Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging

I took my beautiful 11y/​o female Siamese to AVMI for hyperthyroid treatment in May. When I initially called in March to inquire about cost, etc., I was quoted $ 925 and was told that most cats only stay 4 days, but if they need to stay longer it’s an additional $ 50/​day! I was also told to call a few days before I wanted to bring her in, to schedule a Sunday appointment. So, I had 2 weeks vacation in April and called the week before I wanted to bring her in and was told they had no availability for 5 weeks!
So, I finally get to the day of the appointment, which was at 10:30, but didn’t see Dr Broome until almost 11. Yes, he thoroughly explained about the procedure and answered my questions-​that was the only time I ever saw him. Once he took my cat I was sent out to the front desk, where the shock set in. That $ 925 quote went up $ 1400-​$ 1600! What they failed to share was that all cats have to have chest X-​rays at $ 200, plus tons of labs.
All the literature I was given stated I’d receive daily updates– never happened. Dr. Broome called that Sunday night to update me on labs, etc., and informed me my cat would need to stay the full 7 days. The only other contact I had was an email the following day letting me know my cat had received her treatment, which I’d actually watched them take her for, and the following day to schedule a discharge appointment. The need for appointments is questionable since that isn’t when you’re actually seen. Every day the comments in her medical record were exactly the same, leading me to believe that they aren’t accurate.
I watched my cat on the webcam multiple times daily and was watching when they grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, held her way out in front of them, and took her for her treatment– webcam showed time 4:28 p.m. However, when looking at her medical record and daily updates, it stated she received her treatment at 12 noon! My cat is a tiny 5 – 6 lbs, yet when I watched her in her «condo» she couldn’t stand up straight when she was on the upper shelf and when she jumped down to the floor, her side was right up against the window– it seemed she was in a very small «condo.» considering I never witnessed any interaction and all that was provided after the treatment, was food and litter $ 50/​day eems very high.
Renee, in the front office, is very compassionate and understanding. However, the other front office staff are rude, abrupt, and unprofessional!
Needless to say, I will never do this again with any of my cats! They know they can charge whatever, because they are the only place In the area that provides radioactive iodine and with that I still had to drive 40 minutes each way (45 miles each way).
As an added note, I had no idea my cats images were going to be used on their Facebook page– seems to me we should be paid for use of our animals images, which is promoting their business.

Brought my kitty Chance in for Radio-​iodine therapy. I was very hesitant about the whole thing and leaving him there for up 7 days potentially. When i got there Dr. Broom, explained the whole procedure to me and was very detailed about the information and took the time to answer my questions and address my concerns. Once I left my kitty there for the procedure, I was able to watch him on a webcam! This gave me great comfort since there are no visits allowed during the stay there. I got daily results on his eating and using the litter box and was also updated on any medical stuff that they did! The staff was very welcoming on my phone calls and provided great attention to my Chancey kitty! If I ever know of a pet owner that needs to have this procedure done, I will definitely recommend Dr. Broome and Advanced Veterinary Medical Imaging. Thank you again!

Wonderful experience, was given details starting with treatment to after care for 2 tumors, hyperthyroidism. We can watch our cat in his cubilcle all day, 2 streams available so 2 devices can watch 5 minutes at a time. That aspect was really comforting. He stayed 6 days due to his treatment, he did develop a bladder infection and they treated him immediately with antibiotics. Very satisfied with professionalism, explanations and educating us on the diagnosis and treatment, and most importantly aftercare.

I took my Ella, who is 16, to AVMI for the thyroid treatment. She had this issue for two years and was so skinny that I thought I might have waited too long. I decided to keep her there the two weeks until she was completely free of the radiation. I did visit her halfway through the stay and spent some time with her. Like every pet parent, I stressed because of her age, weight and her abandonment issues, but, few days in, I realized that I worried about nothing. (I do want to say that I knew going in that there were risks. One of the two vets I consulted with even told me that the radiation treatment may make her go from hyperthyroid to hypothyroid and she would still need medicine.)
Ella’s been home a few weeks now and is doing well. I still have to give her sub-​q fluids, which she hates, but other than that she is fine. She’s eating like a horse. I cannot wait until she starts to gain weight. We go to the vet this weekend for her follow up.
The staff was wonderful with her. They even switched her litter area with her bed area, because she preferred to hide. And I was happy to see how content she looked in her temporary home via iCat camera. Dr. Broome, although I saw him just the one time, was very thorough in telling me the procedure and what to expect. The follow up emails were also wonderful. Thank you all so much.

Alright, I wasn’t going to post, but after reading about how other people’s animals have died from this procedure I have decided to include my input as well. When I asked TWO days ago if an animal has died from this procedure, I was told that they had never had an animal die from it, but I just read about how this procedure killed another cat a couple months ago at this center! This treatment killed my cat 24 hours after she received the treatment! AVMI denied it was the procedure time and time again. The doctor even called me «deluded» (I even heard one of the front desk people be INCREDIBLY rude to a customer over the phone), but I know my animal, and I took her to the vet regularly. She was normal minus her low weight because of her hyperthyroidism problem. Anyways, I wasn’t informed of any risks and when I asked, I was told that there weren’t any associated with the procedure. Well, low and behold they lied because my cat died 24 hours after this procedure!!! BE CAREFUL. Oh and if you ask, they won’t tell you the truth because CLEARLY other cats have died right after this procedure!!! AVMI if you don’t think there’s a direct correlation between this procedure and the death of an animal immediately after, then you guys are either lying to yourselves or your customers. This treatment may work for a lot of animals, but THERE ARE RISKS, even if they LIE and tell you there aren’t any. I would avoid these people and go to another center that will perform the same procedure, but where the people are kinder, the cats are truly cared for, and where they are HONEST about the risks!

Sadly, I dont have a good review to write. My Keifer was admited in October. Keifer was required to stay the full 7 days. I logged into the kitty cam multiple times a day, and noticed on at least 3 occasions that the camera was shut off 90 minutes or so before the end of «visitations», leaving me to wonder how he was doing, and whether his water bowl was full.
There was an evening prior where I had to insist via email that his water bowl was nearing empty, and lights were about to be shut out… lo and behold when they went to check on him, his water was indeed empty, not at all good for a senior kitty with mild kidney disease.
His daily reports said perky, bright, and alert. Yet, when I picked him up, I was told in-​person that he was combative and «left alone» most of the time. Which I guess is why there was no facebook photo of Keifer. My Keifer was such a sensitive soul, his combativeness, was a cry for help. Something wasn’t right. I also learned that he defecated himself and had to be bathed, but was not dried off for fear of his stress levels. How many hours was he sitting WET and «left alone» in a cage?
His reports said he was eating regularly — I later learned that was due to the appetite stimulant he was being provided, something I probably wouldn’t have agreed on for my senior kitty who had just 2 weeks prior been diagnosed with mild heart disease, that the clinic was fully aware of, and reccomended stopping his new heart medication for his treatment period.
My bill, which was quoted btween 1200 – 1500, was $ 1800 when I arrived, with no warning and no explanation of why such a difference, tho I did see a $ 20 charge for the bath.
When I brought him home, there was a sadness and extreme weakness about him. So much so that I cancelled my class that evening to just lay beside him. The week prior this weakness and sadness was not there, in fact I have video of him days before treatment — happy and talkative.
At home that night, he wouldn’t eat, and it was taking all of his strength just to lower his head to drink from his water bowl. I immediately emailded Dr. Broome who suggested maybe he ate something unhealthy or was upset by the car ride home, and not to worry about anything, just keep an eye on him
My Keifer was a road-​trip warrior. He traveled with me across country twice, not to mention trips to new york, vegas, nashville… there was no stress associated with the car, nor had he eaten something bad.
About 6 hours after reaching out for Dr. Broome for advice, my Keifer let out a huge MEOW, stood up and then collapsed defecating himself. I immediately rushed him to the ER, as it was now midnight– 12 hours after his release from AVMI.
I’ll spare you the angonizing details, but my baby took his last breath 48 hours after leaving AVMI. The Dr’s could not stablize him. He was given a blood transfusion. He was given fluids. He was given antibiotics… and died in my arms of his own free will.
Now, I know… there’s a risk associated with this treatment. Looking back, I wonder why everyone insisted this was the right treatment for a 16yr old with other issues. I would have happilly continued on with our pills and monitoring schedule. It breaks my heart that my baby’s last week, was spent in a treatment center, labeled as combative and someone to leave alone.
I messaged Dr. Broome of his passing… he was polite and offered his condolences, but I guess I was expecting a condolensce card from AVMI, or a staff donation in his honor on his Memorial fund page, or hell maybe even an offer to reimburse some of the $ 1800 I had just spent on a treatment that didn’t work for him… but none of that arrived.
In fact, to add salt to the wounds, 2 weeks later I received an email inviting Keifer in for his follow-​up appointment. I responded that he had died 48hrs after treatment… and to that email I received nothing. Not a simple Sorry, no response, nothing… which just felt so wrong.
I am happy so many of your kitties seem to have had positive experiences at this center, but we did not. My Keifer is gone, and I feel like there were many things that AVMI could have done better for both he and I, before, during, and after his treatment.
More of Keifer’s story can be found online at
and you can see for yourself how alert and vibrant he was in the videos just days before treatment.
Thanks for leting me get this off of my chest.

Dr. Broome and company provided excellent care for our cat, Pye, who was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. They walked us through each and every step with professionalism and compassion. We loved that we could watch our cat daily on their WebCam. Their concern continued after our cat’s release with emails. Although we hope we never have to use their facilities again, if One of our pets become ill, we will definitely go to them.

AVMI is outstanding in all aspects: medical standards, communication (written and verbal), facilities, care and humane treatment. They are also one of the few, if not only, place of its kind that calibrates the dose of radioactive iodine precisely, which is a big plus. The before, during, and after care and concern is superlative. I’d give them 10 out of 10 if there were 10 starts.

They were excellent with my cat. She had hyperthyroid due to a thyroid tumor and they made the process of taking care of it so easy. I dropped her off on Sunday, the vet took a great deal of time explaining everything to me in detail, they took great care of her and she was on webcam so I could peek in on her via the internet after her treatment. I was delayed at work on the weekday that I was supposed to pick her up but they ended up taking great care of her until Sunday when I could take her home. It was as easy as it gets for something as serious as a thyroid tumor. Thank you for taking such great care of my Piper.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about AVMI. Dr. Broome explained the entire process to me in a way that was easy to understand and follow. Everyone I had contact with at the facility was super nice and informative. The «catcam» was especially awesome — that I could check in and actually see how my precious Chloe was doing was a great relief. I am very happy to say that she had her 30 day recheck yesterday and her thyroid levels are within the normal range (on the low end of normal). She continues to gain weight (over 2 lbs) and she is happy and healthy. I highly recommend Dr. Broome and his excellent team. Game changer for us :-)

We were very impressed with the whole set up… The doctors, the facilities, the updates, and post care instructions and follow up. Our cat is doing well and gaining weight :-) we highly recommend them…

DOCTOR Broome saved my cats Life — -my cat was hyper Thyroid, and he transported my cat to Tustin — -every day I could watch my kitty on camera, get reports — -he invented this visionary Radioactive iodine cure — –which totally cured my cat — I was not sure what to do — the pills Vets give, are not a cure: they have side effects, and are actually a long walk to the cemetery – Yes, it costs me some bucks — –however it was worth it — actually the pills, in the long run, are more expensive– they even took cute pictures of my cat, and emailed them to me – The Doctor and staff were great on followup — with my vet for blood work, and more — The hospital is clean, the staff are professional, kind, caring, and patient, I especially thank Rene, and all the great staff — Thank You Doctor Broome

And yes… this is as good as it gets.
Starting out with the initial meeting with Dr. Broome, he explains the whole procedure to you and makes you feel very at ease about your cat’s upcoming procedure.
Once your cat is in the facility, you can see him or her 12 hours a day on a state of the art webcam.
The office sends you pictures and daily information, somewhat like having your child away at camp. They even post your cat’s picture on Facebook.
I have never experienced such a caring and communicative company as this. They are top notch in what they do from start to finish. I would recommend them to any pet owner with a pet that has a thyroid condition. Thank you, thank you.

My cat is 15 and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. My vet recommended AVMI for the i131 treatment. Dr. Broome is wonderful and explained everything in full detail. My cat was a rescue and had spent 3 years in a cage at a non kill shelter when I rescued her at age 7 ½ so I was very nervous about having her stay for 5 days. The staff was patient with me every day calling! Now at 6 weeks post procedure she has normal thyroid function, is happy and affectionate and her fur is back to being fluffy. It is tough to hospitalize your baby but very worth it! Please don’t hesitate to trust Dr. Broome.

Very protective cat owner and was skeptical about the radio iodine treatment but after my own due diligence and going through the procedure I couldn’t be more happy. The treatment restored my cat’s energy, weight and even seemed to cure a limp that was unexplainable with x-​rays (strange I know). She just seems happy again and back to her old self. Lastly, she seems to have the wonderful temperament of cat half her age (now 13). Thank you to this facility many times over.

When my cat Bud was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism I didn’t hesitate to make an appointment for the radioiodine treatment with Dr. Broome. About 20 yrs. ago this veterinarian specialist treated another of my cats, a 15-yr.-old who was in an advanced stage of this disease and for whom medication + diet did nothing to manage her condition, let alone resolve, and she was dying. Dr. Broome’s treatment resulted in a complete cure for her and a very quick return to robust health. She lived to be almost 21.
Because Bud’s condition was caught early, he required a smaller dose of the iodine and thus his stay at the facility was four days, the minimum. His check-​up with his regular veterinarian a month later showed his thyroid function was back to normal.
Dr. Broome’s current facility is state-​of-​the-​art in every thoughtful way. The reception area is pristine and, unlike a typical veterinary office, quiet. The staff are friendly and helpful and will keep you informed every step of the way, including emailing photos of your pet while in residence. A note: only animal technicians work on Saturdays so no one is there to answer the phone if you were to call. The «condo» where each cat resides during its stay is an impressive design, one without the barred-​cage construct: large to allow for plenty of movement, and cubbyholes with beds and blankets as well as space to jump on top. An excellent tool AVMI provides is a webcam in each cat’s unit. You must «like» their page on Facebook to get a code that will allow you access 12 hours a day – it is worth signing up to FB if for no other reason. Once your cat is home, managing the required fluhsable litter is easy. AVMI recommends several such as World’s Best Cat Litter, the one I bought. In the decades I’ve cleaned litter boxes, for many reasons I find this the best by far, and despite it’s expense it is the only one I use now.
I encourage anyone considering this treatment (and it is the ONLY cure) to peruse the AVMI website. Some veterinary offices do offer this treatment, but it requires a specialized vet who «visits» for the procedure but is not the one who stays involved after. When I had my other cat treated years ago, Dr. Broome was the sole vet in Southern California licensed to do this. In fact, he is the pioneer for radioiodine therapy and the first vet in the U.S. to be licensed to do this. My choice with Bud was clear.

We took our 16-​year-​old kitty, Onyx, in for radioactive iodine treatment on 8−24−14. The front office is beautiful and tranquil, with a fish tank that our Onny liked looking at.
Before we let him go for the next week we spoke with Dr. Michael Broome and he explained everything to us in detail. He’s a really nice guy.
From the next day onward we received emails nearly every day from AVMI with updates on Onyx, suggestions and tips for re-​introduction of pets that have been out of the home for a while, and, PIX! They sent screen grabs of his webcam, as well as two pix that look like they were professionally done (they weren’t — just a good photographer). They sent us a lot of pictures.
Renee in the front office is so nice and answered any questions I had when I called.
We missed Onyx so much, but we didn’t worry about him because he was in good hands. We peeked in on him a few times a day on his webcam.
The procedure was over $ 1300, but he is now cured of his hyperthyroidism. He has kidney disease but we were told that when the hyperthyroidism was cured it would bring the kidney issues to the forefront.
Overall we are very happy with the treatment that we and our cat received at AVMI. We would recommend them to others :)

I took my precious kitty Sophie in for radioactive iodine treatment on 7÷13÷14. The place was very nice and neat, the staff was very nice and friendly, and I felt very comfortable leaving my baby there. She had her treatment the next day. I was very happy for the webcams because I looked at her the entire 7 days she was there. Poor Sophie was nervous. The wonderful staff sent me pix via email all during the week too. It’s now over a month later (8÷28÷14) and we had our one month labs, which showed her thyroid (T4) went from 16 to 1.2. She is completely cured! I’m so happy with what they did for my precious angel. I highly HIGHLY recommend Dr. Broome and his staff and treatment. The total cost was around $ 1300, and was completely worth every penny.

I took my cat in for radioactive iodine treatment this past July. First of all, I was very impressed with the cleanliness of the facility and the friendliness of the staff. They were very sweet and caring with Kitty.
They have webcams in the «cat cabins,» so I was able to look in on Kitty from 8: AM-8:PM. It was very comforting, being able to see Kitty and his surroundings.
Most importantly, the treatment seems to have worked (I take him in for his follow up appointment tomorrow), as he has put on weight, and seems happy.
I would recommend AVMI and Dr. Broome to anyone who needs to tread a hyperthyroid cat.

Everything about the whole process with treating our hyperthyroid kitty was great!
Dr Broome explained everything to me. It was very easy and non-​invasive for my kitty. The staff was excellent in communicating with me. Besides the live kitty cam I got still pictures everyday. Dr Broome took some photos that I received by email after I brought her home. He is a really good photographer! I loved those pictures. There are more kitty pictures that he took on their Face Book page. They checked up with me for a few days afterwards to see how she was doing.
I was happy to give them the news that she was already getting heavier and her coat feels much better
I wouldn’t hesitate to bring any kitty I have with this problem here for treatment. They are fantastic!