In case you have a cat, it’s very probably that you’ve first-hand expertise with hairballs or trichobezoars, if you wish to use the scientific identify. Whereas the hairball is a well known phenomenon, the science round it is not very developed, which leaves us, cat guardians, questioning what’s regular or not.
On this article, we’ll see what hairballs are and their causes, in addition to how involved you have to be in case your cat often throws up hairballs. Lastly, we’ll examine the potential treatments within the case of hairballs.
What are hairballs?
As you very effectively know, cats groom themselves by licking their fur with their tongue. As their tongue is roofed in laborious, keratinized papillae known as barbs, they ingest some hair whereas they groom. As a result of hair just isn’t digestible, the hair has to cross via the digestive tract and be excreted within the stools. Nevertheless, the ingested hair can find yourself forming a fur ball within the abdomen, and if it will get too huge to cross via the pyloric sphincter (the exit of the abdomen), the cats can have no different possibility than to vomit the hairball. [2]
Indicators that your cat is attempting to eliminate a hairball embody coughing, vomiting, and retching. [3]
Along with being a nuisance and uncomfortable for the cats, hairballs can typically block the digestive tract, leading to an obstruction in varied components of the digestive tract such because the gut, the esophagus, and even the nostril. These obstructions result in a number of signs resembling stomach ache or refusing to eat. On this case, the therapy will typically be surgical procedure or an endoscopy to take away the hairball (in a single case report, a hairball was dissolved utilizing Coca-Cola administered immediately within the abdomen). Nevertheless, we don’t know the way frequent these problems are or if they’re uncommon occurrences. [2][4][5][15][17]
What are the danger elements?
There are two principal threat elements for hairballs: extra hair ingestion and altered gastrointestinal motility. [2]
Extreme hair ingestion
Longhair cats usually tend to have hairballs than shorthair cats, as their fur is longer and so they ingest extra hair when grooming. The danger additionally will increase for long-haired breeds with thick fur coats. [1][6][18]
Different dangers embody any situation that may enhance the grooming habits of cats, resembling stress, flea infestation, or itchy pores and skin. [2]
Altered gastrointestinal motility
One other hypothesized trigger is a scarcity of contraction within the abdomen to empty its contents. Actually, with out these contractions, the hair gained’t cross via the digestive tract. This altered gastrointestinal motility may very well be an indication of a illness resembling inflammatory bowel illness. [2][7]
What’s a traditional hairball frequency?
Regardless of how frequent hairball points are, there isn’t any examine on hairball frequency in cats, so it’s laborious to find out what a traditional frequency is. Most knowledge we have now are from the non-public expertise of veterinarians in clinics, and the norm may very well be between a couple of hairballs a 12 months to at least one or two hairballs a month. In a examine on older cats, 77% of cat house owners reported seeing hairballs within the vomit of their cats, and 24% of the cats have been vomiting at the least as soon as a month. [16]
Some research additionally famous that within the case of power gastrointestinal ailments resembling meals intolerances or inflammatory bowel ailments, hairballs have been a typical symptom. Nevertheless, different veterinary professionals take into account that it may very well be a traditional physiological course of.
Somewhat than specializing in the frequency of hairballs, a greater indication can be to observe modifications in what’s “regular” in your personal cats, in addition to the presence of different signs resembling weight reduction or lack of urge for food. [12][18]
The hen or the egg
Based mostly on what we all know in regards to the relationship between hairballs and gastrointestinal ailments, it seems that hairballs may trigger gastrointestinal issues, however it’s additionally potential that gastrointestinal ailments result in hairballs. Subsequently, in particular person instances, it is typically a ‘hen or egg’ dilemma, the place it is not clear which concern got here first. [12][18]
Hairball treatments
If the hairball scenario is linked to a gastrointestinal illness, the precedence ought to be the administration of the illness, as this could cut back the quantity of hairballs. In that case, it is best to discover therapeutic choices along with your vet.
Cut back the quantity of ingested hair
You possibly can cut back the quantity of ingested hair by brushing your cat day by day to eliminate the free hair. In essentially the most excessive instances, and notably for longhair cats, shaving your cat in a lion lower or on the stomach could also be suggested. [2][6]
To forestall any flea infestation, make sure you be updated with flea prevention.
Dietary method
Fibers
Excessive-fiber diets are sometimes used to cut back the incidence of hairballs, nevertheless, research on the efficacy of high-fiber diets are considerably inconsistent. Not one of the research investigated immediately the variety of hairballs vomited. Some relied on experiences by house owners of signs related to hairballs, resembling coughing, vomiting, or retching, whereas others investigated the quantity of hair excreted within the feces.
Beet pulp fiber, a kind of soluble fiber, didn’t present any efficacy, nor did miscanthus grass, a kind of insoluble fiber.
Each sugarcane fiber and cellulose have been efficient in a single examine however ineffective in a subsequent examine.
Psyllium, related to slippery elm bark or cellulose, may very well be efficient.
The speculation to elucidate the effectivity of fiber to cut back the frequency of hairballs is that fibers enhance gastric motility, which helps to push the hairs out of the abdomen earlier than hairball formation.
Whereas many industrial diets are marketed as decreasing the incidence of hairballs, there aren’t any revealed research on these diets. Some manufacturers, resembling Royal Canin or Purina, declare to have carried out inner research, however none are revealed or publicly obtainable.
So, in case your cat is susceptible to hairballs, you’ll be able to attempt a food regimen excessive in fiber, or add fiber to their food regimen; nevertheless, it’s not a assured answer. [6][8][9][10][13][14]
Enzymes
A latest answer investigated in a examine is the feeding of protease enzymes that degrade the hair, thereby stopping the formation of hairballs. This may very well be efficient together with a high-fiber food regimen. [11]
Egg yolk lecithin
Egg yolk accommodates lecithin, which is a supply of choline. Choline is a vitamin obligatory for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a compound notably necessary for the contraction of gastrointestinal muscle tissue. As we have now seen, one of many hypotheses for the reason for hairballs is a scarcity of gastrointestinal motility, which makes the supplementation of choline an attention-grabbing possibility. [19]
One other approach lecithin may assistance is that it acts as an emulsifier, binding fats and water collectively. By binding to the fats in hairballs, it may assist break them down.
As one of many richest sources of choline, often feeding hen or quail egg yolk may assist with hairballs. Nevertheless, for a cat susceptible to hairballs, feeding egg yolk lecithin immediately may be extra useful. There isn’t any examine on the efficacy of egg yolk lecithin, however it’s value a attempt if different options aren’t working in your cat.
I’d advocate beginning with lower than a capsule and progressively rising to at least one or two capsules a day.
My expertise with egg yolk lecithin has been fairly constructive. After a number of months of exams with one in all my Norwegian Forest cats susceptible to common hairballs, it lowered the frequency from weekly to about as soon as a month. I discovered that one capsule (300 mg) a day was an efficient dosage, and this feature labored greatest for her, whereas fiber was ineffective.
Lubricants
Sometimes, when your cat is in discomfort, utilizing lubricants within the form of mineral oil resembling flavoured petroleum jelly may help an current hairball cross via the digestive tract.
Nevertheless, this method doesn’t forestall hairballs however solely assists once they have already shaped. [2]
To conclude, it’s tough to confidently say whether or not common hairballs are a traditional or regarding phenomenon. Nevertheless, it seems that very frequent hairballs, particularly when related to different signs resembling lack of urge for food, may very well be indicative of gastrointestinal illness.
Relating to hairball treatments, some choices exist, however remember that research are missing, so take them with a grain of salt. Don’t hesitate to experiment to seek out what works in your particular cats.
Sources
[1] Kim, H. S. et al. (2019) “Results of coat size and faecal hair removing on measured nutrient digestibility in cats.”, Journal of feline drugs and surgical procedure, 21(4), pp. 379–386.
[2] Cannon M. (2013) “Hair balls in cats: a traditional nuisance or an indication that one thing is fallacious?”, Journal of feline drugs and surgical procedure, 15(1), pp. 21–29.
[3] Beynen, A. C., Middelkoop, J. & Saris, D. H. (2011) “Medical Indicators of Hairballs in Cats Fed a Weight-reduction plan Enriched with Cellulose.”, American Journal of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, 6(2), pp. 69-72.
[4] Haynes, Okay. J., Anderson, S. E., & Laszlo, M. P. (2010) “Nasopharyngeal trichobezoar overseas physique in a cat.”, Journal of feline drugs and surgical procedure, 12(11), pp. 878–881.
[5] Kottwitz, J., & Munsterman, A. S. (2013) “Pyloric trichobezoar in a Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis).”, Journal of zoo and wildlife drugs : official publication of the American Affiliation of Zoo Veterinarians, 44(4), pp. 1111–1114.
[6] Weber, Mickaël et al. (2015) “Affect of the dietary fibre ranges on faecal hair excretion after 14 days briefly and long-haired home cats.”, Veterinary drugs and science, 1(1), pp. 30–37.
[7] Norsworthy, Gary D et al. (2013) “Prognosis of power small bowel illness in cats: 100 instances (2008-2012).”, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Affiliation, 243(10), pp. 1455–1461.
[8] Dann, J. R., Adler, M. A., Duffy, Okay. L., & Giffard, C. J. (2004) “A possible dietary prophylactic for the discount of feline hairball signs.”, The Journal of diet, 134(8 Suppl), pp. 2124S–2125S.
[9] Loureiro, B. A. et al. (2014) “Sugarcane fibre could prevents hairball formation in cats.”, Journal of dietary science, 3, e20.
[10] Donadelli, R. A., & Aldrich, C. G. (2020) “The consequences of diets various in fibre sources on nutrient utilization, stool high quality and hairball administration in cats.”, Journal of animal physiology and animal diet, 104(2), pp. 715–724.
[11] Miltenburg, T. Z. et al. (2021) “Results of mixed use of keratinolytic enzymes and sugarcane fibre on the hairball excretion in cats.”, Journal of animal physiology and animal diet, 105 Suppl 2, pp. 129–137.
[12] German, A. J., & German, A. C. (2013). Unhealthy hair day. Journal of feline drugs and surgical procedure, 15(1), 6–7.
[13] Loureiro, B. A., Monti, M., Pedreira, R. S., Vitta, A., Pacheco, P. D. G., Putarov, T. C., & Carciofi, A. C. (2017). Beet pulp consumption and hairball faecal excretion in mixed-breed shorthaired cats. Journal of animal physiology and animal diet, 101 Suppl 1, 31–36.
[14] Antunes Donadelli, Renan & Aldrich, Greg. (2017). 236 Impact of grass as a dietary methodology to help hairball management in cats.. Journal of Animal Science. 95. 116. 10.2527/asasann.2017.236.
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[16] Dowgray, N., Pinchbeck, G., Eyre, Okay., Biourge, V., Comerford, E., & German, A. J. (2022). Getting old in Cats: Proprietor Observations and Medical Discovering in 206 Mature Cats at Enrolment to the Cat Potential Getting old and Welfare Examine. Frontiers in veterinary science, 9, 859041.
[17] Wilson, S., Dobbins, D., Kawalilak, L., & Parambeth, J. C. (2023). Endoscopic administration of Coca-Cola for medical administration of a wedged intestinal trichobezoar in a cat. The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne, 64(8), 747–752.
[18] Pawenski, M., Smola, C. C., Dionne, T., & Larson, M. (2023). Histopathologic prognosis and affected person traits in cats with small intestinal obstructions secondary to trichobezoars. Journal of feline drugs and surgical procedure, 25(9), 1098612X231196231.
[19] Zhao, F., Li, R., Liu, Y., & Chen, H. (2023). Views on lecithin from egg yolk: Extraction, physicochemical properties, modification, and purposes. Frontiers in diet, 9, 1082671.
