If you are a cat owner, you must be familiar with two common problematic ailments in your pet- hairballs, and vomiting.
Hairball in cats
Hairballs are unpleasant, but they are caused by your cat’s healthy and meticulous grooming routine.
When your cat grooms itself, small claw structures on its tongue capture loose and dead hair and swallow it. The bulk of this hair travels through the digestive tract without causing any issues. However, if some hair remains in the stomach, a hairball can form. To get clear of the hairball, your cat will normally puke it. Hairballs typically appear slender and tube-like rather than circular because they pass through the narrow esophagus on their way out.
Cats brush themselves frequently, and their rough mouths capture and swallow stray hair. While most hair goes through the digestive tract of a cat without injury, some become tangled and lodged in the stomach, forming a hairball. If the ball becomes large enough, it must be thrown out, otherwise, it may create intestinal obstructions and impaction, which can be both uncomfortable and deadly if left untreated.
The average cat vomits 1-2 hairballs per month, with long-haired cats and cats who groom obsessively having more hairballs. Hairballs on a regular basis or vomiting without hairballs could indicate a more serious digestive problem, such as cancer, and pet owners should seek medical attention.
Hearing your cat go through the ordeal is also unpleasant for you as the owner. Luckily, there are several things you may take to help prevent or lessen the occurrence of hairballs.
Remedies for hairballs
Brushing
Cats are quite good at grooming themselves. But, if your cat loses a lot, it may ingest a lot of the loose fur, increasing the chances of a hairball. Brushing them on a regular basis can assist to reduce the danger.
Brushing your cat at least several times a week is ideal. Brush your cat more frequently if he or she has long fur. Cat grooming services in Sharjah can be extremely helpful when it comes to the brushing and grooming needs of your cats. Daily brushing is beneficial to certain cats. Some cats like to be brushed, while others don’t. If your cat comes into the second category, grooming gloves should be used instead of a brush.
Diet
Cats, like people, require fiber to keep their digestive tracts healthy. Their requirements differ from those of us and other omnivores, as they do not require plant fiber. Even so, including more fiber in your cat’s diet can help to reduce the chance of hairballs by assisting in the movement of food through their digestive tract.
Hairball-reduction cat meals are now available from a variety of pet food suppliers. These high-fiber compositions are meant to promote the health of your cat’s coat, reduce shedding, and help hairballs go through the digestive tract in cats.
Water
If your cat consumes dry food, its diet is most likely deficient in water to meet its hydration requirements. As a result, their digestive tract may not operate as efficiently as it should.
Provide a clean, fresh water supply for your cat. Many cats prefer rushing water over still water, and tap water may be offensive to them. To encourage your cat to drink more, consider purchasing a water fountain. Canned food may also provide sufficient water to keep the digestive tract flowing smoothly, lowering the chance of hairballs.
Hairballs can be reduced by using water, which is a natural lubricant. Provide your cat with plenty of fresh, clean water by placing water dishes or water fountains in multiple locations so that your cat always has access to fresh water. This will help moisturize the skin and keep the hair in excellent shape, making it less likely to break or shed.
Play
If you think your cat’s hairballs are due to excessive grooming, try teaching them to do something else fun instead of cleaning their coat. This could entail teaching them how to play with a new toy on their own or discovering a fun toy you can both play with. A bored cat may groom itself excessively, resulting in more hairballs. Keep your cat engaged with new, fascinating toys as well as many other distractions like time in a cat patio, birds or mice, and playing with you to prevent it from grooming as much. This will also benefit the cat’s mental health, allowing it to live a happy life.
See a vet
While the rare incidence of hairball may not be a cause for concern, there are several situations in which you should consult your veterinarian. Hairballs can grow to the point that your cat can’t pass them, or they can become caught in the digestive tract and cause a blockage. If the hairball becomes too large to be removed without surgery, it may be necessary.
Vomiting in cats
A cat’s stomach might be disturbed for a variety of causes. If your cat vomits frequently, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to determine the source of the problem. It’s possible that your cat is regurgitating food, coughing, or reacting to something they’ve ingested. Keep a check on them to make sure they haven’t come into contact with something harmful or have something stuck in their throat.
Even if they aren’t sick, cats can throw up. If your cat vomits shortly after eating, he or she may be going to eat too much or too quickly. They could be reacting to a shift in their food or have ingested something they shouldn’t even have, such as an elastic band or a piece of plastic.
Hairballs could also be to blame. Stashes of fur can get lodged in the stomachs of longhair cats or cats who brush themselves frequently. To avoid bowel obstructions, it’s fine for your cat to vomit up a hairball every week or two. Releasing hairballs, on the other hand, should not be unpleasant for your cat. Brush your cat’s fur on a daily basis or offer them over-the-top remedies to make it simpler.
Treatments for vomiting
Fluid therapy
Dehydration is a serious condition, meaning that if an animal is parched, she will not drink or eat, and may even spew more. This causes her to get more dehydrated, which makes her feel worst, which causes her to be less likely to eat or drink, causing her to become even more dehydrated.
Just about every cause of vomiting is treated with some sort of fluid treatment. IV fluids are frequently advised if an animal is very malnourished or feeble.
Medication
Giving an anti-emetic medicine, which can help halt the vomiting and so reduce fluid loss, is another popular treatment for most types of vomiting. These medications can also help alleviate gastrointestinal pain and encourage the cat to eat more. Pain medication may be introduced to the cat’s treatment regimen if the anti-emetics do not give effective pain control. Consult your pet clinic in Dubai to know more about vomit medication.
Diet
Dietary changes are one of the most significant therapies for both chronic and acutely vomiting cats. If your cat is experiencing severe vomiting, you may need to switch to a more readily digestible diet for a while. Chicken and baby foods are not comprehensive diets for cats it should only be used for several days at a time. A change in food can be both therapeutic and diagnostic for cats with chronic vomiting. You can seek the help of a certified vet in Sharjah to decide on the proper diet plan for your cat.
If the new food stops the vomiting, it was likely caused in part by a food allergy or low-grade inflammatory intestinal illness. When testing a new food for frequently vomiting cats, keep them on it for several weeks to determine whether it helps.
Surgery
Exploratory surgery may be required in a cat with chronic vomiting that is not managed by symptomatic treatment. This is true in some acute vomiting conditions and some chronic vomiting situations.
In the event of foreign objects, surgery is performed to detect the problem as well as to correct it by eliminating the foreign object. Biopsies can be taken during operation if no foreign item is discovered.
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