Hairballs Can Be Huge

Hairballs form in cats’ stomachs because hair is indigestible. When an indigestible wad of hair in the stomach becomes larger than the passage from the stomach to the intestines the mass remains in the stomach. Although cats cannot pass large hairballs into the intestines, they can hack up hairballs because the opening from the stomach to the esophagus is large—larger than the opening from the stomach to the intestines.

Sometimes hairballs become so large they cannot be coughed up. These large hairballs sit in the stomach take up so much room in the stomach that cats cannot digest their food. These poor cats can only eat small amounts at a time, and they tend to lose weight.

Just how large do hairballs become? Well, they can reach about a pound. That’s right, almost a pound.

Signs that your cat may have hairballs are vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite, and not grooming. Your veterinarian may be able to palpate the hairball, or confirm its presence with an X-ray. Then, it can be removed surgically by cutting through the wall of the stomach.

Fortunately, hairballs are preventable. Help your cat by brushing it daily. Dampen your hands or the brush to hold and remove more hair. Supplement with products containing ground flax seed to provide fiber that helps move matter from the stomach into the intestines. Be Well and Missing Link are both made by the same company, Designing Health, but Be Well is made with organic flax and organic bean sprouts. Supplement with digestive enzymes to help dissolve the hairball.