Hairballs getting worse and we've tried most everything!

Hello, I am hoping to see if anyone has had to resort to shaving their long haired kitty due to frequent hairballs. My 14 year old boy has been throwing them up nearly daily for nearly 2 weeks. For most of his life this has happened once or twice a month, but all of the sudden it's gotten so much worse. We took him to see the vet last week and all of his labs came out within normal range. He is on a canned/homemade diet since his sister has IBD and they need to eat the same thing. I have tried many natural remedies, but since his appetite has been severely affected he is now wary of anything abnormal I add to his food. He does get regular brushing, with different tools but also grooms himself a lot. A few days ago I came across a thread on this forum where the kitty ended up being shaved, and that took care of the problem. I can't find it now, but wonder if that cat is still doing OK. I hate to resort to that, as his coat is beautiful and seems so much a part of his "personality" but if that's what it takes we will do it. He is my son, and I'd do anything for him! 

Thank you in advance for any and all advice you could offer! 

before i started adding canned pumpkin to my cats food (which helps her), i used to add vaseline to the tops of her paws on the days she wouldnt eat. whenever she stopped eating, i knew it was a sign that she had a hairball.

have you thought about trimming his hair? instead of shaving completely?

I used the search function and found a couple of relevant threads -
[thread="145635"]Shaving Cat For Hairball Problems  [/thread][thread="299988"]What Do You Do For Hairballs  [/thread]
Have you discussed this with your vet? At the age of 14 the risk of the anesthesia may not be worth it, especially if there are other health issues. Maybe you can find another option in this article -
[article="29660"]How To Treat And Prevent Hairballs In Cats  [/article]