Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disorder in older cats and requires active long-term management, with welfare implications for both the disease itself and treatment monitoring.
Hyperthyroidism welfare encompasses both the disease state and the welfare implications of different treatment approaches. Untreated hyperthyroidism causes weight loss despite normal or increased appetite, hypertension causing target organ damage, and cardiac disease from chronic elevated heart rate - a chronic welfare compromise affecting quality of life. Treatment is essential but requires careful selection based on individual cat circumstances - a cat that cannot be medicated twice daily may have better welfare on dietary restriction or I-131 treatment. The risk of unmasking underlying kidney disease after treatment requires monitoring and adjustment of management.