First, thank you for the welcome, although I've been around for several years. I just very seldom post.

Second, that is the good news about this treatment. No more pills, no more fights, a one-time expense (Tapizol is going up, Up, UP!), and it's a one-time treatment.

It IS expensive: Here it's $1200.00 plus bloodwork and X-rays.

She stays with them for a couple of days so they can check her levels each day (bloodwork which is included in the $1200).

If my 12, 14, 16, and yes, now my 19 year old cat had thyroid? Which she does? She'd be at the radiologist so fast her head would spin. It's a shot like a vaccination. That's all.

Afterwards, for 2 weeks, you must use the corn-based litter because the government says that this extremely low-level radioactive urine must be flushed. I'm going to cage Lucy because I have so many cats and I dislike how stinky this litter gets.

Radiation is not an issue. The vet tech told me it's not a threat in that she's in there petting them while she puts them into their cages after the shot. It's her job to keep them company and she's checked monthly. Don't think chemo. Think injection.

Their behavior is not one of a sick cat, they just get better.

Add up the medication costs, the blood tests you must get, the milage you use to take her there, the cost to your time, the trauma for shoving that darned pill down your little one's throat 2ce a day and (I suggest) start saving your money for the treatment.

Around here, they don't even do the surgery anymore. At least so I'm told by 3 vets when I checked. Why, when the isotope treatment is about the same, not invasive with better success rates?

The surgery also used to have a risk where they'd take out this complimentary tissue by mistake. Evidently it's housed with the thyroid and looks like it. It's the tissue that gives an animal its appetite. So the risk was that the cat would lose its appetite and never care about eating. (Can you imagine a healthy cat that didn't care about eating?) This risk is eliminated with this treatment.

Here is the number for the surgery place: 800-553-6317. I talked with Kim, but I think she handles my area.

Lucy goes in on February 9th. I'll let you know how it goes.

Christine