Surgical thyroidectomy can permanently cure feline hyperthyroidism but carries perioperative risks requiring careful patient selection, anaesthetic management, and post-operative monitoring for hypocalcaemia.
Surgical thyroidectomy for feline hyperthyroidism offers permanent cure but requires careful welfare-centred patient selection and perioperative management. The anaesthetic risk in hyperthyroid cats is elevated by cardiac hypertrophy and hypertension that develop as consequences of the disease; pre-operative medical stabilisation with methimazole typically precedes surgery to reduce cardiac risk to acceptable levels. The primary post-operative welfare concern is hypocalcaemia — the sudden drop in calcium that occurs if parathyroid glands are removed or devascularised during thyroidectomy. Hypocalcaemic cats experience muscle tremors, facial twitching, and tetanic spasms that are distressing and life-threatening without prompt treatment. Post-operative monitoring of calcium for at least 48 hours and owner education about signs of hypocalcaemia at home are essential welfare provisions. Where radioiodine therapy is available and the cat's general condition permits, it represents a lower-risk curative option than surgery for most patients. Thyroidectomy may be preferred when radioiodine facilities are not accessible, when the owner cannot manage a hospitalisation period, or when concurrent neck surgery for another condition makes combined surgery practical.