Damn, damn, damn hairballs!

[myrnafaye]

Hi, cat parents. My 14 year old long haired girl has chronic hairballs. She has had a many a work up, including ultrasounds, and they show nothing. She currently takes 1/4 tsp miralax, proviable, and 1/8 tsp psyllium...and still throws hairballs. No she does not otherwise vomit. Please do not suggest slippery elm bark, I have never had success with that, or with laxatone type products. Please do not ask if I brush her; I have gone in streaks with this and it matters little if I do or not, up come the hairballs. No I have not had an endoscopy done on her and would rather not, as all her other values are great.I think she could drink more water and recently began adding water to her canned food. I have tried pumpkin - no luck with that either. I hate that she vomits hair balls! if it was once a month or so, I would not be writing this frustrated post - but she goes in streaks of say a few consecutive days of hairballs, and then none for several weeks. I dont know what else I can do and neither does the vet. Suggestions appreciated. Oh, and she get KD early support - mostly canned but a bit of the dry. But her kidney values are normal now.

 

[maggie101]

I bought Cat Lax. It seems to be helping. First ingredient is cod liver oil. Vet had me give her Metoclopramide. That stopped it. Not sure what that is. He was not informative.
I also feed her canned food in a timer late at night. That has helped so I no longer give her the medacine. She is short fur and throws up before eating. I read it's best not to give her the cat Lax right after eating. Since wet food helps loosen the fur I would not give her dry

 

[StanAndAlf]

A little egg yolk once or twice a week has worked wonders for me, and others as well, but you may want to check with your vet about whether the phosphorous levels are safe for your cat.

 

[maggie101]

Or ez egg yolk from food for life and lots of Resolve cleaner!

 

[myrnafaye]

I bought Cat Lax. It seems to be helping. First ingredient is cod liver oil. Vet had me give her Metoclopramide. That stopped it. Not sure what that is. He was not informative.
I also feed her canned food in a timer late at night. That has helped so I no longer give her the medacine. She is short fur and throws up before eating. I read it's best not to give her the cat Lax right after eating. Since wet food helps loosen the fur I would not give her dry

Catlax does not work for Mittens. It is a laxatone type product. She gets mostly canned food and a little dry food about 9PM . There are different theories about dry food, so I am light handed - but I think it also provides some fiber for her.

 

[myrnafaye]

Or ez egg yolk from food for life and lots of Resolve cleaner!

In the past I have administered egg yolk lecithin. I do not recall it helping my other cat but I dont know with Mittens, might be worth a try.

 

[myrnafaye]

A little egg yolk once or twice a week has worked wonders for me, and others as well, but you may want to check with your vet about whether the phosphorous levels are safe for your cat.

How long is it safe to leave egg yolk out? do you put it in the food?

 

[StanAndAlf]

I mix about half a tablespoon with their food, if they will eat on their own then that's fine too. I wouldn't leave it out for longer than an hour though.

 

[myrnafaye]

I just bought some Swansons Egg Yolk Lecithin...try again...