Fur In Poop

[Jades15]

Hello, this is my first post! I hope someone can give advice My short-haired tabby cat is 15 years old, and for several months her poop was grey. I wanted to take her to vet but my Cushings dog has made me spend thousands there and I'm on a pension. Now it is starting to go browner, I dont know why but am glad. I have been analysing her poop, breaking it open, and found it very firm. It's normal size and she poops about 4 times a day. I've noticed it is very full of fur. I don't think a hairball remedy would be the go as she only coughs one up twice a year! Would probably need something re so much fur in it. Any comments on Jades poop?

 

[Jades15]

Btw I am in Australia

 

[Willowy]

Yep, that's great. That's how hair they swallow during grooming is supposed to leave their body. Coughing it up means something went wrong (usually this just means they're shedding more at the time, unless it happens frequently). So everything is working the way it should!

Does she have any trouble pooping? If so, hairball remedy is also a laxative, so if she needs a little help that might do the job.

 

[Jades15]

Sorry forgot to mention I have been giving her a small amount of coconut oil for several days.

 

[Jades15]

Yep, that's great. That's how hair they swallow during grooming is supposed to leave their body. Coughing it up means something went wrong (usually this just means they're shedding more at the time, unless it happens frequently). So everything is working the way it should!

Does she have any trouble pooping? If so, hairball remedy is also a laxative, so if she needs a little help that might do the job.

No trouble at all. So a lot of fur is normal?

 

[Cara80]

Hi Jade,

Is the weather changing where you live? Some cats can really shed a lot of fur, sometimes it's from stress, allergies or just warmer weather. You could try brushing her a few times a day if she'll allow that.

Also another thought, does she also groom some of the other pets in the house? I had a cat that did that and she coughed up so many hairballs

 

[daftcat75]

No trouble at all. So a lot of fur is normal?

Yes. Hair in the poop is natural and normal. Coughing up the hairballs is not normal. Coughing up the hairballs could be your first signs of digestive distress or digestive disorder. Pooping hair? Congratulate her for a working digestive tract and thank her for sparing your carpets.

The only time I would be concerned about a lot of fur in the poop is if she’s losing her fur (aggressive over-grooming) or it’s constipating her.

Btw, coconut oil could be acting like a laxative. Did you start giving this before or after the gray poops?

 

[Jades15]

Hi Jade,

Is the weather changing where you live? Some cats can really shed a lot of fur, sometimes it's from stress, allergies or just warmer weather. You could try brushing her a few times a day if she'll allow that.

Also another thought, does she also groom some of the other pets in the house? I had a cat that did that and she coughed up so many hairballs

Thankyou... no it's been winter for 3 weeks now. She doesn't groom the dogs, that's for sure... She still hisses at them since they came along 13 years ago! I do brush her with a Ferminator I think it's called, a couple of times a day, but it's harder to get to her tummy area where she probably licks from most as she doesn't really like it.

 

[Jades15]

Yes. Hair in the poop is natural and normal. Coughing up the hairballs is not normal. Coughing up the hairballs could be your first signs of digestive distress or digestive disorder. Pooping hair? Congratulate her for a working digestive tract and thank her for sparing your carpets.

The only time I would be concerned about a lot of fur in the poop is if she’s losing her fur (aggressive over-grooming) or it’s constipating her.

Btw, coconut oil could be acting like a laxative. Did you start giving this before or after the gray poops?

Well I don't think she's constipated as even though it's very firm, she goes about 4 times a day and decent amounts each time. The grey poop started about 3 months ago, and I started coconut oil about 4 days ago. The poop was starting to go brown about a week ago.

 

[daftcat75]

I did a quick google search and I don’t like the sound of gray poop. The brown color is from bile. Gray poop would suggest an absence of bile or a bile duct obstruction. That it’s becoming brown again is indeed a good sign. I know you said you are tapped out on vet bill budget thanks to the dog. But can you email the vet and see what s/he thinks? My cat’s vets (there’s two at the office that are familiar with her) usually respond to my emails in a day or two. If I need something quicker I can either call the office and ask for a vet callback or ask the receptionist to tell the dr that an email is awaiting a response. It’s good to establish a relationship with your vet(s) just for this reason. Not every issue needs a visit but you want to run this one past a vet to be sure.

 

[Jades15]

I did a quick google search and I don’t like the sound of gray poop. The brown color is from bile. Gray poop would suggest an absence of bile or a bile duct obstruction. That it’s becoming brown again is indeed a good sign. I know you said you are tapped out on vet bill budget thanks to the dog. But can you email the vet and see what s/he thinks? My cat’s vets (there’s two at the office that are familiar with her) usually respond to my emails in a day or two. If I need something quicker I can either call the office and ask for a vet callback or ask the receptionist to tell the dr that an email is awaiting a response. It’s good to establish a relationship with your vet(s) just for this reason. Not every issue needs a visit but you want to run this one past a vet to be sure.

Thankyou but my vet would definitely say bring her in... they are very money-orientated as I find 99% are. Because it's not overly brown, I will give it a couple more days then if still grey-brown, I will have to get a loan from somewhere. My Cushings dog who is 13 needs to go too as his arthritis is getting worse, and my other dog who's 11 next week should go, as sometimes she coughs and is always leaving wet patches on her bed from her mouth or nose. So it's all very stressful.