4 Signs of Hair balls in Cats You Should Know !!
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Hair balls is a condition in which there is a ball formed from dead hair that is licked by the cat and enters the digestive tract. Hair balls can be expelled by cats through feces or regurgitated. However, if this condition is not treated immediately, it can cause health problems in cats.
You should never spend time brushing or combing pet cat’s hair, especially if you have a cat with long hair because it will cause hair balls.
Not taking care of the hair in pet cats can cause cats to tend to themselves more often by licking their bodies.
Through this process, the cat removes various impurities from its hair. When licking the body, usually the papillae on their tongue will lift the dead and fallen hair. This condition causes the hair to enter the digestive tract.
But don’t worry, this condition is normal for cats. Most of the dead hair that is ingested will be expelled again through feces and also through vomiting in the form of hairballs.
When vomiting, the hairball will be expelled along with digestive juices from the cat’s digestive tract.
However, it never hurts to recognize the signs of hair balls in cats so that you can do the right treatment. Usually, cats will choke and vomit more often when they have a hair balls. In addition, there are clumps of hair in the vomit and cat litter which are signs of hair balls.
Hair Balls Signs in Cats
Here are the signs of hair balls in cats that you must know so that your pet cat can stay healthy and very adorable.
Cats Have Coughs
Pay attention if your pet cat often has a cough, it could be a sign that your cat has hair balls. You should immediately take it to the nearest veterinarian to get maximum treatment.
Usually when coughing, your cat will feel a little pain, it is caused by clumps of hair balls that have accumulated quite a bit in the digestive tract of your favorite cat.
Immediately take intensive treatment so that nothing bad happens to your beloved cat.
Cat Has Vomiting
In vomit usually visible clumps of hair. Clumps of fur can be shaped like a small ball or rather long like feces.
To be sure use a stick or small stick and press the lump. If the stool is usually soft, while the hair balls are a bit chewy and feel like there are fibers / hair.
Hair balls vary in size from the size of a baby’s little finger to the size of an adult’s thumb. It may take several times to vomit to get all the hair balls out.
In some cases, hair balls can cause vomiting for up to 1 week. Vomiting usually stops once all the hair balls are out.
Weight Loss or Loss of Appetite
This can occur when vomiting is prolonged or when hair balls cannot be expelled through vomit or feces. Because hair balls are in the digestive tract, and it can interfere with the digestive tract in cats so that cats lose their appetite and result in weight loss in cats.
You need to be aware of this symptom, because it affects the health of your beloved cat.
Check with the nearest vet to find out if your beloved cat is losing weight because of hair balls or for other reasons. Later the vet will immediately examine it intensively and immediately carry out maximum treatment.
Eat Grass or Plants
Sometimes cats like to eat grass or plants with the aim of stimulating vomiting so that hair balls can come out. It could also be the fibers from the grass mixed with the hair balls, so that the hair balls can come out more quickly through the feces. Watch out for plants that are toxic to cats.
Usually cats will look for grass around the yard to help remove hair balls in the cat’s digestive tract. It’s best to observe if the cat often eats grass in the yard so that it can quickly find out whether the cat has hair balls or not.
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Hair Balls Cat Treatment
Most hair balls are excreted normally through feces or vomit. Immediately consult a veterinarian if your cat has hair balls problems.
Regularly give your cat a small amount of cat grass (if the cat likes it). Special fiber for cats or laxative (a kind of laxative) made from petrolatum/wax/special vaseline. Various laxatives and drugs that aim to reduce the bad effects of hairballs are also available in petshops.
In some cases, surgery is needed to remove the hairball. Various infectious diseases also cause vomiting in cats. Always consult a veterinarian if your cat vomits.
Hair balls Prevention in Cats
Hair balls are one of the most preventable conditions in cats. By regularly combing or brushing your cat’s hair, you can help your cat get rid of hair loss and death. This can reduce the risk that the cat will swallow the hair while it is licking its body.
You can also regularly bring your cat for treatment at a professional veterinary salon so that your cat gets the right treatment for healthy hair.
In addition, make sure you trim your cat’s hair regularly, especially for cats with long coats.
Do not forget to meet the needs of fluids and fiber in cats. Both types of content can help cats to more easily remove hair balls from their bodies.
In addition, choosing the right foods can also be done to prevent hair balls. Give the cat food that can meet the needs of fiber and maintain the strength of the hair.
Those are some signs and precautions that you can know about hair balls in cats. Do not underestimate the behavior changes that occur in cats. This can indicate a health problem in the cat that needs to be addressed immediately.
