Wednesday, June 8, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
The mystery behind
feline hairballs
Your Maine coon cat is
napping peacefully on your
bed, when suddenly she
bolts up, wide awake and
is clearly uncomfortable.
She extends her neck and
hacks and gags in distress.
Then, to her relief (and your
dismay), she regurgitates
something unusual-looking
on your coverlet.
The scary-looking cylin-
drical shaped UFO that kitty
has disgorged is actually a
trichobezoer or commonly
referred to as a hairball.
The hairball or the damp
wad of undigested hair,
moistened by your cat’s
digestive juices, is actually
the unpleasant side effect of
Kitty’s natural desire to stay
clean.
Cats are fastidious self-
groomers and as Kitty
grooms herself, she swal-
lows a lot of the dead hair
that has come loose. It’s the
tiny backward slanted pro-
jections on the surface of
her rough tongue that pro-
pel the hair down her throat
and into her stomach. While
most of the hair eventually
passes through her diges-
tive tract, some of it remains
in the stomach and gradu-
ally accumulates into a wet
clump — the hairball..
It’s not uncommon for
your cat to vomit the occa-
sional hairball and there is
usually no cause for alarm,
but in some cases hairballs
become too big for a cat’s
digestive tract and may
cause a blockage that can be
life-threatening.
Although hairballs are
more prevalent in long-
haired breeds such as
Persians and Maine coons,
all cats can develop hair-
balls, especially in the
spring and summer when
cats shed their coats. And
some cats are just naturally
more fastidious than others
Welcome,
Rodeo
Fans!
in their grooming habits.
Don’t assume all cat
coughing or vomiting can
be blamed on hairballs. It
could be a sign of another
medical issue, such as an in-
testinal disorder. There are
a couple key symptoms that
can distinguish a harmless
hairball from one that may
require immediate medical
attention.
You should be concerned
if Kitty goes through the
motions of hacking up a
hairball without anything to
show for it. Repeated gag-
ging and retching may be
a sign that a hairball is too
large to pass into the intes-
tines, can’t be spit up or has
formed an obstruction in the
digestive tract.
She may also have diar-
rhea, refuse to eat and be-
come lethargic. If your furry
frienda shows any of these
signs, have your veterinar-
ian examine her.
Another problem caused
by hairballs is that some-
times their symptoms ap-
pear similar to respiratory
problems, such as asthma,
which also requires your
vet’s attention.
If a hairball gets too
big, it may require surgical
removal.
Year-round
FIREWOOD
SALES
— Kindling —
photo by Jodi schneider McnaMee
uh-oh, here comes a hairball...
And if you’re finding
more hairballs than usual
— more than two to three a
week – it may be a sign that
your cat is grooming exces-
sively, which may be due
to underlying skin condi-
tions, parasites or behavioral
problems.
The best defense against
hairballs is to keep your cat
from getting them in the first
place.
The best way to avoid
hairballs is to brush your
Here’s to a safe and successful rodeo!
Call or come in today for a
free Farmers Friendly Review
SISTERS
FOREST PRODUCTS
Why not pair your meal with one
of our famous breakfast cocktails…
we also serve beer and wine!
Breakfast & Lunch, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
541.549.2699 | 403 E. Hood Ave.
SistersForestProducts.com
cat regularly. You can also
ask your veterinarian about
special hairball diets, as well
as oral hairball remedies that
can help propel Kitty’s hair
through the digestive tract,
so it ends up in a litterbox
instead of the carpet, or
trapped in her intestines.
A tip for chronic hairball
hackers: Increase their fiber
intake. The fiber will help
hold onto hair and aid it in
passing through the diges-
tive tract.
We Even Cover
Rodeo Cowboys!
—
—
541-410-4509
19
541-588-6245 • 257 S. Pine St., #101
www.farmersagent.com/jrybka
AUTO • HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS
“A man trained by a horse is never quite
the same afterward, and is better.”
Reub Long
Re
Live your fantasy, be a cowgirl or
cowboy for a week! Come join the
o.
de
Ro
rs
te
s
Si
d
an
s
l
ul
B
e
em
tr
X
fun at
Dr. Bonnie Malone, DC
There is no substitute for experience
Chiropractic Musculoskeletal Therapy & Exercise Counseling
Nutritional and General Health Counseling
Oregon Board of Chiropractors Peer Review Committee, six years service
COVERED BY ALL MAJOR AND LOCAL INSURANCE COMPANIES (by policy limits)
S i s t e r s C h i ro p r a c t i c C l i n i c • 1 6 1 9 0 H w y. 1 2 6 , S i s t e r s • 5 4 1 - 5 4 9 - 7 1 4 1