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34 Pet owners know that health issues can arise at any time with their non- human family members, just as they can with humans. Whereas specialists in internal medicine continue to make great strides in treating people, the same can be said regarding veterinary specialists in internal medicine. Many conditions that were once seen as long and expensive ordeals for animals are now being treated more effectively - with higher success rates and over a much shorter period of time. That is the case with cats that have been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which is a very common disease (and the most common endocrine abnormality) amongst felines. Now, thanks to a fantastic treatment now available at VCA South Shore Animal Hospital in South Weymouth, cats who suffer from hyperthyroidism will not have to do so for much longer. To learn more about this disease, as well new treatment options that are available, I recently had the opportunity to interview one of the great doctors at VCA South Shore. Dr. Jeanne Ficociello is a Veterinary Specialist in Internal Medicine at VCA South Shore. She started with VCA in 2006 when she moved to Los Angeles for a rotating internship at VCA West Los Angeles Animal Hospital. Initially, Dr. Ficociello had no thoughts of doing a residency for special training, but quickly changed her mind after being exposed to different specialties during her internship, causing her to focus on internal medicine. "One of the reasons I work for VCA is that the company is very supportive of us as doctors," says Dr. Ficociello, "from providing us with new and cutting edge equipment to making sure that we receive ongoing continuing education. I think that there is a misconception that because we are a practice owned by a corporation, that someone is telling me how to practice medicine. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our hospital – and VCA in general – expects its doctors to be practicing high quality medicine and supports us in keeping current with new procedures, clinical studies and medications." In terms of the exciting treatment for feline hyperthyroidism now available at VCA South Shore, the internal medicine department can now treat cats with hyperthyroidism with radioactive iodine (I-131) that essentially cures the disease and eliminates the need to give cats medication twice a day for the rest of their lives, which is something which many cat owners struggle with. Dr. Ficociello says that "I-131 is a treatment for hyperthyroidism that involves a single injection that specifically targets overactive thyroid cells. Hyperthyroidism Feline Hyperthyroidism Was Once Considered a Chronic Disease; VCA South Shore Can Now Help Cure this Common Feline Health Issue by Rob Kelley