Answer to Question #12959 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Nuclear Medicine Patient Issues — Questions Concerning Domestic Animals

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

I just took my radioiodine pill to treat my Graves' disease. My husband and I prepared our apartment and he's leaving for a week just to be super cautious. I'm worried about my cat. I believe they gave me 555 Mbq. Is there anything I can do to avoid hurting him? He's very cuddly and so small.

A

Concerns regarding protecting cats from radioactive iodine therapy were brought up by another patient in the past. You can review that answer and review the answers previously provided by my colleague.

Small amounts of radiation exposure, such as this amount, won't hurt your cat. Generally speaking, high-level radiation exposure can cause damaging effects to humans and animals; however, it hasn't been clearly proven whether low-level radiation exposure can cause damaging effects or not. In the field of radiation protection, our goal is to limit the radiation exposure to a level that is as low as reasonably achievable, but it doesn't mean absolutely zero. A few things that my colleague has suggested to limit the radiation exposure to your pet cat include:

  • Wash your hands before petting the cat.
  • Limit the time that the cat is sitting on your lap during the first week after your therapy. 
  • Do not let the cat sleep next to you for a week.
  • Keep the cat off your pillow and wash the pillowcase on a weekly basis.

We are all exposed to background radiation continuously for our whole life and small additional amounts of radiation exposure won't hurt us or your cat.

I wish you a speedy recovery and your cat a healthy and happy life. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Carol Wen, CHP

Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 9 August 2019. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.