THE USE OF SUBCUTANEOUS ADMINISTRATION OF RADIOIODINE FOR THE TREATMENT OF FELINE HYPERTHYROIDISM - A STUDY OF 9 CASES

Nine cats were given a fixed dose of radio-iodine by subcutaneous inje ction for the treatment of hyperthyroidism. The procedure is of partic ular use in those cats which are considered poor candidates for surger y, or where the thyroid glands are not readily accessible. The disadva ntages of radio-iodine treatment are the prolonged hospitalization per iod required to allow radioactive decay of the isotope, and the specia l requirements needed for handling radioactive substances. In this stu dy, it was found the subcutaneous administration of radio-iodine to be both efficacious and easily performed. A dose of 111-148 MBq per cat appears to be sufficient to treat most cases of feline hyperthyroidism .