You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Hairballs (also known as fur balls) are often a problem in cats and rabbits - and veterinary advice should be sought in case there is an underlying problem that needs treating

It has been estimated that 50-80% of cats produce hairballs, many as frequently as once a month. Basically a hairball is a mass of entwined hairs mixed with mucus and other food debris that stays together. They are more common in long-haired cats than short-haired cats. They are formed by the rasping action of the tongue when a cat grooms itself .

The cat may find these a hairball  to swallow and difficult to pass through the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, cats often regurgitate them up from the gullet (oesophagus) or occasionally vomit them up from the stomach. When this happens the mass of hair takes on the shape of the lumen of the oesophagus and appears to be long, tubular and cigar-shaped. Some cats get distressed when trying to bring a  hairball up, and they can cough or gag on them as they pass through the back of the throat.

Other signs of hairball include :

• Reduced appetite
• Weight loss
• Diarrhoea (occasionally)
• Abdominal discomfort
• Excessive salivation during regurgitation
• Thinning of the hair due to hair loss (alopecia) 

If the hairball passes into the stomach and on into the small and large intestine it is known as a trichobezoar. On rare occasions trichobezoars that dry out and become hard concretions  within the gastrointestinal tract can block the outflow to the stomach or the intestine causing a physical obstruction to the passage of food, and in the large intestine they can be a cause of constipation. Trichobezoars are also common in rabbits and in both species surgery is sometimes needed to free the obstruction.

An occasional hairball is nothing to be concerned about, but if a cat  or rabbit is producing a lot of hairballs veterinary attention should be sought because there could be a medical reason for the problem :

• It may be shedding too much hair due to skin disease or secondary to another problem
• It may be grooming itself excessively because it is itchy and uncomfortable - a common cause
• It may be grooming itself too much because of a behavioural disorder
• It may have a a gastrointestinal tract disorder making it unable to pass the hairball

Laxatives and lubricants are usually given to help to move hairballs/trichobezoars through the digestive tract and recently special diets have been designed specifically to help cats with hairball problems.

Updated October 2013