Hazel, a 17yr old feline recently came in for a geriatric exam in our office with symptoms of sudden weight loss, dilated pupils, increased activity levels, restlessness, and voracious appetite. With every geriatric patient we recommend an annual blood screen for all of our patients 7 years of age and older. This screning will help detect early stages of diseases such as diabetes, liver disease, and kidney disease, which occur often in pets as they age. Early detection of these diseases increases treatment options and your pet's life span. We also ran a T4 or thyroid check. Hyperthyroidism disease is common in cats at least 9 years of age and older. The bloodwork results revealed a unregulated overproduction of thyroid hormone by the thyroid glands which is usually due to enlargement secondary to a tumor of one or both thyroid glands. The thyroid gland is responsible for the metabolic rate of the body, controlling how fast or slow the body functions perform. Because of these findings we were able to put her on medications to control this disease and prevent kidney, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy problems later in life. For more in depth information, pictures, x-rays, and treatment options, click to view articles related to hyperthyroidism.