A Big Hairball! :(

[Vega's Dad]

Vega threw up 3 times since June 2016 when she came to my life. Yesterday was the first time I saw hairball. I forgot to out a reference but it was estimated 5 CM long. Vega is short haired. I hesitate to use hairball remedies but thinking to get some de-shedder like this:
Wahl CAT De-shedder | Walmart Canada

 

[daftcat75]

That’s a big one. She must have been cooking that one for weeks (or months?)

You can use egg yolk to manage hairballs. It works two ways:

1. It contains lecithin which helps break up the fat that binds the hair into a ball.
2. It contains choline which helps stimulate the smooth muscle contractions in the gut that propel food (and hair) along its way to the rear exit rather than bouncing the hairball out the front door.

How Best to Manage Hairballs

This page provides more details including how to make your own egg yolk powder or you can buy theirs. Egg yolk powder is easier to give consistently. Though you can use the raw yolk (never raw white) in a pinch or while you are deciding whether to make or buy the powder.

Egg yolk can be a powerful laxative too. Start small. 1/8 tsp a day until you know how it will be tolerated.

 

[Furballsmom]

That tool might work

 

[Vega's Dad]

I got a deshedder and was surprised by how much loose hair she had. I'll use it regularly.

 

[cheeser]

Egg yolk lecithin has been a godsend for us, especially now that shedding season is upon us! Slippery elm bark syrup also works nicely, but egg yolk lecithin works much better for our cats.

Our cats love the KONG Zoom Groom. I was so embarrassed to see how much loose hair we had been missing with the other brushes and combs in our hairball fighting arsenal.