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Hair ball

post #1 of 12
10/6/10 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 
Well, I have always had a cat or two. And I am not sure if this is what is going on or not with the new kitten. He was coughing and acting as though he was going to puke the past few days..and hasn't done it today. We just adopted him Sat. And I was going to take him back to the shelter today to have him looked at, But he is acting fine now. Hubby and vet tech at the shelter when I called.. said it could be a Hair ball.. He has no Discharge from his eyes or nose. But, My question is this. I am switching him over from the Pro Plan Kitten food he was on there, to Taste of the wild.. Like my other kitty eats. I have never fed a "Hair Ball formula" to my kitties before. But never had a Hair ball issue either.

Will him eating the good food help not get hairballs? Or is there something i need to do to keep those moving through him?! If this is what the case is.. I Don't want him stuck with Hairballs in the tummy if he has them.. Lol

he gets dry 2x a day and Evo or California natural canned in the AM. Just like my other kitty.
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post #2 of 12
10/6/10 at 4:19pm
I would consult a vet about the coughing/wretching, especially if it happens again. You don't mention if your cat is long hair or short (I don't personally believe it matters) but grooming/brushing your cat plays a large role in helping prevent hairballs. Also, some people I know give a hairball ointment orally that helps with it, I use cat-lax but have been informed it has a lot of Vitamin A in it and I should not give it regularly (which I don't). This is why you should consult a vet, and especially with it being a kitten (don't know the kitten's age)
I don't have any experience with hairball formula foods, and never have fed my cats hairball formula food for that reason either. So can't say.
Good on you to keep an eye out, and continue to be observant about kitten's bathroom habits and eating habits.
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post #3 of 12
10/6/10 at 6:13pm
Thread Starter 
he is a Short hair.. But Kinda.. Fluffy. I think he still has Kitten Fluff. And he is about 5mo old. He does like to lick and groom himself. And he Pees and poos fine. I have not seen any Hairballs in the room where he is .. So I am not sure if one has been coughed up or if it all passed .. I never have had a kitty with hairball issues.. lol All though.. all the cats I have had till now were indoor/outdoor.. So I guess it is possible!

Just wasn't sure if the good food was Ok to help pass the hairballs.. or if I need to add anything to his food.
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post #4 of 12
10/7/10 at 1:57pm
Thread Starter 
Any other suggestions?!
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post #5 of 12
10/7/10 at 2:04pm
I talked to my vet and outside butter she prefers mineral oil based ( Petromalt is a name brand one with mineral oil as the base)... mineral oil and petroleum are not the same... I prefer a olive oil or other oil base but they are harder to find in most areas

I have found and it is actually proven that oats or oat bran help with hairballs
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post #6 of 12
10/7/10 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 
So Should I Put some oil in his food? I knew of someone that used to put oil in there dogs food..wasnt sure why. Lol
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post #7 of 12
10/7/10 at 6:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by animalhouse View Post
So Should I Put some oil in his food? I knew of someone that used to put oil in there dogs food..wasnt sure why. Lol
No, you should not put oil on the food - it needs to be given on an empty stomach so it is not digested - you want it to go through the digestive system intact. The best time to give is last thing at night.
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post #8 of 12
10/7/10 at 6:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by animalhouse View Post
So Should I Put some oil in his food? I knew of someone that used to put oil in there dogs food..wasnt sure why. Lol
If using olive or fish YES... if using a hairball Lube of some type then NO ...
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post #9 of 12
10/7/10 at 6:40pm
My cat has hairball problems, and a fiber supplement works like a charm. I use Vetasyl - give 1/2 capsule in the am, and 1/2 in the pm. It has pretty much stopped the problem... I would say 90% gone.
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post #10 of 12
10/7/10 at 11:08pm
Thread Starter 
hmm So How do I give him the oil if not in his food?! He is still very weird about being touched :-/

And I will look into the fiber stuff..where would U get it?!
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post #11 of 12
10/8/10 at 9:58am
I put it into wet food... If it is a cat hairball remedy it will come out like first aid human ointment ... Three of mine will take remedy off a plate

fibers Please discuss with vet as for some it can make the issue worse... you can get some from the vet, pet store , grocery store ...
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post #12 of 12
10/8/10 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
Well I took him back to the shelter today to have him looked over, He is a URI. So, they gave me antibiotics.. but made sure to say they wont get rid of the symptoms.. Just help keep him from getting pneumonia So I guess we have to wait longer to intro him to Topaz... Dangit!
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