Hairballs in Cats

Hairballs are an accumulation of hair that forms a ball in your cat’s stomach or small intestine. If this hair ball gets large and dense enough so that it cannot pass through the digestion system, your cat will vomit it up. Although most hair balls are harmless, if you’re finding a lot of them around the house, there could be a medical problem that needs to be addressed.

Causes of Hair Balls

Hair balls are what is left over after your cat has groomed itself and swallowed the hair. The hair collects in the stomach and causes some distention; your cat vomits and out comes the hair ball. Hair balls are more prominent in long-haired breeds. Generally speaking, your long-haired cat will groom and leave behind hair balls semi-regularly through their lifetime. However, if the hair accumulates there is risk that all of the hair is not cleared by vomiting and this can cause an obstruction in the bowel.

Signs & Symptoms of Hair Balls

The most obvious signs your cat has hair balls are when you find them lying around your house. If your cat has an excessive amount of hair that is not passing and may potentially be experiencing an obstruction, these are the following symptoms that may occur:

Excessive vomiting (right after they eat)
Diarrhea or constipation
Distended abdomen
Lethargic
Not drinking or eating

Diagnosis of Hair Balls

A diagnosis will begin with a complete physical examination and medical history given to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will then most likely do the following if there is suspicion of an obstruction:

Radiographs - Your veterinarian may take a series of pictures to determine whether or not a large hair ball in the stomach or intestines could be causing a blockage.

Treatment for Hair Balls

Treatment for a hair ball obstruction almost always involves abdominal surgery.

Maintenance for this condition can be done using over the counter oral products that are administered daily and provide lubricants to the stomach. These lubricating agents allow your cat to pass the hair more easily, thus minimizing the chance of an obstruction.

Prevention of Hair Balls

Regular grooming and providing daily doses of hair ball control products are two ways to prevent hair ball obstruction. If you have a cat with very long hair, another option is to have them shaved shorter during the summer months to help with their grooming needs.