What are the symptoms of a cat with a hairball?
If you notice the following hairball symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian, as they could indicate that a hairball has caused a potentially life-threatening blockage: Ongoing vomiting, gagging, retching, or hacking without producing a hairball. Lack of appetite. Lethargy. Constipation. Diarrhea.
Why does my cat have a lot of hair?
Hairballs in cats are more likely to appear in long-haired breeds, such as Persians and Maine Coons. Cats that shed a lot or who groom themselves compulsively are also more likely to have hairballs, because they tend to swallow a lot of fur. You may have noticed that your cat didn’t have hairballs as a kitten, but developed them as she grew.
How long does it take a cat to pass a hairball?
Usually, fur passes straight through the gastrointestinal tract and comes out as a stool. The digestive process takes around 7-12 hours in cats. Other times, hair collects in the stomach and forms into a hairball. This process takes slightly longer, but healthy hairballs should pass within 24-48 hours.
How often does a cat regurgitate a hairball?
It’s not uncommon, says Dr. Goldstein, for a cat to regurgitate a hairball once every week or two. Aside from inconvenience to the owner, this is nothing to worry about.
Why does my cat have so many hairballs?
Hairballs are the unsavory by-product of a normal habit. As your cat grooms herself, she swallows a lot of loose hair. This happens because the tiny backward-slanted projections (papillae) that roughen the surface of her tongue propel the hair down her throat and into her stomach.
It’s not uncommon, says Dr. Goldstein, for a cat to regurgitate a hairball once every week or two. Aside from inconvenience to the owner, this is nothing to worry about.
When to take your cat to the vet for hairballs?
A cat that is lethargic, refuses to eat for more than a day or two or has had repeated episodes of unproductive retching or true vomiting should be examined by a veterinarian without delay, he advises. It’s possible that the frequent hacking has nothing at all to do with hairballs.
Is it normal for a cat to throw up hairballs?
Hairballs are not normal. A healthy cat with a healthy gut system should be able to eliminate hair ingested through grooming in her stool. Vomiting as a daily, or even weekly, method to eliminate hairballs is almost always an indicator that there is something else going on.
