Constipation can reveal that your cat’s hairball is lodged in their colon. Symptoms of stuck hairballs In general, cats expel hairballs through feces and in very serious cases through vomiting. It’s normal for a cat to bring up occasional hairballs. At first glance, cat hairballs may look like that thing you scoop up in the litter box. Cats are extremely clean animals so much so they can spend several hours a day grooming in doing so they can accumulate dreaded hairballs they often cause a little problem but they can develop into something serious if ignored or acute. However, upon closer inspection, you will notice that they're actually a sticky bunch of hair and digestive juices. Intestinal obstructions can be formed if a hairball becomes too large or is unable to be vomited up. © 2021 Easyology Pets. Bowel Movement Changes: When cats have ongoing issues with hairballs, they can start to have problems with having regular bowel movements. They also contain vitamins and minerals to keep your cat’s fur in good condition and reduce hair loss. What cat hairball symptoms did you notice, and what treatment did you use? Be on the lookout for reduced appetite, lethargy, and constipation or diarrhea. It could be a sign that the hairball has moved from their stomach to their intestine. We provide products that not only make your home a sanctuary for pet lovers to forge a stronger bond with their pets, we help your pets be as healthy as possible. Feeding your cat the right balance of nutrients is important in addressing hairball problems. This is because your cat can appear to be coughing from the lungs, gagging with their throat and retching from the stomach. Cats develop hairballs by grooming themselves and swallowing the hairs, which build into hairballs in their stomachs. However, if the hairball has become too big, it will only result in bouts of diarrhea and constipation.• Swollen belly—As the cat hairball blockage continues to grow, you will be able to notice a lump around your cat’s throat or stomach. Usually, your cat will then vomit the hairball in relatively short order. Vomiting, gagging, or retching that doesn’t produce a hairball 2. Numerous hairballs in cats can also be a symptom that your cat is over-grooming. Weight loss 4. Cat hairballs are part of cats’ instinctive grooming regime and are usually nothing to worry about. While self-grooming is one of the most common causes of hairballs, they can be the result of other activities that dogs engage in. Hairballs in felines are undesirable. The following are symptoms of an intestinal obstruction: 1. Dogs, too, can have these balls of fur in their digestive tract. Nevertheless, if your cat’s hacking persists without producing hairballs, immediately bring her to the vet. It’s perfectly normal for your cat to gag several times to be able to vomit the hairball. It can be distressing to watch this, but don’t worry – it’s normal. You see, the only recourse for a cat when it accidentally gets fur in its mouth is to swallow. We know it’s tiring, especially put on top of our everyday chores and office struggles, but just think about it. Though rare, some severe cases may require surgery. Proper cat grooming can help get rid of the dead and loose hair on their coat. Cat hairballs are yucky and cats relentlessly hacking can be annoying, but don’t ignore them! Most notable of them are the following: • Lethargy—Cats are often called lazy (well, why would you be busy when you have a loyal human servant?). Your cat may display some symptoms that can clue you in: The cat might exhibit a repeated dry cough, or may retch after eating. Occasional cat hairballs are normal for most cats and may require not additional diagnostics. What are the symptoms of Cat Hairball Impaction? Symptoms of hairballs in cats. Often, you'll only know that your cat has had a hairball after it vomits up the plaque of fur. 5 Cat Hairball Symptoms You Should Be Wary Of. Don’t be worried if you see your cat stretch their neck, dry retch (their mouth opening wide) and expel a hairball before calmly walking away. Kittens and younger cats usually have fewer hairballs because they are not as fastidious in terms of grooming. They naturally know how to self-groom, and rarely need bathing. Most cats get hairballs from time to time and it’s usually nothing to worry about. The hair can make it extremely difficult for your cat to excrete their waste products, and this can turn into constipation. Hairballs are a relatively common problem in cats, though typically your cat should only bring up 1 a week or so. Cat ejects hairballs; Retching or coughing; Vomiting; Cats appear to be choking during hairball removal; Stomach contractions; Hair in cats feces; Constipation; Loss of appetite; Lethargy; Coughing Hairballs; Cats that are trying to remove a hairball will cough in an attempt to expel the matter out of the body. This takes a short while. The balance of nutrients in the food also helps support your cat’s coat, reducing shedding and helping it to remain sleek and glossy. If your cat is crouching over a lot, it may indicate severe abdominal ache -- a very telling indication of a large and potentially harmful hairball. Many pet parents think that only cats can get hairballs. However, simple laziness and lethargy are two very different things. The longer her mane is, the more often you should brush her. Since cats spend 10 percent of each day grooming themselves, hairballs are just a fact of feline life. Additionally, severe hairballs in cats symptoms include: Persistent gagging, hacking, retching or vomiting without the expulsion of any hairball. Finally, vets can prescribe treatments for hairballs in severe cases. Take your four-legged companion to a veterinarian if it exhibits one or more of the following symptoms: constant vomiting, gagging, retching or hacking without producing a hairball, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, or lethargy as this might be the signs that your pet is experiencing severe … Some cat owners think that their pet brings up a hairball every day, but this isn’t true. Sometimes the sound they make is called a ‘cough-gag-retch’. KittyStick Premium Cat Toy With Expandable Rod, Merry Products Cat Washroom Bench, White: Pet Supplies, Amazon.com : AmazonBasics Cat Litter Pads, 40-Count : Pet Supplies, Amazing Cat Roller Toy: Super Fun 3-Level Tower Ball & Track Toy, Free Guide: How To Keep Your Kitty Litter Box Super Clean. However, if your cat is getting hairballs and has no trouble expelling them, there are things you can do at home to minimize their frequency. Do... Upload a cat selfie with an Easyology product using #easyologypets tag to entered to win!See Details. Lethargy 5. Natural Remedies for Hairballs in Cats. Not all cats will experience all of these. However, during the self-grooming process, they can swallow loose hair – and this leads to a cat hairball. Consequently, they form a blockage either in your cat’s throat or stomach. Most notable of them are the following:• Lethargy—Cats are often called lazy (well, why would you be busy when you have a loyal human servant?). In this article we want to consider in detail the problem of hairballs in cats. If you want to alleviate your cat’s suffering, then you should consider these cat hairball remedies:• Oil or butter—You can add a bit of oil, butter, or even petroleum jelly to your cat’s diet to help her pass stool.• Commercial cat hairball treatment—Available mostly in gel and liquid forms, they aid in digestion, passing stool, and, depending on dosage, can act as a strong laxative.• Surgery—The thought of our cats undertaking surgery is truly frightening! Many cat owners find it very difficult and distressing to hear their cats gagging and retching, and they start to wonder if there is anything they should be worrying about. What’s the best way for owners to help a cat throw up a hairball? All that cleaning and removing fur you see your cat constantly do, leads to them swallowing a lot of hair, which can collect into balls in their stomachs. The common symptoms of hairballs are as follow: Vomiting with food or fluid; Hairball in a cylindrical shape; Dry cough, wheezing, or gagging; Loss of appetite; Diarrhea or constipation; Swollen abdomen The latter makes the afflicted cat look not just uninterested but sickly.• Loss of appetite and weight—Some cats are picky, but if your feline pal refuses to eat several meals or days in a row, resulting to weight loss, then there’s definitely something wrong. Keeping your cat’s coat regularly trimmed means that the hair your cat consumes is less likely to become tangled in a hairball and has a greater chance of passing through her system without incident. Alternatively, you can give your feline pal cat foods specifically created to reduce and treat hairballs. Have you or a friend ever lost your pet? Loss of appetite 3. Here is what cat hairballs are and how you can help a cat with hairballs. As much as cats love to sleep, they love to be clean, and they make sure of that by allotting a significant amount of time to self-grooming. When hairballs become a huge mess, your cat will start showing signs of distress. Sometimes, however, hairballs become stuck inside a cat. Hair trapped in the intestinal tract can cause serious problems, so it’s vital to have your cat seen by a veterinarian if you think she might have hairballs. Reduce Hairballs. The best way to approach and deal with a cat’s hairball problems is to understand the symptoms. However, their devotion to grooming has a downside, which presents itself in the form of cat hairballs... Self-grooming keeps cats smelling fresh despite not having a bath for weeks or months at a time—a joy when it comes time for cuddles and belly smooshes! 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. Take the following steps to help bring your fur baby back home to safety. Cats with longer fur, such as Persians and Maine Coons, naturally produce more hairballs as their hair accumulates into a clump faster. There are lots of home remedies online, especially for oils and lubricants. One particularly effective treatment is hairball cat food. Cats tend to over-groom when they are stressed – a bit like us biting our fingernails – and thus will consume more hair, leading to more hairballs. Cat fur is beautiful and that’s partly down to how much time they spend grooming. Powered by Shopify. Can I only know if my cat has hairballs when I vomit them? Cats should only get hairballs occasionally, usually less than once a month. Has your cat experienced hairball problems before? However, when not extracted, they can become life-threatening. This requires immediate veterinary attention. This way, we’ll recognize the next steps we should take. Diagnosing hairballs in cats starts with seeing the hairball itself. Regular and routine brushing can mean that there is less loose hair for them to swallow when they groom themselves in private. 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 – it’s a sign too much hair is ending up in the gut. In short, the symptoms that you will notice are gagging or retching, vomiting food and mucus or the actual hairballs, constipation, and reduced appetite. Numerous cat hairballs could be a symptom of a problem in the gastrointestinal tract – in this case, it is best to check this out as soon as possible. Older cats, on the other hand, may have grown fussier and may produce hairballs more often. All Rights Reserved. Our cats are our babies! When a cat is trying to bring up a hairball, they may start retching, gagging or acting like they are dry heaving and trying to vomit. There is now specific cat food for hairballs, such as Purina ONE® Coat and Hairball. Serious hacking for more than a day can be a sign that it’s developing into a major complication. If you do use it, follow the instructions to the letter. No, there are other signs that may indicate the presence of hairballs in cats: Sickness; Swollen abdomen; Constipation; Apathy; Strange behaviors, bad mood; Of course these symptoms not only indicate hairball cat, it may be something else. This will soften the fur mass and make it easier to excrete. Ingesting a few loose furs is alright since they can easily be coughed up or passed into feces. Other warning symptoms to look out for include diarrhea, persistent hacking with no sign of a hairball, throwing up and appetite loss. This is because your cat can appear to be coughing from the lungs, gagging with their throat and retching from the stomach. It can be disturbing to watch (and hear) your cat eliminating a hairball. We don’t want to see them in pain. These kibble-based products contain lots of fibre to help take excess fur through the digestive system. If your cat is developing hairballs due to excessive grooming, your vet will be able to give you advice for treating any underlying conditions. However, if your cat is wandering around the house and repeatedly retching with no sign of a hairball (and especially if they’ve lost energy and are unwilling to eat), then take them to the vet immediately. There is no way to completely stop hairballs forming, but there are a few things you can do to help. But if you are wondering what is causing them, what are the symptoms you should look out for and how to help a cat with hairballs, here is everything you need to know. Prevention Of Hairballs In Cats Sometimes the sound they make is called a ‘cough-gag-retch’. Below are the symptoms that usually appear when a cat has hairball stuck in its guts: The cat exhibits a dry cough repeatedly. Sorry, you need to enable JavaScript to visit this website. A quick reaction, vet visit, and simple cat hairball remedies can save your feline buddy’s life. This and more interesting facts about our dear felines await to be discovered in our fun facts about cats article. However, we don’t advise trying these. Symptoms of Hairballs in Cats. Some of the main signs and symptoms of a potentially problematic hairball in your cat include: Persistent vomiting, retching or coughing without a hairball coming up. When hairballs become a huge mess, your cat will start showing signs of distress. You should take your cat to the vets if they have any of these cat hairball symptoms: Prolonged gagging, vomiting, retching without producing a hairball. • Constipation or frequent diarrhea—As a final solution, your cat’s body will try to eliminate the cause of distress through fecal excretion. In and of themselves, hairballs are harmless. Long-haired breeds — such as Persians and Maine Coons — may be at greater risk for developing hairballs than are short-haired breeds. Asparagus, oat grass, and cat grass are also good options. The common symptoms of hairballs are as follow: Vomiting with food or fluid Some cats may be fatigued, depressed or uninterested in food. A In healthy cats, the most common symptom of a furball is a ‘cough-gag-retch’ sound – so-called because it’s tricky even for vets to work out if a cat is coughing (clearing the airways by pushing air out of the lungs), gagging (making throat movements to clear an object that’s become stuck) or retching (a noise associated with dry-heaving and vomiting). However, if cat hairballs are seen frequently, or if vomiting or coughing occurs without the presence of hairballs… They can get it in pretty much the same way as cats. This is a serious condition that should be addressed by a vet immediately. It can be a strange experience to watch your cat trying to extract a hairball. Separation Anxiety in Cats: 6 Post-Lockdown Tips, Teaching Children to Care for Cats and Dogs, 10 Tips to Keep Cats and Dogs Happy Indoors, Understanding Cat Behaviour & Training Guides. Some common hairball symptoms include hacking, gagging, and retching. It’s thought that the average cat spends 4% of their lives grooming themselves! Ingesting a few loose furs will cause no problem to your cat since they can be easily passed into feces or coughed up but when those hairs aggregate to form a big wad, it causes severe discomfort to cats. A safe way to allow the cat to purge without risk is to acquire a plant known as catnip , grass for cats or catnip, that in addition to the felines very much will help them to purge themselves when they need it. If your cat seems to be having trouble with a hairball, you can try a home remedy, such as a hairball paste or even petroleum jelly. 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