Hairballs and Prevention

If you’re a animal owner likely you are knowledgable of a common problem that troubles cats:  hairballs.  But what have you learned of a hairball’s symptoms, triggers, and medicines?

What Causes Cat Hairballs?

Hairballs are created by the harsh top of a cat’s tongue pulling out loose hairs during washing themselves.  The hair is then gulped down and moved into the digestive tract.  Usually, this hair would not get digested, but would get removed when the feline uses the litter tray or goes outside.  Of course, cats are hunters, and are intended to be capable to handle eating fur, like from some poor rat it catches.   When hair hardens into a ball, the kitty will probably not enjoy the unrewarding experience of barfing it back up.  In some situations however, this might not happen and it can end up trapped inside your cat, likely resulting in potentially disastrous health concerns.

Hairballs and Your Cat’s Health

Hairballs of cats are irritating enough on their own, but can also induce a few related issues, rapidly becoming unsafe if not removed or cured speedily.  In addition to the unsightly and unpleasant throwing up, of course, the remaining hair can induce intestinal distress and constipation.  Your feline well could cease eating and act lethargic as the hairball increases in size, while the cat are still unable to get rid of it.  Their insides can become swollen and this can definitely create all sorts of unpleasant concerns that you’d rather not be stuck with.  This danger could even wind up necessitating invasive medical procedures to remove the hairball, which is a pretty big expense and hazard to your cat, particularly considering the simplicity of preventing the problem in the first place.  Left untreated, it could become a mortal affliction.

Eliminating Hairballs

Felines naturally attempt to treat themselves by vomiting.  They can accomplish this by consuming grass, which often makes felines to regurgitate due to the grass fibers irritating their stomaches.  Other options to cure cat hairballs use petroleum or mineral oil based substances made to lubricate the intestinal tract in order to ease the natural removal of the hairball.  Products such as Laxatone or Petromalt have been created to prevent cat hairballs.  They are a semi-solid paste that you administer to your felines before meals.  This slides the obstacle through the system and would also be helpful to ease non-hairball induced constipation as well.  They have been made obtainable in a variety of flavors like tuna or catnip flavoring.  One dose each day for two or three days, and your concern is fixed.

Hairball Prevention

Preventing hairball recurrence is achieved by several varying means, some of them complementary.  One is a dab of Laxatone or Petromalt two to three times per week.  Petromalt is always highly endorsed by veterinarians and owners alike. There exist also particular “hairball prevention” formulated diets available.  A huge degree of hairball prevention is always proper grooming.  Definitely brush your short-haired kitties but comb the long-haired kitties on a continual basis.  They enjoy it and it’s a super means to spend time being sure your feline remains happy and healthy.