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Archive for November 20th, 2012

Cat Hairballs

Tuesday, November 20, 2012
posted by Jim Murphy

Recently I’ve noticed that my younger cat Millie is throwing up hairballs on a regular basis. She is constantly grooming herself  which is the primary cause causes the problem. She isn’t showing any other symptoms but it still concerns me.

It can be disturbing to watch (and hear) your cat eliminating a hairball. Some common hairball symptoms include hacking, gagging, and retching. Usually, your cat will then vomit the hairball in a relatively short period of time.

If you notice the following hairball symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian, as they could indicate that a hairball has caused a potentially life-threatening blockage:

  • Ongoing  vomiting , gagging, retching, or hacking without producing a hairball
  • Lack of appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

Nothing can be done to prevent hairballs in cats, but there are some things that you can do to reduce their frequency.

  1. Groom your cat regularly. The more fur you remove from your cat, the less fur that will end up as fodder for hairballs in her stomach. Combing or brushing your cat on a daily basis can be an effective way to minimize hairballs, and it can also provide a fun way for you to bond with your cat. If you can’t get your cat accustomed to grooming or brushing, think about taking her to a professional groomer for a grooming and hair cut (especially for long-haired cats) every six months or so.
  2. Give your cat a specialized “hairball formula” cat food. Many pet food manufacturers now make hairball-reduction cat foods. These high-fiber formulas are designed to improve the health of your cat’s coat, minimize the amount of shedding and encourage hairballs in cats to pass through the digestive system.
  3. Use a hairball product or laxative. There are a number of different hairball products on the market today, most of which are mild laxatives that help hairballs pass through the digestive tract.

Remember, your pets count!