water (a nod to rabies' misnomer, "hydrophobia"). As it turned out, he didn't have rabies at all, just a hysterical rendition of the illness.

Rabies is a deadly disease, no doubt about it. Of course, there are other diseases just as horrible, but rabies occupies a special place in our psyche. The attack, possibly a maiming one, of a virus-maddened animal (remember, "Cujo"?); the creeping insidiousness of the disease as it takes hold, causing lack of control, madness, then an agonizing death. No wonder we fear it!

Cats, more than dogs, tend to exhibit the furious (aggressive behavioral symptoms) v. the dumb (progressive paralysis) type of rabies. Changes in behavior, particularly an aggressive fearlessness, lack of coordination and hypersensitivity to stimuli are symptoms of furious rabies. Once the virus replicates at the infection site, it moves through the body via the nervous system to the brain, then the salivary glands. This progression is the same in dumb rabies, where paralysis starts in the throat causing an inability to swallow (aha!). The infected animal can shed the virus for months or even years, as in cases where the animal recovers without exhibiting debilitating symptoms. So, even if an animal doesn't die of rabies, he can still infect others, who may not fare so well.

Rabies is one of the few true zoonoses (pathogens transmissible from animals to humans) and this fact, along with the disease's seriousness, make it a true public health threat. Since the virus may take several weeks to move from the point of entry to its destination in the brain, people handling these animals run a very real risk of infection. Hence the laws requiring pet (particularly dog) vaccination against rabies.

Next week we'll take a look at the efficacy, side effects and risks associated with the rabies vaccines being used on our cats and dogs.
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Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper) Vaccination

As long as I can remember, panleukopenia has been dubbed, "feline distemper". I really don't know why, as it's cause is parvovirus, not a morbillivirus like canine distemper. The symptoms are not remotely the same, either, as panleukopenia, or feline infectious enteritis, is an intestinal infection and canine distemper is an upper respiratory disease. Another of life's little mysteries, I guess.

This disease is widespread, and outdoor cats will most likely be exposed to it by their first birthday. The symptoms are fever, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal swelling. Healthy cats will most likely not exhibit serious symptoms, but the few that do are usually very young kittens either with immature immune systems or they were infected in utero. These animals usually die within a few days. If they recover, they will most likely exhibit signs of poor coordination and muscle tremors. When I first started working for a veterinarian, one of my co-workers adopted a kitten ill with the disease, and, though it recovered through much TLC, it obviously had neurological damage. In fact, I think my co-worker named the kitten "Tipsy".

Veterinarians have been vaccinating cats against this disease for decades. Tests have shown that, unlike some other vaccines discussed here, efficacy is quite good. In fact, immunity is known to last for approximately seven years, so most vets don't revaccinate any more often than every three years. There are two types of injectable vaccines: modified live, and inactivated (killed). Since modified live can actually cause the disease in susceptible kittens and those younger than four weeks, the inactivated form seems the reasonable choice.

Should you have your cat revcaccinated every three years, as many vets recommend? Look at the facts. Again, this is usually a disease of very young cats, and immune response is actually very good, lasting several years. Even if you let your cats outdoors, the risk of infection seems quite low. As usual, this shot is generally given bundled with other vaccines, raising the risk of negative reactions. At the risk of repeating myself (as if), if you keep your cats indoors, infection won't be a problem. Period.

Tomorrow, I'll wind up this discussion with a post about the mother of all diseases and its vaccine protocol: rabies.
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Vaccinating against Upper Respiratory Disease in Cats

If your cat has been vaccinated at any point in time, chances are that he has received the Feline Calicivirus (FCV) and Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR) shots. These two, always given together (and often combined with other vaccines, as well) are two of the four "biggies", the other two being Feline Panleukopenia (or distemper, as it is inappropriately called) and Rabies.

Both of these infections present as a nasty cold, or influenza. runny nose, sneezing, coughing, eye irritation and discharge and anorexia (no interest in food). There may be fever present, and with FCV there may be joint inflammation and lameness, although this is temporary. These infections are self-limiting and cats generally recover within a week or two, though some cases take up to six weeks to fully resolve. Those cats that tend to develop complications such as pneumonia are usually the very young and very old, as well as those animals with compromised immune systems. Formerly infected cats can shed either or both viruses, since these diseases sometimes occur together, for several months after recovery. Neither are considered fatal diseases.

Despite the fact that these respiratory diseases do not cause high mortality, veterinarians have been routinely immunizing cats against them for decades. Vaccination does not prevent infection or shedding of the virus; some experts claim that it does at least prevent the most serious symptoms of the disease from evolving, although this theory is contentious. In older cats, the vaccine has been known to actually trigger disease; because of this, and the fact that older cats should be kept indoors anyway even if they were previously let outdoors occasionally, vaccination of older cats should not be done. Since these shots are often bundled together with panleukopenia and rabies, increasing the incidence of negative reactions. If you are concerned, immunizing kittens, who also suffer the ravages of this disease due to their immature immune systems, may be useful. If you keep them indoors, however, it is unnecessary (hint: Keep them indoors).

Tomorrow: Panleukopenia and vaccination.
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