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What are
hairballs? Hairballs
(trichobezoars) are balls of hair which are vomited from the
stomach. What
causes cats to cough up hairballs? Any
cat owner will have observed their cat spending countless
hours grooming itself. When the cat does this, loose hairs are
ingested. More often than not, the hairs pass through the
digestive system & are passed out in the faeces. Sometimes
excessive amounts of hair accumulate in the stomach which
can't be passed through into the faeces, causing irritation.
Your cat will gag & cough & eventually vomit up a
sausage shaped hairball. If
this happens occasionally it is not of concern, but if it is a
frequent occurrence it is important to speak to your
veterinarian about it as it may be a sign something more
serious is causing your cat to regularly vomit hairballs such
as a blockage. How
are hairballs treated? Regular
grooming of your cat will reduce the amount of hair it
swallows during grooming. This is especially important if your
cat is longhaired or has a particularly thick coat. You
could try adding a teaspoon of canned or boiled pumpkin into
the food. If
this is a regular problem & your veterinarian has ruled
out other medical conditions then he will able to recommend a
hairball product for your cat. These products are usually non digestible
oil type products which help lubricate the digestive system
& aid the movement of the hairball to the bowel. There
are some brands of cat food on the market specifically
designed to help reduce hairballs in cats. Your veterinarian
will be able to advise you on which one best suits your
cat. Are
hairballs dangerous? In
most cases no, they are not dangerous but if your cat is
frequently suffering from hairballs then it can be an
indication that the hair in the digestive system has impacted,
which can cause blockages preventing your cat from vomiting or
defecating. It has been observed that hairballs the size of
baseballs have been removed from the stomachs of cats. Symptoms
of a serious problem include a swollen & hard stomach,
vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite. It is important to see
your veterinarian immediately.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. |
