How To Help Cat Get Rid Of Hairball

Sentry Hairball Relief For Cats

You cant go wrong with the classics- and this malt-flavored hairball paste is a tried-and-true formula that most cats love. The paste relieves the symptoms of hairballs such as constipation, hacking, and vomiting and eases the passage of hair through the intestines: its laxative properties will make sure your kitty doesnt have a problem pooping out the hair that accumulates in their stomach. You can either put some paste on your pets paw and let them lick it or just pour some in their food if they really like the malt flavor.

How Do Cat Hairballs Get Diagnosed

There are many ways in which a vet may diagnose cat hairballs. This may an x-ray or a physical examination. In extreme cases, surgery may be needed to remove the hairball if it has grown particularly large this can be expensive in terms of vet bills.

Constant retching and lethargy can also be signs of asthma. The vet should be able to discern the underlying cause. Either way, you will have identified a health issue in your cat and will have solved it before it gets worse.

Its normal for a cat to bring up occasional hairballs. You should only start to worry if the cat is vomiting up a hairball every few weeks or consistently for more than 48 hours at a time its a sign too much hair is ending up in the gut.

What Are Hairballs And What Causes Hairballs In Cats

Veterinarians tell a lot about trichobezoars. You may get the urge to google what that is. To put it simply, trichobezoars are hairballs . These are the thrown-up clumps of hair that form within your cats digestive tract after sessions of grooming themselves.

Cats grooming process causes them to swallow their fur and while these are considered foreign materials, their digestive system cannot consume it.

While most fur can safely leave a cats digestive tract with no problems, for the most part, cats vomit the trapped hair. These arent such a sight to see. Nor is such an experience for cats. They are called hairballs but they dont really look round as they pass through the narrow and slim path of the esophagus.

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What Is A Cat Hairball

A cat hairball is a collection of dead hair and digestive juices that have formed in your cats stomach. Cats develop hairballs by grooming themselves and swallowing the hairs, which build into hairballs in their stomachs. All cats groom themselves by licking at their fur. Their tongues have little barbs to snag the hairs as they shed. Barbs face backwards on the tongue, a design engineered by nature to help snag loose hairs, but it also means cats have little choice but to swallow the hair they groom.

What Can You Do To Help A Cat With A Hairball

Its important not to worry too much at the first sign of a hairball. Its hard to say how many hairballs represent a healthy number, as this varies between different cat breeds.

Some experts say a hairball every week or fortnight is nothing to worry about, while others say one or two a year is a better sign of a healthy cat.

Its important to know whats normal for your cat and notice if their hairballs become more regular, as this could be a sign of a health problem.

There is no shortcut for simply being an attentive and loving owner of your cat spending lots of time together will give you the best chance of noticing any symptoms or changes that could be a sign of illness.

Most of the time, a cat will be able to clear a hairball by themselves. You should simply allow them the space and the time to do this, and avoid stressing them out by fussing over them. You should observe your cat from a distance to ensure they bring up the hairball, so you can dispose of it.

If your cat struggles to pass a hairball, there are a few remedies that might work:

• LaxatoneAn oral gel that helps to bind hair in your cats stomach, making it easier to pass through the digestive tract.
• Hairball diet

Some cat foods are formulated to help prevent or manage hairballs. These foods usually contain lots of fibre to ensure the steady processing of food and hair through the gut.

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Vets Best Cat Hairball Relief Digestive Aid

What better way to deal with hairballs than to stop them from forming in the first place? The formula of these chicken-flavored chewables includes beneficial ingredients such as psyllium seed, marshmallow root, papaya, and slippery elm bark, all of which work to promote a healthy digestive tract. The supplement is meant to ensure that any hair your pet swallows during self-grooming easily passes through their digestive system and ends up in poop- instead of blocking their intestines. These chewable tablets are given daily and require a proper grooming routine to boost their effect, especially if you have a long-haired cat.

How Can I Prevent Cat Hairballs

• Brush regularly: One of the best ways you can help reduce or prevent hairballs is to be your cats ever-dutiful grooming assistant by regularly brushing them. After all, what ends up in that deshedding brush wont end up being ingested. Learn some cat grooming tips here.
• Curb excessive grooming: You can also try to curb excessive grooming habits by interrupting their cleaning sessions with play timetime to break out the teaser toy!
• Consult with your vet and make a plan: Not only can your vet rule out or address underlying causes, but they can also provide customized recommendations for over-the-counter hairball diets or treatments . These products provide mechanical assistance via lubrication or fiber that lend a helping hand to your cats digestive tract.

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Ways To Naturally Reduce Hairballs

In case you havent noticed, cats take a lot of pride in how they look and this doesnt come without a lot of hard work and grooming. From the minute they enter the world, kittens are introduced to proper grooming techniques by their mothers and it quickly becomes a part of their day-to-day routine. But all that licking results in the ingestion of fur and eventually leads to a most unpleasant hairball. And while the delivery of a hairball is unappealing to observe, it is even more uncomfortable for the dignified and fancy feline. The good news is that there are some ways to effectively and naturally help your cat prevent hairballs from occurring.

Common hairball remedies, such as Laxatone, contain petroleum products some of which have been linked to hormone disruption. Fortunately, there are more natural remedies for hairball relief. We recommend these three approaches.

1. Brushing/Hair Removal

2. Digestive Aids & Fiber

3. Fish Oil

Fish oil, such as salmon, pollock and sardine oil, is great because it fights hairballs on both fronts. The oils nourish the skin and coat to help reduce shedding and help move ingested hair along the digestive tract all while nourishing the intestinal tract. Fish oil truly is the best Omega 3 oil for cats as it works from the inside out. Feel free to give it to your kitty daily!

If youd like assistance selecting products for any of these three remedies come see us at your neighborhood Pet Pros!

The Cat Is Struggling To Vomit Out The Hairballs

In most cases, eliminating the hairballs does not take a long time, but if the hairball is too large and wont fit through the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus or if the cat has any lesion of deformity of the upper digestive tract , it will struggle to vomit it out. When cats struggle to vomit, the contractions in the stomach continue for a long time, which puts immense strain on it.

This should be avoided because prolonged gastric contractions could cause gastric ruptures, which could be fatal. If you notice that your cat is struggling to vomit out a hairball, ideally you should take it to the vet.

If that is not possible, call the vets office and try to talk to the doctor. If that is not possible either, give your cat a lubricant, which can ease the passage of the hairball.

You can use salmon oil, olive oil, or paraffin oil. You need 1-2 tablespoons of oil. Especially with salmon oil, cats might lick it right off your finger. But if the cat has been struggling to vomit for a while, it might not have an appetite and it may not be interested in the salmon oil.

You can administer the oil using a medicine dropper or a plastic syringe . Keep the cats head steady and dont lift its head up too high to ensure a natural position.

Then, place the dropper on the side of its mouth and put it in gently. Then simply squeeze it to get the oil in the cats mouth.

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How Often Do Cats Eliminate Hairballs

Cats can eliminate hairballs as often as once a week, or once a couple of weeks. But for some cats, it can happen as rarely as a few times a year. If it does not happen at all, you have nothing to worry about. But if it happens more often than once a week, then you should take your cat in to see the vet.

Your Cat Has Hairballs: Should You Worry

When your cat hacks up a slimy fur sausage of a hairball, you may be disgusted or annoyed . You may also wonder whether thats normal. An occasional regurgitated wad of hair isnt cause for alarm, but frequent hairballs might mean your cat has an underlying health problem, such as anxiety, allergies, or an imbalanced gut microbiome .

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When Should I Be Concerned

If your cat vomits more than 2 real hairballs over the course of one year, you should discuss this with your veterinarian and if you find vomited liquid with strands of hair on the floor, you should take your cat to your veterinarian to investigate the cause for vomiting. Seek immediate medical attention if your cat is showing any of these symptoms:

• Hacking, but not vomiting a hairball
• Evidence of abdominal pain

Natural Remedies For Hairballs In Cats

Thankfully, hairballs are not usually a sign of a serious problem. However, if youve ever watched a cat in the process of coughing one up, youve probably noticed that it isnt a pleasant experience for them. Not that we particularly enjoy the cleanup, either! Youll be happy to know that there are a few easy and natural remedies for cat hairballs.

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When Should You Be Concerned About Your Cats Hairballs

There are some situations in which hairballs represent a threat to your pets health or even their life.

If a very large hairball forms, your pet may be unable to regurgitate it and it will continue to grow, eventually causing an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract.

So, when should you worry about your cats hairballs?

If your cat produces hairballs more than every fortnight or so, you should chat to your vet. This can be a sign that your pet is overgrooming as a symptom of stress, a skin condition or an allergy. The additional grooming can lead to added consumption of hair, as well as bald patches. Purely Pets policyholders can call the 24-Hour Vet Helpline if theyre worried.

If you notice greenish liquid accompanying your cats hairball, you should see the vet without delay this can be a sign of pancreatitis.

It should not take more than a day or two for a cat to pass a hairball if your cat is gagging for longer, see your vet to check for a problem. For one thing, prolonged gagging and retching can make your cat dehydrated.

Producing a hairball can make cats lethargic, but it can also be a sign of a more serious problem so if they are very sleepy or unwilling to eat, you may need help.

Stools coming too slowly or too quickly are both signs that your cats digestive system is under strain.

Your Cat Is Eliminating Hairballs Very Often

The natural process of eliminating hairballs happens only so often. The specific periodicity depends on the length of the cats fur , on their temperament, on the quality of their fur, and many other aspects. It is normal for a cat to vomit out hairballs even as often as every week or every other week. The key is to learn what your cats periodicity is. Then, if you notice that your cat is eliminating harballs more often than usual, you should be aware that something is happening with your cat.

Try to examine the cat to see how its fur looks like. Think about its grooming schedule and whether or not youve made some changes. Have you missed the latest grooming sessions? Pet your cat to see if the fur pulls out easily. Another thing you can examine on your own is your cats skin. Make sure you have access to a good light source and push the fur aside with your fingers to get a proper look at your cats skin. Look for redness, irritation, signs of scratching, dandruff, cuts, or anything else thats out of the ordinary. If you notice anything, make a note and then call your doctor.

Another aspect to think about is whether or not your cat is going through a stressful time that might make it shed more than usual. Also, make sure to take the cats temperature. If its either too high or too low, it might be associated with excessive shedding as well, but also with a systemic issue, so its time to see the vet.

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Are There Any Natural Remedies For Hairballs

The problem with some medicines and treatments is that they contain petrolatum. Some natural alternatives avoid this substance and often use some combination of elm bark, marshmallow root, papaya, and psyllium seed. Check the ingredients and methods of any product before you buy.

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Pet Some Vaseline On Your Cats Paw

If you take a look at the commercial products that are available for dealing with hairballs, you will see that the vast majority of them contain petroleum jelly. This is what you will find in Vaseline, making it a good solution if you do not have time to pop to the pet store or you want something to deal with the problem immediately. All you need to do is put a very small amount of Vaseline on your cats paw. Your cat should voluntarily lick this off, and this will help to prevent hairballs in the future.

Aside from the suggestions that have been mentioned, grooming your cat regularly can go a long way to prevent hairballs / reducing the frequency of them. After all, the more fur you get rid of, the less fur that is likely to end up in your cats stomach. Not only this, but you can also get specific hairball laxatives and products on the market today. Therefore, if you have tried the home remedies that have been mentioned and your cat is still experiencing a large number of hairballs, you may want to look into purchasing a specialist product that targets this issue.

So there you have it: nine effective home remedies for cat hairballs. If you follow one of the suggestions that have been mentioned above, you should be able to get rid of the hairball with ease. Not only is this vital for your own sake, but more importantly, it is a necessity for your cats health. The last thing you want to do is run the risk of them suffering an intestinal blockage.

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What To Do If Your Cat Has Hairballs

If your cat is frequently coughing up hairballs, contact your veterinarian. Here are some cat hairball remedies and treatments that you might try:

• Laxatone: This is a palatable oral gel that can help bind hair in the stomach and make it easier for the hair to pass through your cats GI tract. These gels can help with hairballs in some cats.

• Over-the-Counter Hairball Diets: Certain cat food formulas are marketed to help prevent and/or control hairballs. These diets are usually high in fiber and help keep the GI motility normal. A few OTC diets include: Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Hairball Management or Royal Canin Hairball Care for cats. These diets may be helpful for some cats.

• Prescription Diets: If your cat has difficulty expelling hairballs, then you should talk to your cats regular veterinarian about options for prescription diets or food additives that may be helpful.

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Cats begin grooming themselves as early as they are in the kitten-hood, usually around the 4th week after birth. By the time they are 5 weeks of age, mutual grooming becomes prevalent if they are placed in a litter with other cats. This behavior can continue into adulthood. Cats may spend 30 – 50% of their day grooming themselves or/and other cats.

Every time cats groom, they swallow stray and loose hair into their stomach, forming a wad. If they swallow too much hair at once, clogging the digestive system, it could cause the cat to lose appetite, form blockages which can cause constipation or choking. Most of the hairballs accumulated in the stomach are eventually ejected from the body through regurgitation. However, if the hairballs are too large to pass, it may require medical procedures to surgically remove the hair wad. What can we do to help our cats get rid of hairballs?

Commercial Remedies:

You do not really need to do anything if your cat coughs up a hairball most of the time. Hairballs that are stuck in their body, are the ones that could cause health issues. There are commercial remedies that we can use to make the passage a lot smoother and easier for the cats:

Brush Your Cat:

Add Some Fiber:

Check with your vet:

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