The "nuclear" vet has assured me my cat will not glow in the dark after this treatment, which is nice to know.

I think we're going to go this route. I've researched it quite a bit, including talking to three different vets and other cat owners who've done it, and I honestly cannot find a single negative comment about the treatment. It appears to be a miracle cure that has no short- or long-term side effects.

Hard to believe, I know!

They bring them in, have them swallow a capsule, keep an eye on them, feed them, give them water, put on some music for them, and keep them in "lockdown" with other hyperthyroid cats for about 10 days (mostly to appease the federal requirements). Sounds kind of like a sci-fi movie to me.

The reason they have to be "irradiated" for some time in the hospital, apparently, has more to do with federal regulations than with any serious concern about radiation exposure. It's a pretty small dose the cat is given, and the thyroid tumor (benign) is the only thing that absorbs the radiation. And the vet who does this procedure here in the Twin Cities told me that even if you "wore your cat like a hat" constantly, your exposure still would only be similar to that of dental X-rays. Despite that, I won't be able to go and visit while he's in the hospital because of the regulations.

So Bailey is going to pay a visit to the sci-fi nuclear vet tonight. I'll probably freak out when I see the "danger: radiation" signs, but I feel confident he will be in good hands, and hopefully within a month we'll have a happier, healthier cat.

Thank you for sharing your story about your cat (he had a great name, too!).

That's interesting that both cats lived to about the same age. I'd be interested to hear how the cats' health was during those last few years. What I've heard about the medication route is that cats often have a hard time with the meds and that the vets sometimes have a hard time getting the right dosage to keep the disease at bay.

I chose the radioactive treatment because A) it's a total cure for hyperthyroidism and therefore there's no need for a lifetime of medication; B) When calculating medication/testing costs over a period of two or three years, those costs were actually higher than the $1,200 radioactive treatment; and C) I didn't want to give my cat a pill twice a day for the rest of his life!

It's hard to see our pets decline in health. It's inevitable. They don't live forever. But I believe that we should do what we can to ensure our pets live out their lives in the healthiest way possible. That does not mean I think we should try to extend our animals' lives and allow them to suffer in the process just for our own selfish reasons! But it was hard to pass up a total cure in this case, knowing that Bailey has no other health problems at this time and is only about middle-aged for a cat!