need help:hairballs!

[katlady007]

hello everyone, well I have a cat he is about 2 years old now and for the past couple of weeks he has been hacking as in trying to get a hairball up but then right when it is about to come up he swallows it right back down. It is really starting to scare me now because his breathing has become heavy...I've contacted my vet and they just told me to bring him in to be looked at but money is a little tight right now. I've tried baby food and several types of hairball remedies none has worked so far. If any of you have any advise on how I can help my little guy any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[mzjazz2u]

Canned pumpkin. 1-2 tablespoons a day either by itself or mixed in with some canned cat food. I hope this helps.

 

[catsarebetter]

When I was younger, my family always used a dab of vasoline. I'm not sure how good that is now, but I've been using a product called Laxatone for my kitten's constipation..which is formulated for both constipation and hairballs. It's base is petroleum, but I think it's soluble. I'm not sure what the difference is, if any, between that and the vasoline, but we did use the vasoline for years without any problem. Never had any ill effects on any of our numerous cats throughout my life. Laxatone can be had from the internet at about $6 a tube, which lasts quite some time.

In the meantime, I looked on our tube, and here's the ingredients, which you can probably get at the grocery for not too much capital:

White petroleum USP, light mineral oil NF, corn syrup, malt syrup and soybean oil, and a few other things for preservation and flavor. I would think that if you can find the white petroleum USP, that would be sufficient for replicating this. This is what our vet recommended for the kitten. If you try it, just dab a good sized gob on the paws...mine shook all her first dose right off.. because I didn't mush it in enough.

Keep us posted on how he's doing!

 

[sharky]

I second the pumpkin ... sweet potato works for one of mine ... I AVOID petroleum at all cost ....

 

[stormy]

Hope your baby is ok.

If it's been 2 weeks it could be something other than a hairball, especially if his breathing is being affected. A vet check might be needed.

 

[catsarebetter]

Just talked to the vet yesterday about the kitten.. of course, related to her constipation, but the Laxtone treats both that and hairballs..and he said there's absolutely no harm in keeping her on it indefinitely. I wondered about it myself, but if I can't trust my vet, who can I trust?

 

[alleygirl]

You might consider taking him in to be checked out if it has been that long and he can't seem to cough it up, or pass it...

Hope he feels better soon!