A CAT has gained a new lease of life thanks to a cutting edge treatment – the first in the North West.

Sven, a seven year-old rescue cat from Mold, is the first cat to benefit from the latest radio iodine treatment at a recently opened facility at ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists in Chester.

The centre is the first of its kind in the North West of the country to provide the latest gold standard treatment for feline hyperthyroidism.

With very few facilities in the UK available for the treatment, the new centre will provide a lifeline for local cat owners.

A large number of cats suffer from over-active thyroid issues, in particular older cats. Hyperthyroidism occurs when the cat’s thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone and can cause weight loss, despite an increased appetite, increased thirst, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhoea and increased activity levels.

Although the condition can be helped by medication or a prescription diet, these treatments require regular ongoing monitoring which can be invasive, time consuming and stressful for the cat.

In Sven’s case, his owner, Callum Sayers, had been medicating his cat with liquid medication twice a day and found the treatment was causing anxiety in his cat who dreaded the medication process.

As a result, the Sayers family decided radio iodine treatment, which provides a cure for the condition, was the best course of action.

Mr Sayers said: “Sven was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism last year and has been on oral medication since then.

"Although he responded to this, the regular application of the medicine caused considerable anxiety in Sven and resulted in him always being a bit nervous around us.”

Veterinary surgeon Ellie Mardell said: “We were keen for Sven to have RI treatment as a cure is particularly important when there is a large cystic thyroid, as long term tablet treatment is unlikely to achieve good control and there is an increased risk of these large cystic thyroids turning cancerous.”

Sven’s RI injection and subsequent hospitalisation proceeded smoothly, and by the time he came out of his isolation he had gained a kilogram in weight – a good sign that the treatment has worked.

Blood tests a couple of weeks later confirmed that the treatment had indeed been effective.

Anyone with concerns about their cat’s weight loss can speak to their vet and arrange a blood test which can diagnose the condition.

Cats will need to be referred to ChesterGates by their own veterinary practice. Once the cat has been assessed by the team, they will come in for treatment which is a single injection at the back of the neck performed under a light sedation

Following treatment, the cat will then be hospitalised for five to 14 days in order for the radioactivity to diminish to safe levels for pet owners to resume contact with their pet.