Help Your Feline Say Farewell To Hairballs

• Posted on 21 April 2019
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in cat, digestive health, feline, hair, hairball, hydration, marhmallow, nutrtition, supplements, total zymes, vomiting
• 0

From a natural perspective, hairballs shouldn’t be a thing with your cat. Any vomiting episode with your cat should be a one-off occurrence not daily, weekly, or several times monthly. If this is happening then there is a lot more to the picture But what can you do to help change this health issue?

There truly is a day for everything! Now, this one mainly targets cat owners since it really isn’t a canine complaint. I do wish they would name it something different, however, and maybe something more along the lines of“Cat Digestive Awareness Day” or “Caring for Your Cat From the Inside Out Day.”

From a natural perspective, hairballs shouldn’t be a thing with your cat. Any vomiting episode with your cat should be a one-off occurrence not daily, weekly, or several times monthly. If this is happening then there is a lot more to the picture. Cat vomiting should be about as rare and often as if you were to have the stomach bug and have an acute episode of vomiting. Now that you know vomiting isn’t a normal behavior with your kitty, what can you do to help change this health issue?

Nutrition Can Be The Key

First, it’s always best to start with a trip to your veterinarian to see if there is a medical problem that may be the causation of the vomiting. If there is nothing medically happening and your cat is still vomiting, WE CAN HELP!!

One of the most frequent reasons cats vomit is from poor nutrition. Poor nutrition is the source of many health complaints. Inflammatory and indigestible ingredients lack the nutrition that helps keep our cat's digestive system working optimally. You have to put the right fuel in the right machine. When you feed a high-carb and high-grain diet to your cat, it can lead toward a slippery slope of different health issues with hairballs and vomiting being one of them.

What we feed our cats will then determine if they have a shiny or dull coat which can lead to brittle hair that breaks off during grooming. Which can then lead to a cycle of dander which can cause excessive itching which could lead to excessive grooming, hair pulling or ripping out of hair, and even mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Nutrition is key to having a healthy animal starting from the inside.

Supplements Can Hold The Answer For Finicky Feeders

If you have a finicky feline, you may feel that switching foods is not an option. Then it’s time to check out supplements and the best way to add them. Hair is simply undigested protein from keratin that can end up balled up in the intestines without being digested. Many times it appears on its own in vomit or with regurgitated and undigested food in vomit form. Following are some easy supplement solutions to improve digestive health.

1. Marshmallow - No, no, not the white puffs in your pantry. This herbal tincture made out of marshmallow root is what we refer to as a mucilaginous herb which is a fancy word for saying it had a slippery effect while soothing mucous membranes. If your cat is addicted to high-carb, high-grain food, then there is most likely some inflammation within the intestinal tract which isn’t allowing for proper digestion of the food you are feeding. Marshmallow root tincture will decrease inflammation as well as help move the hairball through the system and out with stool. This herb comes in liquid form as is usually favorable to most cats. It can go directly in their mouth or on top of food.
2. Total-Zymes - This is one of our favorite digestive enzyme combinations because it has a blend of 16 different enzymes to help the digestive process and break down that hairball that is just sitting in the gut waiting to be expelled. This supplement is a very fine powder and just a small amount gets used with each meal. It is very easy to disguise in canned food or raw food for your kitty.
3. Hairball Plus - This product is one single ingredient of organic coconut fiber. This supplement helps to bulk up stool and help waste pass more efficiently through the digestive tract. Some cats like coconut and some do not, but this coconut fiber can also be easily disguised in canned or raw food. You may need to start with a pinch and increase to the recommended dosage depending on your cat's needs. Cats are notorious for turning their nose up at the first disturbance their food is different. Be diligent and try adding it to their diet several ways and several times before throwing in the towel.

Increasing moisture in the diet to keep your cat hydrated, performing daily brushing and grooming support, providing for daily play time and increasing dietary fiber are additional simple suggestions to help your cat and minimize hairballs. Don’t make hairballs a “normal” part of your cats routine!