Cat with hairballs, possible allergies, and possible IBD - but most certainly hairballs.

$300 sounds good to me. an ultrasound consult estimate for my cat was in the range of $400-$600. there is no full time ultrasound technician in the area and one has to be called in. the explanation of the high price was that the equipment is expensive.

Steven, I have struggled with t he "chicken-eggness" of hairballs/IBD - IBD/hairballs.  I realize they are often interconnected.  What I know is that my cat has thrown hairballs all of his life with me rather frequently, with no adverse effects.  It is only recently that they have increased quite a bit; and my vet thinks he is overgrooming due to an allergy.  Whether that is the case or not, he is clearly not able to pass the hairballs he is forming, and one yesterday was HUGE.  I just spoke to my vet to tell him that he seems to vomit the hairballs shortly after he evacuates, and the vet suggested metamucil, he said a cat will vomit if he is straining to pass stools.

Comments on metamucil?

 agreeing.

l was quoted an outrageous amount up here in Canada. Only a few of the vet clinics here in the city can even do an ultrasound.

On your original hairball post, this is something my clinic just put out:

http://blog.cathospitals.net/2014/0...s-they-might-be-trying-to-tell-you-something/

I wish I had dealt with Tim's hairballs early on. Now I'm dealing with constipation and other intestinal problems. Related? I think so. I tend to think that too many hairballs are not normal. Abby, who grooms just as much as Tim, has tossed one in her entire 4.75 years. She is perfectly healthy and does not have any of the issues Tim has. They are litter mates, so similar genetics.

I put both Abby and Tim on psyllium a little over a week ago. Just a tiny, tiny pinch for Abby and we're experimenting with Tim's dose, as it's not having quite the desired effect on his stool frequency. But I can tell you I am seeing a lot more hair in both cats' stools since starting the psyllium. Just make sure to blend with plenty of water before feeding. I also smooth out all "fiber balls".

Hey,

Over  grooming is usually "diagnosed" or at least suspected by the owner because they observe as the cat is grooming excessively and/or the cat is developing bald spots at the site of grooming and that this is often a OCD like behavior, and less likely to be diagnosed due to hairballs.  In other words if you believe your cat is grooming normally (short hair cat?) and doesn't have bald patches then it seems more like a hairball problem than a grooming problem.

Metamucil may help, its a fiber additive that can help smooth the digestive tract and help move things along, although i'm more used to seeing it used for constipation or diarrhea than hairballs but my research suggests it can help with hairballs too.  I read that between 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoon sprinkled on food twice a day preferably mixed with some water first.  Petramalt is commonly used, its a flavored petroleum jelly if your cat will eat it.

Also there is interesting research on egg based lecithin for dissolving hairballs.See: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/247286/lots-of-hairballs-even-on-raw

and

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/266178/...using-egg-yolk-lecithin-to-dissolve-hairballs

and

http://www.kittycatgroomer.com/2010/sept2010.html

I definitely agree that frequent hairballs are not normal and can be a sign of underlying GI disease. A normal, healthy, fully-functioning digestive tract should pass hair without a problem with maybe an occasional hairball. Here's an oldie, but goodie:

Some Startling New Thoughts on Cats and Hairballs

http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

IMO, I think the GI disease comes first, and due to inflammation in any area of the digestive tract (particularly the upper digestive tract - stomach, duodenum, and small bowel), it makes it so that hair is unable to pass normally. In Spring 2013, Sebastian was vomiting up hairballs very frequently, and they were huge (I called them "hair tubes"). I coughed it up (pun intended) to his long hair and shedding season. In July 2013, he had severe acute pancreatitis and was hospitalized. He now has chronic pancreatitis. The frequent hairballs were a sign that something was wrong in his GI tract. He had inflammation. Now that the pancreatitis and inflammation are under control, he rarely has a hairball...maybe once every few months.

What did you do to resolve Sebastian's hairballs?  I am working my butt off on trying to get obi's under control...

It was inflammation in Sebastian's upper GI tract that was causing the problem. We have since addressed this as best as we can and there have been few to no hairballs.

I see you have some other threads about possible IBD in Obi. If you try to address the possible cause (IBD, etc.), then this may really help with the symptom (hairballs). I'll try to read through your other threads.

There's a thread here about using egg whites to control hairballs.  You might find some helpful info on it.  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/250653/egg-lecithin-for-hairballs

myrnafaye said:

 
Does anyone know the cost of an ultrasound?

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I pay $400-450 for an ultrasound in my area.

myrnafaye said:

 
She thought he had an allergy because he had overlicked a small area over a nipple til it was pretty bare.

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I find this comment particularly interesting. Sebastian had an issue for a time last year where he was licking one nipple until it bled. We thought it was stress from all the vet visits and tests being done. Turns out we (me and our vet) think it was from internal pain. Sebastian has chronic pancreatitis, and even to this day, I will find him licking that nipple when his pancreatitis is flaring up. When he feels great and in no pain, he leaves the nipple alone.

Sebastian also started out with frequent hairballs. Turns out it was sign that something was wrong and soon enough he was hospitalized for pancreatitis. The hairballs have been few to none since we've addressed his pancreatitis and inflammation in the upper GI tract.

So, it is also possible that Obi is licking that area over and over because something is bothering him inside. 

I have pretty much cured my cat DeeJay's hairballs by giving her about 1 egg a week in her raw diet.  she used to barf them up once or twice a week, we are down to once every 2 months. 

Well, as I said, Obi is on a very high quality food, gets brushed, and is on some meds.  Today the vet suggested adding metamucil.   Will keep y'all posted.

stephanietx said:

There's a thread here about using egg whites to control hairballs.  You might find some helpful info on it.  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/250653/egg-lecithin-for-hairballs

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Actually, it's the yolks.

And here is an article pulling all the information together as to why the yolks and lecithin help prevent hairballs: http://catcentric.org/care-and-health/hairballs-species-appropriate-treatment/

Of course, it IS currently shedding season. And it seems to be an unusual one. Last year, the lecithin and egg yolks stopped hairballs here entirely. This year, we're having an issue in ... four of the nine cats. I've added Vet's Best Hairball Relief to the arsenal, and that is helping greatly. It does have some psyllium in it - it also has slippery elm bark powder, marshmallow, and ... I don't remember everything else. Most importantly, they LIKE it. I break the tablets in half, they eat them, and then I feed them their meals with extra water added to them. Without additional water, psyllium can be constipating.

Actually, I ordered that Hairball Relief from Amazon.  My vet told me to add metamucil...so I did, this evening...into the canned food.  Not a good idea??

myrnafaye said:

 
Actually, I ordered that Hairball Relief from Amazon.  My vet told me to add metamucil...so I did, this evening...into the canned food.  Not a good idea??

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Metamucil is a medically acceptable way to go. :0  Pick one treatment and stick with it to see if it helps, I wouldn't start mixing treatments.

StephenQ said:

Metamucil is a medically acceptable way to go. :0  Pick one treatment and stick with it to see if it helps, I wouldn't start mixing treatments.

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I agree. If you're already using the Vet's Best, I wouldn't think you'd need to add MORE fiber (just more water!)

As some of you may know, I have been struggling with Obi throwing up hairballs.  Today, the Vet's Best Hairball relief digestive aid arrived.  I had my husband break it into pieces, as it said, and he was fed his meal of Nature's Variety Instinct limited Ingredient Diet, duck formula, which FYI is 7.5% fat, a little high.

on my way home, husband reported he did not eat all his food.   I came home to find he had vomited his food.

He had not had his pepcid and metaclopramide yet; I give that twice a day and 2.5 mg pred in the morning.

Obi rarely vomits food, and when he does, it is kind of solid,  this was pretty liquidy.  so there was no hairball, this was food.

I would not be concerned but for the issues with the hairballs, possible IBD, allergies.

So I am trying to figure out if 1.  he did not digest the duck formula well 2.  if the hariball digestive aid caused the vomiting 3.  if it was kind of random, as a cat will vomit occasionally.  I had added metameucil into the diet at my vet's suggestion yesterday - when I told him that he often  upchucks hair after evacuating in the litter box.  Should I stick with the metameucil only?  should I try the hairball relief again in the morning, obviously with a different flavor of the same food?

Sigh.  I have a consult with the Cornell Feline Health Center on Friday.

Are you adding plenty of water with the metamucil? And how much metamucil are you giving? This stuff expands ... I am giving about 1/16 tsp to Tim once per day and I mix it with so much water that it forms a thin syrup, then I mix it with his food.

As far as what is making Obi vomit, it could be anything. You've made a lot of changes - food, medications, metamucil, and now a new hairball remedy - and it could be anything or any combination of things. The hairball remedy contains psyllium (the fiber in metamucil) among other things. I don't know if I'd give both, or I'd at least cut back on the metamucil if you really want to give both. You might stick with one thing for a couple of weeks, re-evaluate, then change if you're not seeing good results. See what the specialist advises. Don't do too much at once, as it's hard to tell what, if anything, is having what effect. And mixing treatments could be causing tummy upset (I just did this to my Abby girl by giving her tiny bits of psyllium and miralax 12 hours apart, and I feel awful).

I personally would stick with the Vet's Best and drop the metamucil.  That's just because I like the ingredients in the Vet's Best better than the metamucil.  I would go with just one or the other.  Had he had the duck before?  I know my IBD kitty can't tolerate beef and is now allergic to chicken so I am always trying different proteins.  I tried pheasant and my other kitty who doesn't have these issues vomited about an hour after eating.  It looked like everything she had eaten, I was concerned about a blockage.  She was fine with other foods.

Duck is a fatty meat for poultry as is pheasant, I don't know if that is the issue or not.  I just know my other kitty without these issues can't eat pheasant.

I would also stick with the Vet's Best if you are dealing with hairballs. In giving metamucil over and above this, you may be creating a situation of too much bulk which can lead to constipation. It's also important that your kitty get plenty of water as the psyllium will take up available water in the colon and if there is a deficit from not enough water intake, this can lead to dry stools.

I would also suggest that the vomiting of the food was likely as the result of the Duck LID, particularly if he hasn't had this before, and coupled with the absence of his regular meds. The vet's best also contains slippery elm which, depending on the amount, may help to alleviate nausea and vomiting.