Post-Treatment Home Care and Radiation Safety
Your cat will be treated with radioiodine (RAI) I-131. You may notice some changes in your cat the first few months after he/she returns home. These changes are related to changing thyroid hormone (T4) levels. As the hyperthyroid cells die, T4 levels drop into a low range. This means that for about 2-3 weeks your cats’ metabolism may be low.
For 2-3 weeks after discharge:
Many cats sleep more than usual.
Many cats have a decrease in appetite as they no longer need the same amount of food as when they were hyperthyroid.
Despite this decrease in appetite, most cats gain weight.
About 1 month after coming home, normal thyroid cells are reactivated, T4 levels rise and appetite levels return to normal.
Some cats may shed more at this time.
The rare cat can have a voice change which is usually transient but may be permanent.
Please return your cat to your family veterinarian at 1 and 3 months after discharge for T4 levels / kidney parameters / liver parameters / CBC. The results can be forwarded to us for evaluation. In some cases, we may recommend a TSH level and/or a 6-month recheck to help determine whether your cat requires thyroid hormone supplementation.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission requires that your cat be kept in our facility until the measured radiation levels are at specified levels. Over the next 3-4 weeks small amounts of radioiodine can be found in urine, saliva and feces. Your cat will be emitting small amounts of radiation during this time. This radioactivity does not pose a significant risk to you or your family when the radiation safety instructions below are followed.
Your radiation exposure can be minimized by increasing the distance from your cat and decreasing the amount of time spent in close contact with him/her.
Radiation Safety Instructions
Limit contact For 7 days after your cat returns home:
Limit direct contact for the next 7 days. No lap time, or having your cat sit right beside you for any length of time.
Pregnant women and children under 12 years of age should not have any close contact or participate in the care of your cat.
Do not allow your cat to sleep with any person to avoid exceeding recommended close contact times.
Litter Box Instructions for 14 days after your cat returns home:
Wear disposable gloves when changing the litter box, hand-washing your cat’s bowls and/or cleaning up any body fluids. Dishes can be included in a regular dishwasher load.
The litter box should be in an area isolated from people. An ideal place is a bathroom that is not in regular use or a rarely used room. Use scoopable (clumping) litter if possible. Clean the litterbox before spending any time near (within 2 feet) the litterbox.
If you use flushable litter continue to do so. Scoop the litter daily and immediately flush urine and fecal balls. Flush the toilet twice to ensure all litter is gone from the bowl.
If you use non-flushable, clumping litter, scoop the litter clumps daily into sturdy plastic garbage bags and store these bags in a location isolated from people such as a garage, rarely used room, or storage area.
If you use non-clumping litter, line your litterbox with a plastic liner. Change liner and litter daily and place into thick garbage bags and store these bags in a location isolated from people such as a garage, rarely used room, or storage area.
Store used litter for 14 days after your cat returns home after which time the litter can be disposed of in the regular garbage system.
Wash your hands thoroughly immediately after handling litter or any fluids from your cat.
Consider that if you are unable to comply with the above precautions for any reason, radioiodine therapy will not be performed on your cat.
