Question Details
Hyperthyroidism In A Cat
by drpennyjacobs - May 26, 2026    View Case Report
Greetings!
Solo is a wonderful serene 14 yr old male neutered cat in a household of very pampered cats (10 total) whose human is director of care at a large cat sanctuary, She actually understands good nutrition and does not own kibble - Solo eats a quality raw food fed at room temperature. His kidneys seem ok (SDMA very normal and creatinine 1.0) while his T4 is elevated - 5.4 and his main symptoms are hair pulling from his legs and inability to gain weight (BCS about 4/9). I apologize that I do not have tongue and pulse information on him, but I was hoping for herbal recommendations for him and I can get pulse and tongue info for him if that would help direct his therapy.
Thank you,
Penny Jacobs, DVM
Replies
by naturevet
May 31, 2026
Hi Penny,

I think I would approach this from a Yin deficiency perspective. Inability to gain weight despite normal GI and appetite suggests Yin deficiency. Presumably as the Heat accumulates, you get a Heart Fire that manifests as the elevated HR of hyperthyroidism. As for the grooming, if it's on the inside of the legs, many cats do that in response to Heart Fire.

Based on all that, I would look at a Yin tonic. There are many options: Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan (more cooling), Yi Guan Jian (not as cooling but several impediments to T4 conversion to T3) and even Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan (good for Heart Fire cats to stop itching and relieve restlessness). It may even be a matter of trying them out one at a time. They might all even help. Generally, though, I try YGJ first because of that multi-faceted impact on thyroid hormone levels, as long as the cat is not exhibiting a huge number of Heat symptoms yet.

Hope that helps!

Steve
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