Radioactive Iodine Therapy at Double Bay Vet Clinic
Information for Referring Vets
Double Bay
Vet Clinic is one of only a handful of
facilities in Australia licensed to accept referrals in nuclear
medicine. We have successfully treated hundreds of cats with Iodine¹³¹
since
opening the facility in 2003 and accept referrals from as far a field as
Western Australia.
Radioactive Iodine
treatment is recognised as the gold standard therapy for cats suffering
from
Hyperthyroidism. For a full discussion of feline
hyperthyroidism, written by feline specialist
Professor Richard Malik click here. (The Double Bay Vet Clinic
nuclear medicine
program is operated under the guidance of Professor Malik).
Our aim is to offer the easiest and best value for money treatment option in Sydney.
Treatment Protocol for Hyperthyroid Cats
When you want to refer a cat for treatment to the clinic, simply call up to discuss the case with one of our vets. We’ll get some general case details from you. At the same time we require a faxed copy of the recent history (or a letter of referral) plus copies of the most recent blood test/urinalysis results.
On admission to the clinic one of our vets will assess the cat and discuss the treatment in depth with your client, taking the time to ensure all questions they may have are fully answered. This is usually done on Sunday or Monday. Then the case is assessed by our medicine team (Prof Malik or Dr. Pegrum) to calculate the correct dose for the medication. The radioactive isotopes are ordered and administered by oral medication on Wednesday. Typically, cases respond to treatment quickly and many cats are discharged over the following weekend.
Each day we update your client on the progress of their cat and at discharge we fully brief them on aftercare and follow up checks. The clients will be required to recheck their cat one week following treatment for a general assessment and weight check. A second assessment is made 6 weeks following therapy to review the Total T4 levels and renal parameters. These checks are usually undertaken at your own practice.
The vast majority of cats treated using nuclear medicine make a full recovery without side-effects or the need for further treatment.
What We Need From You
- Copy of recent history or a referral letter.
- Copy of T4 test results taken within the last month.
- Copy of blood and urine test results taken within the last month.
Making Your Life Easier
In order to make life as easy as possible for you and your clients we can offer the following services at no extra cost.
- Clients can drop off pets for treatment on Sundays.
- We will collect or drop cats off at your practice or from a client’s home during the week.
- We will collect or drop off to and from Sydney domestic airport.
- We will contact your clients each day to update them on the progress of the cat. If you wish to be kept appraised then we can contact you each day as well.
Value for Money
We believe the Double Bay Veterinary Clinic Nuclear Medicine service is the best value for money in Sydney. The total cost per cat for treatment at the clinic is only $1100 (inc GST).
Call (02)93634045 to book a case or talk to one of our vets about treatment today.
Section
Links
Feline
Hyperthyroidism. A Disease Overview by R Malik - A detailed overview
for veterinary surgeons.
My cat
has been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) -
Information for pet owners.
Section
homepage.