Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION
Dr. Karen Halligan, of Marina del Rey, Calif., brushes her cat Nathan and believes that brushing is probably the best remedy for hairballs. She also uses a simple home remedy, putting a dab of petroleum jelly on her fingertip and letting him lick it off to “grease” his digestive system. However, as our columnist Dana warns, too much petroleum jelly can cause issues with the absorption of vitamin A, so she advises consulting your vet before using this home remedy. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)
I had a cat for several years before seeing my first hairball — and I must admit, I really wasn’t sure what the odd cylindrical-shaped mass was.
Hairballs are quite unpleasant for both humans and their pets.
The cause of this problem is one that can’t be avoided.
Cats need to groom themselves, and these critters are known for their dedication to cleanliness. Many cats spend hours grooming themselves and have a tongue that is designed for this very purpose. The feline tongue contains papillae (tiny barbs) that act like a tiny personal hairbrush.
As cats groom themselves, their tongue collects the loose and dead hair. Just like a hairbrush, this "brush" eventually gets full of hair — and in order to clean it, cats swallow the built-up hair.
Most of the hair that is ingested makes its way through the digestive tract, but unfortunately some of the hair sticks to the esophagus and stomach on its way through.
You can probably imagine how a buildup of hair eventually irritates the stomach, and your cat will need to get rid of it.
And this is where hairballs come from.
Most cats make unpleasant noises as they produce the hairball — hacking, retching and coughing to get the loose hair out.
Hairballs are more common in cats that have longer hair, and cats that groom excessively.
Hairballs are normal, but if they occur more than weekly, there could be a greater problem at hand and you should consult a vet. Blockages can result from a "trapped" hairball, so if a cat seems to be struggling to produce a hairball over a few days, definitely talk to your vet.
Helping your cat with his coat by brushing away some of that loose and dead hair will definitely help reduce hairballs.
A diet that contains extra fibre (found in most hairball formulas) can also help keep those nasty hairballs away.
However, you don’t have to change your pet’s diet. Here are a few other options:
• Try a commercial hairball formula, such as Felaxin, Tonic-lax and Vita lax. Most cats are happy to eat these hairball pastes, but if you have a finicky feline, try putting a little paste on his paw and that need to groom and clean will help get the formula down. Most of these formulas contain things like cod liver oil, molasses, syrups or petroleum jelly and help "grease" the system for the hair to pass through.
• Try pumpkin! Adding a teaspoon to your cat’s diet daily provides that extra fibre in his food, and greases his system to help the hair pass through.
• Petroleum jelly or vaseline can be given to cats to help with hairball elimination. Petroleum jelly is a popular home remedy for hairballs. However, too much petroleum jelly can cause issues with the absorption of vitamin A, so please consult your vet before using it.
• Wheat grass or oat grass provide another good source of fibre. Some cats enjoy grazing on these tasty treats as a snack.
Hairballs are unpleasant for both cats and cat owners. Remember that regular brushing, added fibre to your cat’s diet and adding something like pumpkin to help "grease the wheels" should help keep those nasty hairballs down to a minimum.
Dana Grove is an animal lover who works with several pet organizations in Brandon.
» communitynews@brandonsun.com
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition April 26, 2012
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I had a cat for several years before seeing my first hairball — and I must admit, I really wasn’t sure what the odd cylindrical-shaped mass was.
Hairballs are quite unpleasant for both humans and their pets.
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I had a cat for several years before seeing my first hairball — and I must admit, I really wasn’t sure what the odd cylindrical-shaped mass was.
Hairballs are quite unpleasant for both humans and their pets.
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