What to Expect with Radioactive Iodine Therapy
Preadmission I-131 Checklist
For Referring Veterinarians
Bloodwork and test provided by your referring veterinarian
• Laboratory test and x-rays within THIRTY DAYS of the treatment date.
• Thyroid hormone level (T4)
Laboratory Analysis required
• CBC with differential (complete Blood Count)
• Complete Biochemical Profile
• T4 (Thyroid level)
• Urinalysis with sediment
• Retrovirus testing for FeLV and FIV
• Results of additional laboratory tests if indicated by individual patient profile
Imaging Studies
• Two view thoracic and abdominal radiographs
• Results and interpretation of cardiac and abdominal ultrasound examination if indicated by individual patient profile.
Before the Treatment
• Careful screening for other disease conditions will be completed before being admitted for radioactive treatment. The screening will consist of bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs, and possibly additional test such as ultrasound of the heart or abdomen.
• Dr. Howard must examine your cat before the scheduled admission date. At that time, or shortly thereafter, it will be determined if your cat is a suitable candidate for I-131 treatment.
• If your cat is on antithyroid medication such as Tapazole (methimazole), please discontinue at least one week before your cat’s scheduled admission date for treatment. Discontinuing medication will increase the chances of a successful treatment.
Treatment Day
Please Bring:
• A six day supply of regular food
• Your cat in a carrier (required)
Post Therapy Release Information
Your cat has recently been treated for feline hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine and still possesses a low level of radioactivity. The present level of radioactivity is such that it will be necessary for you to isolate your cat from members of your family for seven days. This is best accomplished by setting up a spare room in your house to accommodate all off your cat's needs (food, water, litter box, etc). Following this isolation period, you will need to limit contact with your cat for two weeks. Following these instructions will ensure that the radiation doses that you and your family members might receive are extremely small.
Your cat is still emitting a very small amount of radiation, probably less than you would receive if you took an airline flight across the country or spent a day at the beach. This very low level of radioactivity is being eliminated primarily through the urinary tract and to a smaller extent in the feces. If you have not already prepared your litter box with flushable litter, please do so immediately upon returning home and before you release your cat from his/her carrier.
If you cat soils the carrier or bedding on the way home, you do not need to throw the carrier away (unless it is made of cardboard or other porous material). Simply put on your rubber gloves and scrub the carrier with soap and water. If your cat soils on a towel or other cloth on the bottom of the carrier, please launder the material in the washing machine by itself in hot water.
If anything happens during the first three weeks following release back to you - for instance, your cat suffers a physical injury or falls ill - and must be taken to your vet, please bring your list of safety precautions with you and request that your primary care veterinarian call us to discuss the situation. Your primary care veterinarian may not be familiar with treating radioactive animals. Please do take the time to call us under this circumstance as well.
While it is very rare to see any side effects from the use of radioiodine, it is possible that your cat may experience slight fluctuations in appetite and energy levels during its first week at home. This may occur because your cat is readjusting to a lower level of thyroid hormone being released into its system. Your cat should not seem ill or in pain. Although this lower level of thyroid hormone is healthier for your cat, it still is an internal adjustment that must be made and is generally not cause for alarm - an appetite stimulant prescribed by your vet will help correct the situation. However, if you notice a significant change in normal patterns, please call us at your earliest convenience.
We want to thank you for choosing radioiodine therapy for your cat's hyperthyroidism, and for entrusting your beloved pet into our care. We hope you and your cat will have many happy years together as a result. Please request that your primary care veterinarian forward follow up test results and please feel free to call with any questions you have during this follow up period. Remember, we get attached to them, too, and we want to know how they are doing!
Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy
1. Put a plastic liner in the cats litter box before adding litter (if cat shreds liner, do not use one but discard box after two weeks). Keep box out of occupied bedrooms and kitchen and away from unsupervised pets and children.
2. Fill the box with flushable, scoopable litter for the next 3 weeks. Scoop soiled litter into toilet and flush following the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Do not allow young children to change litter.
4. Wear rubber or latex gloves when changing or disposing of soiled litter. Dispose of soiled litter in toilet.
5. Prohibit contact between pregnant women and the cat or its waste products.
6. Limit cat's activity to a single room of the house for the first 7 days after discharge. After the first week, isolation is no longer required. However, your social interactions do need to be altered for the next two weeks to avoid prolonged contact.
7. Minimize cuddling time spent with your cat. Keep your cat in an unoccupied room at night and don't allow him/her to sleep with you. Hold, pet and stroke your cat for short periods, then wash your hands. Wear your gloves to medicate your cat, if needed.
8. Wash your hands after petting or handling your cat. Be particularly vigilant about having your children frequently wash their hands when they are home with the cat.
9. Do not let your cat run free outdoors for the next 3 weeks. Area wildlife, neighbors, their children and pets, are unaware of the radioactivity in its urine and feces.
10. Keep your cat away from food preparation and eating areas.
11. After the initial 21 day litter restriction period, you can dispose of litter as you normally would, as your cat's waste products no longer contain appreciable amounts of radioactive iodine. Normal social interactions with your cat can also be resumed at this time. However, any surface contaminated by your cat's waste products during the first 21 days should be considered potentially radioactive. Therefore, all potentially contaminated material (litter box, gloves, any non-flushable waste) should be placed into a sealed plastic bag and should be stored in an infrequently used area of your house or garage for three months prior to disposal in regular trash or re-use.
12. Call the Veterinary Emergency Center at (804) 353-9000 to discuss any other radiation safety concerns.
13. You will need to have your cat's thyroid hormone level checked by your referring veterinarian at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months following the treatment. Please request that your veterinarian fax these results to us so we can complete our follow-up records.
It is imperative that you follow the restrictions as indicated for both your own safety and to avoid problems at your local trash processing facility. If you dispose of any contaminated litter in your trash can during the 3-week restriction period, radiation monitors at the trash disposal facility will likely detect it. This has resulted in costly expenditures of labor for cities and towns necessitated by isolating and analyzing the radioactive materials. Should the radioactive trash be traced back to you it could result in substantial financial liability.
By my signature below, I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the above-entitled document "Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy". I further acknowledge that I have read and understand this document.
__________________________ ____________
Client Signature for Admission Date
__________________________ ____________
Client Signature at Release Date
__________________________ ____________
Witness Date
I-131 Program Discharge Kit Information
The following is a list of supplies that you should obtain prior to your pet's discharge. This will allow you to conform to the safety precautions as outlined in the document "Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy".
1. Flushable, scoopable litter - check local pet supply stores for availability prior to release. Familiar brands include:
• Worlds' Best Litter
• Arm & Hammer Easy Flush Litter
• Cat's Pride
• Premium Choice Flushable
• Our Cat's Choice Cat Litter
• Cat Country Organic Wheatgrass Litter
• Swheat
Although businesses more local to your home may stock some of these products, several of these types of litters are available at the following pet supply store near the Veterinary Emergency Center.
• Dogma Grooming & Pet Needs
3404 W. Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
(804) 358-9267
• P.J. Pets
32536 West Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
(804) 359-3445
• Petsmart
5515 West Broad Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 282-6455
Many other brands are available at various locations.
2. Rubber or Latex gloves - grocery store, drug store, home improvement store
3. Plastic litter box liners - 3 week supply
For Referring Veterinarians
Bloodwork and Test Provided by your referring veterinarian
> Laboratory test and x-rays within THIRTY DAYS of the treatment date.
> Thyroid hormone level (T4)
> Laboratory Analysis required are:
* CBC with differential (complete Blood Count)
* Complete Biochemical Profile
* T4 (Thyroid level)
* Urinalysis with sediment
* Retrovirus testing for FeLV and FIV
* Results of additional laboratory tests if indicated by individual patient profile
> Imaging Studies:
* Two view thoracic and abdominal radiographs
* Results and interpretation of cardiac and abdominal ultrasound examination if indicated by individual patient profile.
Before the Treatment
> Careful screening for other disease conditions will be completed before being admitted for radioactive treatment. The screening will consist of bloodwork, urinalysis, radiographs, and possibly additional test such as ultrasound of the heart or abdomen.
> Dr. Howard must examine your cat before the scheduled admission date. At that time, or shortly thereafter, it will be determined if your cat is a suitable candidate for I-131 treatment.
> If your cat is on antithyroid medication such as Tapazole (methimazole), please discontinue at least one week before your cat's scheduled admission date for treatment. Discontinuing medication will increase the chances of a successful treatment.
Post Therapy Release Information
Your cat has recently been treated for feline hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine and still possesses a low level of radioactivity. The present level of radioactivity is such that it will be necessary for you to isolate your cat from members of your family for seven days. This is best accomplished by setting up a spare room in your house to accommodate all off your cat's needs (food, water, litter box, etc). Following this isolation period, you will need to limit contact with your cat for two weeks. Following these instructions will ensure that the radiation doses that you and your family members might receive are extremely small.
Your cat is still emitting a very small amount of radiation, probably less than you would receive if you took an airline flight across the country or spent a day at the beach. This very low level of radioactivity is being eliminated primarily through the urinary tract and to a smaller extent in the feces. If you have not already prepared your litter box with flushable litter, please do so immediately upon returning home and before you release your cat from his/her carrier.
If you cat soils the carrier or bedding on the way home, you do not need to throw the carrier away (unless it is made of cardboard or other porous material). Simply put on your rubber gloves and scrub the carrier with soap and water. If your cat soils on a towel or other cloth on the bottom of the carrier, please launder the material in the washing machine by itself in hot water.
If anything happens during the first three weeks following release back to you - for instance, your cat suffers a physical injury or falls ill - and must be taken to your vet, please bring your list of safety precautions with you and request that your primary care veterinarian call us to discuss the situation. Your primary care veterinarian may not be familiar with treating radioactive animals. Please do take the time to call us under this circumstance as well.
While it is very rare to see any side effects from the use of radioiodine, it is possible that your cat may experience slight fluctuations in appetite and energy levels during its first week at home. This may occur because your cat is readjusting to a lower level of thyroid hormone being released into its system. Your cat should not seem ill or in pain. Although this lower level of thyroid hormone is healthier for your cat, it still is an internal adjustment that must be made and is generally not cause for alarm - an appetite stimulant prescribed by your vet will help correct the situation. However, if you notice a significant change in normal patterns, please call us at your earliest convenience.
We want to thank you for choosing radioiodine therapy for your cat's hyperthyroidism, and for entrusting your beloved pet into our care. We hope you and your cat will have many happy years together as a result. Please request that your primary care veterinarian forward follow up test results and please feel free to call with any questions you have during this follow up period. Remember, we get attached to them, too, and we want to know how they are doing!
Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy
1. Put a plastic liner in the cats litter box before adding litter (if cat shreds liner, do not use one but discard box after two weeks). Keep box out of occupied bedrooms and kitchen and away from unsupervised pets and children.
2. Fill the box with flushable, scoopable litter for the next 3 weeks. Scoop soiled litter into toilet and flush following the manufacturer's instructions.
3. Do not allow young children to change litter.
4. Wear rubber or latex gloves when changing or disposing of soiled litter. Dispose of soiled litter in toilet.
5. Prohibit contact between pregnant women and the cat or its waste products.
6. Limit cat's activity to a single room of the house for the first 7 days after discharge. After the first week, isolation is no longer required. However, your social interactions do need to be altered for the next two weeks to avoid prolonged contact.
7. Minimize cuddling time spent with your cat. Keep your cat in an unoccupied room at night and don't allow him/her to sleep with you. Hold, pet and stroke your cat for short periods, then wash your hands. Wear your gloves to medicate your cat, if needed.
8. Wash your hands after petting or handling your cat. Be particularly vigilant about having your children frequently wash their hands when they are home with the cat.
9. Do not let your cat run free outdoors for the next 3 weeks. Area wildlife, neighbors, their children and pets, are unaware of the radioactivity in its urine and feces.
10. Keep your cat away from food preparation and eating areas.
11. After the initial 21 day litter restriction period, you can dispose of litter as you normally would, as your cat's waste products no longer contain appreciable amounts of radioactive iodine. Normal social interactions with your cat can also be resumed at this time. However, any surface contaminated by your cat's waste products during the first 21 days should be considered potentially radioactive. Therefore, all potentially contaminated material (litter box, gloves, any non-flushable waste) should be placed into a sealed plastic bag and should be stored in an infrequently used area of your house or garage for 3 months prior to disposal in regular trash or re-use.
12. Call the Veterinary Emergency Center at (804) 353-9000 to discuss any other radiation safety concerns.
13. You will need to have your cat's thyroid hormone level checked by your referring veterinarian at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months following the treatment. Please request that your veterinarian fax these results to us so we can complete our follow-up records.
Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy Cont.
It is imperative that you follow the restrictions as indicated for both your own safety and to avoid problems at your local trash processing facility. If you dispose of any contaminated litter in your trash can during the 3-week restriction period, radiation monitors at the trash disposal facility will likely detect it. This has resulted in costly expenditures of labor for cities and towns necessitated by isolating and analyzing the radioactive materials. Should the radioactive trash be traced back to you it could result in substantial financial liability.
By my signature below, I acknowledge that I have received a copy of the above-entitled document "Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy". I further acknowledge that I have read and understand this document.
__________________________ ____________
Client Signature for Admission Date
__________________________ ____________
Client Signature at Release Date
__________________________ ____________
Witness Date
I-131 Program Discharge Kit Information
The following is a list of supplies that you should obtain prior to your pet's discharge. This will allow you to conform to the safety precautions as outlined in the document "Safety Precautions Following I-131 Therapy".
1. Flushable, scoopable litter - check local pet supply stores for availability prior to release. Familiar brands include:
* Worlds' Best Litter
* Arm & Hammer Easy Flush Litter
* Cat's Pride
* Premium Choice Flushable
* Our Cat's Choice Cat Litter
* Cat Country Organic Wheatgrass Litter
* Swheat
Although businesses more local to your home may stock some of these products, several of these types of litters are available at the following pet supply store near the Veterinary Emergency Center.
* Dogma Grooming & Pet Needs
3404 W. Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
(804) 358-9267
* P.J. Pets
32536 West Cary St
Richmond, VA 23221
(804) 359-3445
* Petsmart
5515 West Broad Rd.
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 282-6455
Many other brands are available at various locations.
2. Rubber or Latex gloves - grocery store, drug store, home improvement store
3. Plastic litter box liners - 3 week supply
Where to Find Us:
VESC Carytown
3312 West Cary Street,
Richmond, VA 23221
(p) 804.353.9000 (f) 804.353.9271
Get Directions | Email Us
VESC Midlothian
2460 Colony Crossing Place
Midlothian, VA 23112
(p) 804-744-9800
(f) 804-744-4842
Get Directions | Email Us
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