Cat hair balls..

mommytobuck

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My cat doesn't have hair balls too often. I would say about 1x every 6 months. But recently he threw up hairballs about 1x every week. (last three weeks).

My cat is 15 and does tend of have a sensitive stomach.

He has been going #1 and # 2 normally but today he did an odd thing. Usually he does his #2 all at once. But this morning he had done a good portion before I got up... more when I was up... and then as I was cleaning it up he started squatting like he had to go again but didn't.. I got out of the litter box and he did one more small bit...

He has been eating normally but this week I did have to go back to work and I gave him more kibble than I normally would.

I am wondering if he is somewhat constipated?
 

verna davies

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It may be the extra kibble or a hairball. If it is a hairball try a pinch of psyllium mixed into his food twice a day or a small pea size knob of original vasaline on his nose or paw for him to lick off.
 

FeebysOwner

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If you are going through any kind of seasonal change your cat may be grooming more than usual - causing more of a build up of hair in his system than usual.

If his stool isn't harder than usual - despite the fact he is going more, it wouldn't seem to be constipation. Psyllium is fiber, and has been known to help with both constipation and diarrhea - depending on the cause of either. If you try it and it doesn't help, and you still suspect constipation or harder stool, then try Miralax (starting with 1/8 tsp) for a couple of days and see if that works.

Other things to try for hairballs are butter/margarine - a dab or so from your finger or on his paw a couple of days of a row, then back off to a couple times of a week. You can also try a few drops of olive oil in his food.
 

Catmom1234567890

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Try egg yolk lecithin, it breaks up hair in the stomach and makes it easier to pass. If it’s too big then nothing works other than surgery.
 
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mommytobuck

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Starting to wonder if it is related to my cat's asthma. A week after the last throw up he seems awfully congested. It seems like the congestion builds and makes his stomach upset. This was an original theory I had but I upped the asthma meds (by nose) and it didn't seem to stop the throw up. He is 15 and 1/2 and has been sucessfully using the same dose of medication since he was 8.
 
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mommytobuck

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So I gave him a hairball remedy... and I cut out all additives to his food. Hemp supplement, immunity supplement etc. I also have been giving him his food more spaced apart. SO he gets 1/2 a can at 4 and 1/2 at 5. Rather than the whole thing at 5.

So far, so good. It has been about 10 days and no throw up.

I will note that I came here to report this and was shocked at the number of hairball threads. So perhaps it does have to do with time of the year. My guess maybe that during the summer he was sucking down a lot of hair and it built up.
 
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