hair ball nightmare! any advice appreciated!

toulousesmomma

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so i have a long haired calico girl. she is indoor only and fixed. she has coughed (vomited) up plenty of hairballs before but she hasnt had one in a long time. but she has however been hacking and coughing like she needs to for MONTHS. and its been getting worse. i bought her some hairball gel and have been using it consistently for a week but no luck so far? i did take her to the vet already but they wanted to do an xray for 400$!!!!! i love my cat and if i had that kind of money of course i would do it! but i just dont. i need some way to get this hairball out! she just lays close to the floor and hacks it sounds like she has bronchitis! i read one thing that said the patroleum based gels are actually worse to give. and i did read pumpkin might help but if anyone has had something like this happen id lvoe to know how it was resolved! thanks so much everyone
 

missmimz

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That doesn't sound like a hairball issues at all, it sounds like she's coughing, which is not the same thing as having a hairball. You should do xrays to rule out a medical issue. It could be anything from asthma or a heart issue, and it could be serious. Apply for care credit or look for a vet that does payment plans. 
 

mrsgreenjeens

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Yes, coughing can be a sign of heart issues for sure.  Or asthma.  Or a STUCK hairball that needs to be surgically removed.
  Not saying it's any of these,but could be. 

You can try calling around to other vets to see of you can find one less expensive, but if the hairball gel hasn't worked after a week of giving it, I'm thinking it's not going to fix the problem.
 
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toulousesmomma

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i got xrays done AND it was a huge hairball. she eventually pooped it out and has been fine since! 
 

mrsgreenjeens

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That's great that it actually came out the correct end rather than her having to throw it up.  What did you end up giving her to cause that, or did this all occur naturally?  Did the Vet offer any ideas foryou to do to prevent future episodes?  I use Egg Yolk Lecithin for hairballs around here. I give my guys one capsule per day, mixed into their food.  Seems to help quite a bit.  Of course, that doesn't take the place of combing and/or brushing them, especially during shedding season. 
 
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