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Cat Forum / General Topics / September 2005Hairballs
Ok, now its time for the Dr. to learn from you. Anyone tried a hairball remedy that actually works? My longhair cat eats so much hair in the summer that she vomits constantly. The only thing I've found so far that works is giving her enemas to clean out her colon. But, then after about a week another hairball is in there. I've tried smaller more frequent meals to keep the food moving along, and Laxatone, which didn't help really at all. Brushing her seems to aggravate the situation. Maybe while I'm removing some of the loose hairs, I've been loosening others too. I'm very close to having her shaved since there's no way to keep her from sitting in the window sills or at sliding glass door (aside from shaving her). I don't want to shave her if I don't have to. She seems very conscious of her looks -- once she broke her toe and had to have a cast. She hid under the bed for days. She is otherwise very, healthy and happy. I've checked her bloodwork to make sure there isn't any other problems going on, it just seems that hairballs clog up her system, especially in the summer. She sits in the window, gets all hot, sheds and when she grooms herself, eats the hair. I've even taken her to another vet, so now its your turn. "Dr.Carla,DVM" wrote in message > Ok, now its time for the Dr. to learn from you. > Anyone tried a hairball remedy that actually works? > My longhair cat eats so much hair in the summer that she vomits constantly. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > window, gets all hot, sheds and when she grooms herself, eats the hair. > I've even taken her to another vet, so now its your turn. The only thing that I've ever found that makes any notable difference is frequent brushing, and I've tried many of the "remedies" as well. :/ My kitties even get bathed with that cat shampoo that has those supposed "hairball-prevention" beads, but can't say if it actually works or not. I imagine if anyone ever comes up with something that completely prevents hair balls, they will be able to retire early. :^) Cheers, E how are you grooming the cat? i doubt normal brushing is effective on a long haired cat! i can highly recommend a "zoom groom" and a "furminator". google for each. she'll love them. > Ok, now its time for the Dr. to learn from you. > Anyone tried a hairball remedy that actually works? [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > window, gets all hot, sheds and when she grooms herself, eats the hair. > I've even taken her to another vet, so now its your turn. This sounds a little strange but a little Vaseline on the fur actually helps them pass out what needs to be passed out They will hate you for it since it makes them feel something on their fur wouldn't it make more sense to groom the hair out, rather than encourage the cat to throw up? !! also, putting vaseline on the fur would expose all parts of the house & furnishings to some vaseline, as well as some vomit!! > This sounds a little strange but a little Vaseline on the fur actually helps > them pass out what needs to be passed out > > They will hate you for it since it makes them feel something on their fur Is that the reason they hate me so much when I put frontline flea remover on their neck..they hate the feel on their fur? > This sounds a little strange but a little Vaseline on the fur actually > helps them pass out what needs to be passed out > > They will hate you for it since it makes them feel something on their fur Yes they feel as if there is something on their fur. and the Vaseline is only used if they are having trouble passing the hairball than you want to encouraged the process sickening but sometimes necessary > Yes they feel as if there is something on their fur. > > and the Vaseline is only used if they are having trouble > passing the hairball than you want to encouraged the > process sickening but sometimes necessary Hill's have a hairball formula dry food which is supposed to be very good. I've never used it as my cat doesn't have many hairballs, but it may be worth a try..? Ivor I guess I am just lucky. Tiger is a large long haired cat (Maine coon?) and does lots of grooming. In six years I don't remember ever seeing a hairball from him. I feed Wellness canned chicken with some dry Wellness as a treat. ---MIKE--- >>In the White Mountains of New Hampshire >> (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') Yes, I was wondering if anyone tried the hairball formula food and saw success with it. Now that its not so hot out, she hasn't vomited in a week, which is purt-darn-near awesome at this stage. Thanks for all your suggestions. >> Yes they feel as if there is something on their fur. >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Ivor "Dr.Carla,DVM" <Dr.Carla@insightbb.com> wrote in message news:3_VZe.403756> Now that its not so hot out, she hasn't vomited in a week, which is > purt-darn-near awesome at this stage. > Thanks for all your suggestions. Any chance the vomiting and the excessive hairballs are somehow tied to the excessive heat? What are the chances that a cat with a really thick coat who suffers from the heat licks as much hair off as possible to promote easier cooling? > Yes, I was wondering if anyone tried the hairball formula food and saw > success with it. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > > > Ivor For years my Maine Coons ate Science Diet hairball formula dry food as their mainstay. One of them would barf a hairball pretty regularly once per month, but no more often than that. The other, who was a bit shorter-haired (and who also ate the most) would go two, even three months between hairballs. This one also loved the malt flavored hairball remedy, which meant I could keep her "greased up" a bit better than the more delicate eater, who would take only tiny amounts of it. Their vet once expressed a mild degree of alarm at the amount of hair in their feces -- but that surely is what how the high fiber food is supposed to work! And of course I've combed enough fur out over the years to have spun it into yarn and knitted cat sweaters for the whole family... My guess, Carla, is that cats shed more in hot weather, whether because of a certain degree of stress from higher temps, or just their biological clocks telling them to. My Coons grow their winter undercoats even though we live in Florida, and then lose them in spring. And they're inside cats, to boot.  SignatureDiana <http://personal.bellsouth.net/d/r/drdrive/hereiam.html> I already figured out that she sits in the sun gets hot, sheds, grooms and eats her hair. The question was does anyone have any good remedies I haven't tried. Oh and of course, since I said it out loud, she vomited a hairball this evening. I'm starting her on Science Diet Hairball Formula tomorrow. I'm weary of the vaseline thing. I have to contact my colleagues at the Animal Poison Control to see what they think of that before I start that one. have you tried a furminator? > I already figured out that she sits in the sun gets hot, sheds, grooms and > eats her hair. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Animal Poison Control to see what they think of that before I start that > one. No, I'm going to do some research on that this week. > have you tried a furminator? > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> Animal Poison Control to see what they think of that before I start that >> one. |
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