How is hairball remedy supposed to work in cats. I give my cat some and she coughs

[applegrove]

up two hairballs the next day. I don't give her any and nothing happens. Does this happen to you?

[freshwest]

1. No, I think it's supposed to take it out in a bowel movement. Does she get any grass to eat?

That either comes up or goes on out. Some people give their cat cod liver oil or foood with oil to help them move it out.

But it's been a long time since I had a cat with that problem. It can get bad, though. Does the cat get any roughage in the diet?

I used to give mine chopped up steamed broccoli and diced carrots. They liked it and it seems it might help a little.

[applegrove]

4. I'll get some grass. I think I saw some at the store.

[Brigid]

6. Any pet shop should carry it.

I hear it works pretty well.

[freshwest]

9. Yes, you can buy flats of organic wheat grass, usually about 6-8 inches high for them.

People like to juice the wheat grass, but some buy them exclusively for their cats. They'll just nibble away and it'll keep growing. They look like this in my store:

[Paulie]

2. It clumps the hair up in the stomach

The idea is to give regularly so the small amounts of fur go through. When larger quantities they usually come back up on the carpet.

More brushing helps.

[applegrove]

3. Thanks.

[eShirl]

5. it lubricates the hair so it more easily goes down or, barring that, up.

if it can't keep going through, then having it come up is better than it continuing to grow and causing a blockage

[applegrove]

7. Yup. That's why I asked. Better to have it come up and stay there and build.

[Generic Brad]

8. Hope you didn't get the suppository version

That would make me cough and gag too.

[agracie]

10. Everything you wanted to know about hairballs...

but was afraid to ask -----> http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/what-to-do-about-hairballs-in-cats [/IMG][/URL]

The hairball med is supposed to act as a mild laxative. Ideally the hairball is passed on through the digestive system before it becomes a problem.

The link above does a good job of esplainin' the hairball thing.
[IMG][/IMG][/URL

Most of the time, the hairball med I give my kittehs must work as described in the article, but once in awhile I do notice that the day after I give the med, a huge hairball is hacked up on the carpet, of course...
[/IMG][/URL]

[In_The_Wind]

11. The hair is supposed to go out in the poo!

[libodem]

12. My Ralphie

Always has a problem with teh hairballs. She is so short tailed she barely has one. Any shorter and I think we might have had spinctor problems. If you know what I mean.

I give her Temptation, hairball treats. It is full of petroleum. So it just goes thru. I give her 5 or less everyday.

She will still so some of the coughing and retching (gawd) but rarely pukes.

That tube of petromalt, was ungodly difficult to squeeze into a cat's mouth. The gaging, the struggle, the scratching, biting, smearing, yeah it smells and it gets all over, it you are not a cat wizard.