How to remove hair from a cat”s stomach at home: food for removing lumps, symptoms of the problem

For cat owners, hairballs are a common problem, particularly if your cat has long fur. As your cat grooms themselves, hair can accumulate in their stomach, forming uncomfortable lumps that may eventually cause health issues.

We’ll talk about at-home hairball management in this article. We’ll talk about the kinds of food that are specifically made to help cats get rid of or avoid these hair lumps, as well as how to recognize the signs that your cat might be having trouble with them.

You can maintain the health and comfort of your furry friend by learning how to assist your cat in naturally eliminating hair from their stomach. Now let’s tackle some doable actions and advice for handling this typical feline problem.

If you want to remove hair from your cat’s stomach at home, start by giving them food that is meant to aid in getting rid of hairballs, such as treats or diets high in fiber. Keep an eye out for symptoms of a hairball issue, such as loss of appetite, retching, or coughing. Frequent brushing and grooming also helps your cat consume less hair, which makes it simpler to avoid these problems in the first place.

How hair gets into the stomach?

Given that animals do not intentionally consume hair, why do cats develop lumps of hair in their stomachs? The animals’ hygiene is the cause. Kittens learn how to take care of themselves from the time they are one month old by watching their mother cat. They wash and lick themselves very carefully. Adults spend roughly 10% of their waking hours taking care of their hygiene.

Cats lick themselves, but why? First of all, this is how they lick dirt from their fur and coat the hairs with saliva that disinfects. Furthermore, licking is an inbuilt mechanism for thermoregulation. Since saliva evaporates and cools the body, cats do not have sweat glands on their skin. Thirdly, repetitive licking soothes the pet and helps it deal with stress.

The cat swallows individual hairs while "washing." In particular, a lot of hair from long-haired cats molts and ends up in the stomach. It’s normal for your pet to vomit hair or burp up small lumps; there’s no need to chastise them.

Symptoms of the presence of hairballs in a cat"s stomach

How can one interpret the presence of hair accumulation in a pet’s stomach? Typical signs and symptoms:

• decreased appetite or complete loss of it – trichobezoar stretches the walls of the stomach, creating a feeling of satiety;
• vomiting, belching;
• difficulty emptying the intestines, mucus is visible in the feces, remnants of undigested food;
• behavior change: the animal becomes restless or, conversely, apathetic;
• dry cough after eating;
• swollen hard belly, touching which is painful for the animal.

See also: How to treat a pet at home, What to do if a cat or cats has festering eyes, and What is the cause?

If a cat is sick and vomits hair, it is dangerous?

Trichobezoar burps are a natural protective mechanism used by cats to clear their stomachs of hair. The pet can resume eating after the body has cleaned the gastrointestinal tract in this way.

The cat acts agitated before it throws up. It meows and screams heartbreakingly as it runs around the apartment and searches for a quiet spot. The animal burps from under the table or in a corner, and a trichobezoar—which resembles a lump of hairs, mucus, and saliva—appear on the floor.

The animal frequently burps up undigested food remnants in addition to the lump. If the cat vomits a lot of hair, its digestion will soon return to normal, so there’s no need to worry. The risk is in the persistent vomiting that persists even after the trichobezoar has been removed.

The cat should be taken to the veterinarian if it vomits bile or foam. This symptom could be an indication of poisoning or inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. If a cat throws up on a daily basis, it could be a sign that it has consumed too much hair—possibly human hair—and is unable to regurgitate it.

The animal cannot burp the lump – what to do?

Occasionally, the animal attempts to burp the trichobezoar, but it is unsuccessful. Although vomiting has no effect, all the symptoms point to a clogged stomach lumen. Saliva and foam escape but internal muscle spasms do not relieve the condition.

The cat is at risk from this condition. It suggests that either the trichobezoar is excessively large or dense. The owners should provide the cat with specialized veterinary products if it is unable to burp up the hair on its own. In extreme situations, such as when your cat goes for extended periods without eating and becomes dehydrated, you should consult a physician who can perform surgery to remove the bezoar.

Means for removing hairballs from the stomach of a cat

How can hairballs be taken out of a cat’s stomach at home? When it comes to your pet’s digestive system cleaning, there’s no need to send them to the doctor every time; this is a natural process that usually doesn’t need any medical attention. You can purchase speciality foods, pastes, or tablets that get rid of hairballs in pet stores.

Review of ready-made food for removing hair

Veterinarians suggest periodically adding special food to the cat’s diet in order to remove hair from the stomach. Numerous producers offer dry food product lines that encourage the elimination of trichobezoars naturally. They have cellulose, a plant fiber, which dissolves buildup of hair. The composition’s oils coat the gastrointestinal tract’s mucous membrane, facilitating the lump’s swift and painless removal.

Additionally read: "Feline AIDS" symptoms and treatment: is the virus harmful to humans and how is it spread?

The most popular foods for removing hairballs:

• "Hairball Care" ("Royal Canin"). In addition to essential vitamins and useful microelements, it contains fiber and psyllium seeds. Promotes gentle removal of matted hairs. Sold in almost all supermarkets and pet stores. Suitable for adult cats aged 1–6 years.
• "Cat Adult Duck Hairball Control" ("OptiMeal"). Super-premium food with duck flavor. Contains berry and herbal extracts, an increased amount of plant cellulose promotes the removal of hairballs. Unique ingredient – probiotic Acticen.
• "Carnilove Duck&Pheasant». Medicated holistic food for adult cats. Grain-free, suitable for cats with allergies, contains duck and pheasant meat.

Malt pastes from different manufacturers

Apart from granola, there are pastes made of malt that aid in eliminating hair from the digestive system. They are made by several brands, including Cliny, Gimpet, Beaphar, and Nutri-Vet, and they come in a variety of flavors.

The paste’s own composition holds the key to its efficacy. Apart from fiber and polyunsaturated fats, the paste also contains paraffin, petroleum jelly, and glycerin. These materials help the bezoar be removed from the body by gently enveloping it. Certain brands, like Cliny, incorporate silver ions, which have antiseptic qualities, into their products as well.

Tablet preparations

Tablet phytopreparations work well for hair removal from the stomach. They are represented on the Russian pet products market by the VEDA brand’s Phytomines line. The tablets work in two ways: they help strengthen the fur and keep trichobezoars from falling out in addition to removing them. The presence of vitamins, microelements, taurine, lecithin, and L-carnitine is what causes this effect.

Actipet and Vermont by Pet Naturals tablets perform admirably in this capacity. These preparations are enhanced with polyunsaturated fatty acids and made from psyllium seed husks.

Which hair removal technique ought to be used first? Owners must keep an eye on the cat’s response. Pet owners typically choose between food and malt pastes. Cats will consume food that looks and smells much more like their regular food with much greater pleasure than they will unusual or unfamiliar food. Giving a pill to a pet can be difficult because not all cats will consent to swallow it. You can use a pill dispenser, but if food will do, why put the animal through needless stress?

How do wild and street cats solve the problem?

Animals that are stray are denied the chance to use food, pastes, and tablets to help clear their stomachs. How do they address the issue and enhance digestion?

You frequently see stray animals in the outdoors, in rural areas, and even on city streets, searching for grass on the lawn to eat. Given that cats are predators, where does one get their intense desire for plant food from? The truth is that the hairball is brought out by the animal eating a particular medicinal herb.

A domestic cat’s instincts will tell it what grass to eat in order to clear its stomach if you let it go for a walk. It is not necessary, however, to walk your pet frequently as this puts it at risk of contracting parasites or other infectious diseases. Herbal seeds that are suitable for home sprouting are available for purchase from pet stores or veterinary pharmacies.

Keeping your cat healthy includes assisting with the removal of hairballs from their stomach. It’s possible to lessen the likelihood of these uncomfortable clumps forming by offering the appropriate food, such as fiber-rich options or specific hairball formulas.

Early symptom recognition is also essential. Your cat may be experiencing a hairball problem if it is coughing, gagging, or experiencing difficulty with digestion. Frequent brushing and grooming can aid in preventing the initial ingestion of extra fur.

You can significantly improve your cat’s comfort and health by making a few easy dietary and routine adjustments, which will also help keep hairballs under control at home.

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