Hairballs Cats are certainly well known for their particular


attention to their appearance and in fact, cats spend about 25% of their waking hours grooming themselves. This fastidiousness combined with the backwards- facing barbs on their tongue promotes ingestion of fur and sometimes this can lead to a problem. We often think that cats and hairballs go hand in hand but this is actually not the case. And we should remember that hairballs are not always benign. They can be lodged in the sinus when being vomited out or in the intestines if they are too large to move through. Or an asthmatic cough can be mistaken for “trying to bring up a hairball”.


Occasional hairballs can occur in shorthaired cats and a bit more frequently in longhaired cats, however we should not consider frequent hairballs normal. Healthy cats should pass this hair easily in their feces so cats that are having hairballs are either ingesting too much hair or have abnormal gastrointestinal motility.


So what could cause a kitty to be ingesting too much hair? Some cats that are scared or stressed will begin over grooming – sometimes to the point of causing baldness. Others may be itchy due to food or environmental allergies and they will also pull their hair out as a result. Not only can ingesting too much hair lead to hairballs but it can also lead to the formation of


a trichobezoar – a large hairball in the gastrointestinal tract. This can lead to obstruction and irritation.


Some cats will also develop bright red blood in their stool due to the large amount of hair


in the feces


irritating the colon. In some cases, I will recommend that a longhaired cat have a lion shave performed by a groomer in order to decrease the amount of hair being ingested.


And what about gastrointestinal motility? are many reasons for a cat’s gastrointestinal


There tract


to slow down or even stop – trapping the hairball in the stomach. We know that dry food will stay in the stomach longer than canned food and that larger meals will also take more time in the stomach. Interestingly, even the shape of the dry kibble will affect the emptying time of the cat’s stomach. Pain and stress can also slow the motility. But most commonly a food sensitivity or infl ammatory bowel disease is to blame for the poor motility. Sometimes a change in the diet or increasing the fi ber content can be very helpful.


So if your kitty has been leaving you frequent “presents”, then it may be time for a visit to your veterinarian.


-Dr. Kate Lupton is a feline veterinarian at Family PetHospital


WE ARE HONORED TO BE VOTED #1


FOR BEST OF THE BEST VETERINARIAN.


24 HOUR OVERNIGHT STAFF!


Blood Transfusion and Storage Check-Ups/Vaccines CT Scanning Dental Hygiene Digital Radiography Emergency Care Exotic Medicine Gold Standard Cat Practice


Grooming Medical Boarding Nutrition & Pet Food Orthopedic Surgeries Root Canals Surgical Services Stem Cell Therapy


2303 6 Ave S, Lethbridge, AB • 403-320-5200 • familypet.ca


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16