How about a different perspective? I'm the vet. As far as PetMeds, they are NOT a reputable company. They routinely ignore refusals by doctors to not renew medications, they routinely give Rx without seeing a pet without even having an Rx from a doctor, they routinely are in trouble with the law on these issues. And the hospital where I work is cheaper anyway. Plus, with Walmart offering generic Rx for $4/month if there is a way your pet can benefit from one on the list, ask the vet for the written Rx. We don't charge an Rx fee for any pet seen and diagnosed by our hospital. And since you can get many antibiotics and chronic meds for less there, why not? Fosters and Smith is reputable- they have never been in legal trouble and we have been very happy with them. A lot of veterinary practices rely way too heavily on diagnostics, but I don't think it is the vets' fault. In this age of litigation, we are all guilty of practicing CYA medicine somewhat. Yes, I can see petechia on the patient so I know her platelets are way too low, and she's pale and her heart rate is up so I know she is anemic, but if I don't run a CBC to prove it and patient dies and owner sues for malpractice, I'm pretty much stuck with lawyer bills, missed work, paying expert consultants, and in danger of losing my ability to practice which means I have $100,000 in school loans and no way to pay them off. So guess what? I run the CBC, even though I won't learn anything or do anything different based on the results. You have a right to refuse anything your vet recommends. You have a right to know what the vet is hoping to learn from the results of any test, and what will change in the treatment of the patient based on those tests. If your vet can't explain the answers to those questions satisfactorily, then refuse the tests. I will say that even in my healthy dogs, I run CBC, chem, and UA once a year; twice a year when they get older (above 7 since my dogs are large breeds). I'd add a T4 in a cat above 10 years. Pets can't say my liver doesn't feel quite right, or I'm always a little dehydrated because my kidneys don't work that well anymore, etc. And they hide symptoms until something outright FAILS, at which point it's a losing battle. Caught early, there are many things one can do for a cat with renal disease, or a dog with liver disease, but once they start showing symptoms, the disease is so advanced you are unlikely to provide any increase in quality or quantity of life. However you still have a right to refuse to do that testing if you don't want to and understand the value of annual or semi-annual testing. We can do a lot more for our pets now than ever before. Used the be unusual for a cat to live past 10 years, now I consider them young if they die at 14. I expect cats to live to 20 for the most part. I work at the cheapest vet in town, in a very cheap town. We haven't lost any business and in fact it is growing. We are however treating many more preventable diseases such as parvo, heartworms, GI parasites, tick-borne illnesses than ever. And we've been seeing people delay treatment for sick pets to the point of it becoming MUCH more expensive to treat, but they feel guilty and go ahead anyway. It's not the way I like to see the bottom line increase. I will be more than happy to discuss vaccines in another thread. Or I can refer you to this website. Take special note of the duration of immunity and realize why annual vaccines for FVRCP, distemper, and parvo are stupid. Here is a link that might be useful: Vaccine guidelines

Marita, I have a cat who was diagnosed with hyper-t (and CRF) more than four years ago. We have had her on medication every day since. It is obviously not the most convenient situation as it means that someone has to be available to pill her twice a day, every day- but in all honesty, it is not all that bad. Since it's really our only option for her, we think it's a pretty good option! Her thyroid has proven hard to control and the medication dosage has fluxuated largely over the years. It means blood work about every 3 months, and while the costs and hassles do add up a little, in the end they are not insurmountable. I realize that we will not be doing this forever. Our vet also offers a gel form of the medication that can be rubbed into their ears in the event that they are bad pill takers. I'm sure that option is a little more expensive, but a good one for some cats. It's already been said, but I think you need to talk to a vet that you trust wholeheartedly and see what he thinks is the best option for your little buddy. All I have to offer is that if you decide to use medication as the control, it is a reasonable option, and much better to try than to just let him succumb to the hyper-t.

My vet told me that hyperthyroidism can mask kidney disease. The increased blood flow when thyroid levels are high helps the kidneys. When levels come down with medication the kidney disease shows more. Loss of appetite is also a side effect of methimazole. My 21-year-old has days where he won't eat anything but Fancy Feast. In addition to the methimazole, I'm giving him Thyroid Support Gold and Kidney Support Gold from Pet Wellbeing. Both with vet approval and he is doing pretty well given his age. It took a few month to get things on even keel.

I would strongly recommend at least consulting on the radiation treatment. A few years ago my then 17-year-old Sally had it, and I could see an improvement almost immediately! She lived another year-and-a-half before succumbing to a totally unrelated problem. Here is a list I found on the internet of New York clinics that do the radiation treatment: Cornell Univeristy College Of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca NY 14853 (607) 253-3241 Dr. Nathan L. Dykes nld2@cornell.edu Feline Hyperthyroid Treatment Center 2 Hillside Avenue, Suite E Williston Park, NY 11596 (516) 746-2287 Hypurrcat Westchester The Animal Wellness Center of Bedford Hills 29 Haines Road Bedford Hills, New York 10507 (914) 864-1631 NYC Veterinary Specialists and Cancer Treatment Center 410 West 55th Street New York, NY 10019 212-767-0099 www.nyc-vs.com Sachem Animal Hospital 227 Union Ave. Holbrook, NY 11741 The Animal Medical Center Cornell University Medical College 510 East 62nd, Street New York NY 10021 (212) 838-8100 ex213 (212) 486-1699 Dr. Mark E. Peterson mark.peterson@arncny.org mark131i@aol.com Tuckahoe Animal Hospital and Pet Center 20 Depot Square Tuckahoe, NY 10707 Veterinary Specialists of Rochester 825 White Spruce Blvd. Rochester, NY 14623