Read the cat article, "Everything You Need To Know About Hairballs".
Everything You Need To Know About Hairballs
What is the condition of hairballs? Hairballs result from
accumulations of hair in the digestive tract. Cats are fastidious cleaners,
spending a great deal of time grooming their hair. When a cat grooms, its rough
tongue pulls loose, dead hair from the coat. This hair is then swallowed and can
accumulate in the cats stomach and becomes a source of irritation. Some hair may
be passed from the cats body in the feces or could be coughed up in the form of
a hairball.
What are the signs of hairballs? Some typical signs of hairballs in
cats are:
- gagging
- occasional vomiting
- eating small quantities of food at a time
- weight loss, or even a complete loss of appetite
- constipation
- regurgitation of undigested food right after it is eaten
- dry coughing from deep inside (strange noises made through the nose and
throat, almost like a muted cough)
Hairball prevention starts with a regular grooming schedule using combs,
slicker brushes and grooming mitts especially on long-haired breeds of cats and
during shedding seasons and warmer months. Adding high fiber levels (soluble &
insoluble) to the diet helps to facilitate the transition of hair through the
gastrointestinal tract. This is a natural and effective way to help minimize the
formation of feline hairballs.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do hairballs affect certain cats and not others? Hairballs can afflict any
cat, whether it is a short or long-haired breed, but tend to be more prevalent
in long-haired cats.
Are hairballs more common at certain times of the year or in certain regions
of the country? Even though cats are prone to develop hairballs any time of the
year, more occur during shedding seasons and warmer months.
Can a hairball lead to surgery? Occasionally a hairball can become serious if
it develops into a large enough mass, causing severe or complete
obstruction/impaction and possible loss of digestive function and can require
surgery.
Are hairballs more common now than they were before the domestication of
cats? Do outdoor cats have as much of a problem with hairballs as indoor cats?
Both indoor and outdoor cats are prone to hairballs. The severity and
occurrences of the hairballs depends a lot on the coat length, if they are
groomed on a regular basis, and if they groom or shed excessively.
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