Hairball Awareness Day

Did you know that April 24th is Hairball Awareness Day? We know, this isn’t exactly the cutest pet-related holiday on the calendar. It’s probably much more fun honoring Hug Your Cat Day or Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day. However, hairballs are not uncommon among our feline friends, so it’s important for people owned by cats to understand what they are, and the dangers they can pose. Read on as a Pickerington, OH vet discusses hairballs.

Fluffy’s Grooming Habits

Kitties certainly take their beauty regimes very seriously. Your furball may spend a good chunk of her day carefully cleaning her fur to keep it soft and shiny. Sooner or later, your furry friend will swallow some fur during this process. Fluffy can’t digest her own hair, though, so the fur she ingests will generally come back up in the form of a hairball.

Preventing Hairballs

There are a few things you can to that will help cut down on the amount of hairballs your little buddy produces. First and foremost, brush your kitty regularly, especially during peak shedding times. This will reduce the amount of fur your cat swallows, as you’ll be catching that dead hair with a brush. (Bonus: you’ll also find less cat fur stuck to your clothing and furniture.) It’s also important to make sure that your kitty is eating nourishing, high-quality food. Good nutrition will help keep Fluffy’s fur soft and shiny, and can reduce the amount of dead hair she sheds. It’s also worth noting that cats who go outdoors tend to shed more than indoor kitties, as they are more exposed to seasonal changes that trigger shedding. Giving your cat hairball remedy will help as well. Ask your vet for specific advice.

Health Risks

Although some cats do seem to have a knack for leaving hairballs in the spots where they are most likely to get stepped on, hairballs are no fun for kitties. In fact, they can be very dangerous. If Fluffy can’t expel the fur she swallowed, she could end up with a serious—even deadly—intestinal blockage. Excessive vomiting, dry-heaving, high amounts of hairballs, or changes in appetite are all red flags that warrant immediate veterinary care. Ask your vet for more information.

Please contact us, your local Pickerington, OH animal clinic, for all your pet’s veterinary care needs. We are dedicated to providing the best veterinary care around!

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