Pet cats
One of the most common afflictions in cats, hairballs are easily prevented and remedied, but if left untreated, they can cause your cat serious illness or, in rare cases, even death.
Vomiting up a hairball, though unpleasant for the cat and also scary for the cat’s owner, probably won’t require medical intervention. In fact, hairballs are a common problem among cats, an inevitable result of the significant amount of time cats spend grooming themselves. During the course of grooming, cats swallow fur, which is not digestible but is usually passed easily through the system. However, if too much hair is ingested, the hair may not be passed through, but instead vomited up as something that resembles a small, wet sausage. While this may look alarming, it is not necessarily a sign that something is wrong. It is not unusual for a cat to vomit up a hairball about once a week, particularly during the spring and fall shedding seasons. However, treatment may be necessary if the vomiting becomes more frequent, or is accompanied by other symptoms like bad breath, lethargy, loss of appetite or if the cat tries to vomit but cannot.
At the very early stages, hairballs can be treated easily, sometimes just by grooming the cat more often so that less hair is ingested. However, if the cat begins attempting to vomit but cannot regurgitate anything, or if diarrhea
or constipation occur, the cat may also need an oral hairball remedy. Sold at pet supply
stores and anywhere pet products are carried, it has been the standard hairball treatment for several years, and is a petroleum-based paste-like product designed to encourage the unwanted hair to pass through the system quickly and painlessly. The paste should be administered two to three hours before food is given, as it will interfere with the absorption of minerals from the cat’s food. Half a teaspoon of plain petroleum jelly can also be used. The paste can be placed directly into the cat’s mouth, or wiped on the paws for the cat to clean off. Mineral oil is sometimes recommended, but many veterinarians discourage its use because of the possible dangers. If the cat has trouble swallowing the oil, or vomits it up, small droplets could enter the airways and cause illness.
In later stages, assistance from a veterinarian may be required. If the cat becomes constipated, is lethargic or has no appetite, veterinary treatment should be sought immediately. If the hairball is too large, it could lead to a blockage, causing internal damage and even death. In extreme cases, surgery
may be required, although surgery brings with it its own set of risks, such as tissue damage, infection and shock. Preventing hairballs is therefore the most effective way to protect your cat.
You can help prevent hairballs with several methods, including frequent brushing or shaving to decrease the amount of hair a cat ingests while grooming. Wiping a damp towel over the coat after brushing also helps, because it removes loose hair and prevents it from being ingested by the cat. Special care may need to be taken with cats who live in multi-cat households, because they groom not only themselves, but also the other cats they live with, and will ingest more hair than a solitary feline. Longhaired cats are also more prone to hairballs, and should be groomed more frequently than shorthaired cats. It may also be helpful to keep their hair clipped short. Adding Fiber to your cat’s diet can also help, because it helps cleanse the lining of the intestines, which encourages the hair to pass through the system naturally. Fiber can be added in supplement form, and is sold as a powder and in capsules. Alternatively, you can feed your cat a food or treat specially designed to help prevent and alleviate hairballs. Several other supplements are also recommended as hairball preventatives, including pumpkin, butter and the oil from sardines. These can all be easily added to your cat’s diet.
Hairballs can be difficult to diagnose, because they generally do not show up on X-rays. Though the hairball is not visible, it may still be causing considerable damage, even compressing the intestines and interfering with the flow of blood. To assist in diagnosis, vets sometimes use a contrast agent like barium, which can highlight any abnormalities in the cat’s system so that they will show up on X-rays. However, the use of barium can be dangerous--if the cat then has surgery to remove the hairball, the barium could potentially leak into the abdomen and cause peritonitis, an infection of the abdominal cavity that can be fatal. In addition, barium may not always identify a blockage. If the blockage has not yet compressed the intestines, there may not be any noticeable changes that can be identified by the barium. While the blockage is not visible, it is still dangerous, and could be causing internal damage. There are less risky contrast agents, but they are expensive and may not be readily available.
One of the most important things to remember is that hairballs are a natural result of a cat’s grooming process, and do not necessarily signify a serious problem. However, if left untreated they can cause illness and even death. Though they can be treated, they cause discomfort for your cat, and so it is best to prevent them in order to keep your cat happy and healthy.
