1. The pre-admission appointment will take approximately 20 minutes. At this time your questions will be answered, and you will inform us of your cat’s feeding pattern and likes and dislikes. A name band will be placed on your cat for identification.
2. All cats taken into and released from the facility must be in a cat carrier. No cat may be carried into or out of the facility in the arms of their owner. If the owner does not have a carrier, we can provide them with one at additional cost.
3. Owners are encouraged to bring normal food and treats; especially if their pet has a specific need or preference. Owners are encouraged to bring a few personal objects for their cats while they are at Nu-Cat. These cannot be returned due to radiation safety regulations. We reserve the right to limit the amount of material which can be left for a pet.
4. Your cat will be admitted for the I-131 therapy. We typically admit and administer the I-131 in the same day to minimize the length of the stay. Your cat will receive one injection of I-131. After the injection, your cat will be closely monitored for health and radiation levels during the stay.
5. The cat ward is a comfortable climate-controlled room complete with videos for your cat to enjoy. Most cats are housed with us for 4-7 days.
6. When the level of radiation emitted from the cat is below the level the State and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission mandates, and we feel it is appropriate, the owner is contacted and an appointment is made to discharge the pet. Arrangements can also be made for clients who wish to have their cat stay with us longer. This extra precaution attests to our commitment to assure the treatment is conducted in a manner that is most beneficial to the patient, safest for the owner, and reflects favorably on the referring veterinarian.
7. When released from the facility, the cat is monitored by the referring veterinarian in order to assure that he or she has responded appropriately to the treatment. The referring veterinarian receives a summary sheet outlining the health care treatment given to their patient while housed in our facility. Included in this summary sheet are the recommended monitoring steps to be performed after release. The referring veterinarian may interact with the Nu-Cat doctors as needed. This one-time treatment is sufficient to normalize thyroid function in 98% of cases. However, if in the rare case, sequential thyroid function assessments indicate persistent or recurrence of the hyperactive state, then another course of I-131 may need to be scheduled if deemed appropriate.
8. When the patient is released from the facility, the owners will be given Radioiodine safety information and instructions on how to manage their cat’s waste.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call us at 901-274-1444