can hairballs cause soft stools?

Samson's had soft stools for over a week now. They're light colored and stinky. He's been going at least twice a day.
The vet recommended intestinal iams, which he didn't like, so didn't eat much of it, even mixed with his food. I tried giving him boiled chicken and rice which he also didn't really like. I tried force feeding him a little yogurt which he also hated. None of it really seemed to work.

Then this AM he vomited up a huge long thin hairball. Is it possible this has been blocking up his intestines and causing the soft stools? I would think a hairball far down enough to cause stool issues would have come out with out a bowel movement, not vomit. Does anyone know if it's possible that this was the cause of the problem?

I guess I'll watch him and see if the soft stools continue or if that solved the issue.

I think it's possible that a hairball is/was causing Samson's problems with loose stools. Hairballs can be serious if they are not eliminated; they can become impacted, affecting digestion and elimination.

Loose, light -colored stools can be symptoms of other health problems as well, so continue to keep an eye on Samson. It's good that he got that hairball out of his system, and hopefully now he'll be back to normal. Pumpkin works very well for diarrhea and may help firm up his stools. Use 1/4 teaspoon of plain pumpkin (no pie mix) stirred well into each meal for a day or two. If the stools still aren't normal, it would be a good idea to bring Samson in for a check-up, bloodwork and to get a fecal sample analyzed.

Hope Samson's feeling better now - please let us know how he's doing.

Originally Posted by KTLynn

I think it's possible that a hairball is/was causing Samson's problems with loose stools. Hairballs can be serious if they are not eliminated; they can become impacted, affecting digestion and elimination.

Loose, light -colored stools can be symptoms of other health problems as well, so continue to keep an eye on Samson. It's good that he got that hairball out of his system, and hopefully now he'll be back to normal. Pumpkin works very well for diarrhea and may help firm up his stools. Use 1/4 teaspoon of plain pumpkin (no pie mix) stirred well into each meal for a day or two. If the stools still aren't normal, it would be a good idea to bring Samson in for a check-up, bloodwork and to get a fecal sample analyzed.

Hope Samson's feeling better now - please let us know how he's doing.

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Thanks for the tips!

A few hours after the hairball, he did have another soft stool.

So today I bought the pumpkin, and amazingly he LOVES it. And he's normally a VERY picky eater.

He ate a big spoonful mixed with his wet food. It even got him to eat some of the intestinal iams that he had previously rejected.

I'll keep you posted on the results!

Even if it helps, should I be worried that there's an underlying problem that caused soft stools for over a week? Or does it just happen sometimes? He's only 2 years old and normally healthy. If the pumpkin helps does that mean the problem was just superficial and nothing serious?

Tolly gets some very soft stools or downright diarrhea when he is having a hairball issue. He usually regurgitates his meal, or doesn't eat at all in addition to the loose poop.

The first thing I do if I suspect hair ball, is give him a big dose of hair ball remedy. After an hour or so, I give him white chicken breast meat on the first day and probios (probiotic) for a few days after that.

I agree with the others that if the soft stool continues, a check up is the next step.

Keep us posted!