Cooked Egg-yolk For Passing Hairballs?

adrianne259

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
May 28, 2016
Messages
114
Purraise
31
Hi all! I have a possibly stupid question :)
I know that dried egg yolk powder is supposed to be great for hairball issues and I'm wondering if adding some cooked egg yolk to my kitty's diet will have the same effect? In other words, does the powder need to be dried? I can't order the dried egg powder online as I'm in central Europe and websites either don't deliver here, or it costs too much. I'd also like to avoid using the oven for a long period of time in order to dry the yolk :)
My kitty has perineal hernia and megacolon and none of the anti-hairball pastes and products help her pass all the hair she swallows, so I'm really hoping this could work.

Thank you!
 

duckpond

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
3,905
Purraise
4,346
I dont know about the egg yolk. Someone else may and will come in on that.

I did recently buy a furminator deshedding tool, for cats. I have several different brushes and grooming tools i have used. But it just seemed like nothing was working very well. so i got the Furminator. It took so much under coat fur off my guys, it was amazing. I have to think it would help with furballs, and fur on the furniture and everything else. I was not getting much of anything off with my other brushes, this thing took off some fur. Cats look better, and any loose hair has went way down! I think it has to be better on their digestive system too!

FURminator Short Hair deShedding Edge For Cats
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
We added dried egg yolk to our cats' diet with the hope that it would reduce hairballs. I'm not sure if it has but the cats do like it. The cat who has trouble with fur still vomits up hairballs of various sizes occasionally so it certainly hasn't been a cure (as if such a thing were possible!). Our vet has told us that motility declines as cats age and that can result in increased vomiting of hairballs.

As duckpond duckpond mentions, brushing may be the best strategy. We notice more of a correlation between hairballs and brushing (or lack thereof!) than between hairballs and egg yolk. Daily brushing generally keeps Edwina from vomiting up hairballs. She's been especially furry this summer: I'm not sure if it's because the weather's been cooler than usual or some other factor but she's pretty fluffy!

Good luck!
 

Columbine

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 27, 2015
Messages
12,921
Purraise
6,224
Location
The kitty playground
My understanding it's that it's the nutritional properties of the egg yolk that may help with hairball, not the form the yolk takes. Dried egg yolk is just sometimes more palatable, which is where the dried/powdered suggestions come from ;) Cooked or raw yolks should be as much help as the dried sort :)
 

leechi

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jan 8, 2017
Messages
157
Purraise
232
I believe it’s the lecithin in the egg yolks that’s supposed to help with hairballs. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier, which can help break up the fat holding the hairball together. You might try raw yolks, I don’t know if cooked would work.

Some people buy egg yolk lecithin capsules, and sprinkle them on the food.
 

maggie101

3 cats
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
7,883
Purraise
9,880
Location
Houston,TX
One of the cans in Tiki After Dark is chicken and Quail Egg. It looks like 1/2 of a boiled quail egg
 

2BSH

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
385
Purraise
419
Location
Connecticut, USA
One of my 3 cats has never thrown up a hairball. I have had her 2 yrs
I’m curious bc my two have never had a hair ball. They are still very young and I don’t know if that’s something that happens as they get older.
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
Mine are almost 15 months and neither one of them has ever vomited or had a hairball. I’m hoping I got lucky with cats with really good digestive tracts :dunno:
Our cats are now about 5.5 and they didn't start vomiting hairballs until a year or two ago. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that our vet has told us that cats' digestive systems (namely, the intestines) lose their motility as they age, making it harder for them to pass the hair. Alas!
 

2BSH

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
385
Purraise
419
Location
Connecticut, USA
Our cats are now about 5.5 and they didn't start vomiting hairballs until a year or two ago. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that our vet has told us that cats' digestive systems (namely, the intestines) lose their motility as they age, making it harder for them to pass the hair. Alas!
Arghhhh. And here I thought I got lucky. I guess only time will tell. I guess that makes sense. Thank you !:heartshape:
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
Arghhhh. And here I thought I got lucky. I guess only time will tell. I guess that makes sense. Thank you !:heartshape:
Yes, only time will tell! I thought we were lucky, too! On the positive side, the barfing does seem to stay under control if we're good about brushing, though. :catrub:
 

ritz

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
4,656
Purraise
282
Location
Annapolis, MD
Any form of egg yolk is fine. It is the lecithin that works to prevent egg yolks. Ritz (pictured) will eat it raw or cooked, plain or mixed with bone broth. Dahalia, on the other hand/paw, refused any form of egg yolk including powdered lecithin; figures, she is the one who has hair balls. Then I started mixing cooked egg yolk with bone broth and she loves it. No more hair balls, paws/fingers crossed.
 

2BSH

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
385
Purraise
419
Location
Connecticut, USA
Yes, only time will tell! I thought we were lucky, too! On the positive side, the barfing does seem to stay under control if we're good about brushing, though. :catrub:
My boy , Milo will let me brush him no problem. My girl, buttercup is another story. If she sees me coming with a brush she runs away and hides. I literally have to capture her to brush her. :argh:
 

lisahe

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
6,150
Purraise
4,969
Location
Maine
My boy , Milo will let me brush him no problem. My girl, buttercup is another story. If she sees me coming with a brush she runs away and hides. I literally have to capture her to brush her. :argh:
It's funny: our hairball-barfing cat, Edwina, used to hate to be brushed but now she'd decided she loves it. And Ireland, who always used to love to be brushed, is completely indifferent now. Or needs to be captured. You might try different kinds of brushes. I think that helped with Edwina. So did a lot of patience and slow brushstrokes. ;) She especially seems to like being brushed around the chin.
 

2BSH

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
385
Purraise
419
Location
Connecticut, USA
It's funny: our hairball-barfing cat, Edwina, used to hate to be brushed but now she'd decided she loves it. And Ireland, who always used to love to be brushed, is completely indifferent now. Or needs to be captured. You might try different kinds of brushes. I think that helped with Edwina. So did a lot of patience and slow brushstrokes. ;) She especially seems to like being brushed around the chin.
Neither one of them likes it. Milos just kind of lets me do whatever I need to do. He sits there purring while I trim his claws etc:crackup:. Buttercup thinks the brush is out to get her. I tried a simple not very effective brush and she sometimes will let me brush her a bit with that brush. I have to capture her for the real thorough brushing though and she thinks it’s the end of the world. I hope one day she decides that she loves it like your girl.
 
Top