Changes in thyroid and renal function after bilateral thyroidectomy in cats

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic hypothyroidism might worsen the prognosis of cats with azotemic CKD after thyroidectomy. Varying thyroxine concentrations influence utility of creatinine in assessing renal function. Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) has limited studies in cats with changing thyroid status. OBJECTIVES: Thyroid status is stable 6 months post‐thyroidectomy. Symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine are linearly associated without influence from total thyroxine concentration (tT4). ANIMALS: Electronic records of 2 first opinion practices were searched using the term “thyroidectomy” to include 81 client‐owned cats that had undergone bilateral thyroidectomy. METHODS: Retrospective cross‐sectional study assessing thyroid hormone concentrations of 68 cats within 6 months of surgery. A longitudinal study of thyroid status in 23 cats with >18 months follow‐up post‐thyroidectomy. A generalized estimating equation assessed the associations of bodyweight, tT4 and creatinine concentrations on SDMA concentration. RESULTS: Sixty‐eight cats had follow‐up within 6 months. Fifteen cats (22%) had persistent, or recurrent, hyperthyroidism and 33 cats (49%) were hypothyroid. Twenty‐three of the euthyroid/hypothyroid cats had long‐term follow‐up (595‐1955 days); 4 cats (17%) remained hypothyroid, 19 cats (83%) were euthyroid (often transiently), and 9 of 23 cats (44%) developed recurrent hyperthyroidism. Symmetric dimethylarginine and creatinine were linearly associated, but hyperthyroid cats had higher SDMA concentrations, relative to creatinine (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Cats have changes in thyroid function for years after bilateral thyroidectomy, with a high incidence of recurrent hyperthyroidism. Both SDMA and creatinine are affected by thyroxine concentrations, and the effect is greater in hyperthyroid cats.