Anyone ever had this happen? (re: hairballs)

[AZBlue]

My little Maggie coughed up a hairball Saturday night. The odd thing about this is that she's never had a hairball before (she's 3). OK, so it happens, right? Except, since then she hasn't eaten except for a couple of kibbles, hasn't really drunk any water and seems lethargic. Before the hairball she was fine. I can understand her stomach being upset for a little while and/or being a little scared from it since she had never had one before, but it seems like it's gone on too long now. Anyone else had a similar experience? Her predecessor, Sally, had them 1-3 times a month - she'd just get sick and after it she was fine. I'm not sure what to make of Maggie's situation.

To make it even more puzzling, she acts interested in food, but won't eat. I've tried tempting her with chicken-flavored wet food as well as seafood-flavored wet food (both in hairball control formula), actual tuna, water, water with tuna, her regular treats and some special chicken-flavored hairball control treats. Nothing works. She might get excited when she hears the can open, follows the food down to the floor and then just sits in front of it, not eating. She also walked up to her food twice that I saw, sat down and just looked at it. I can not figure it out.

She's a bit lethargic but doesn't seem to have a temperature - maybe a very very low one (101.9). I've tried to give her two different kinds of the hairball remedies (the goopy gel/cream that you give them to help hairballs move along) - that didn't go over well so I'm not sure how much she actually got, but she did get some of it. So far no change though.

If she doesn't eat tonight (sometimes she just about empties her bowl overnight) she's going to the vet tomorrow morning. But, in the meantime I was just wondering if anyone else might have had a similar experience? Thanks! :hi:

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

1. I remember Morrissey's first hairball at age 3 - he scared himself

I don't think he was unwilling to eat after that, though. It can be a challenge to get cats to eat, and I'm sure you know it's vital for them to eat at least a little something every day. Do you have a syringe? During Monty's recent problems I pureed some canned food with a little water and gave him that through the syringe. I also got some NutriCal at PetSmart - it's similar to the hairball gel and is packed with calories. Then I sat him down and smeared gobs of it on his mouth and watched him lick it up. Kitten food is also rich in calories - maybe she would eat that. Baby food WITHOUT onion seasoning has also been recommended to me, but I've never tried it with the cats yet.

I don't know what to think about associating the hairball incident with the not eating. I certainly hope she eats overnight. Maybe her stomach is just irritated and will take a little time to settle down. In the meantime, try to get some food and water down her using the syringe. Good luck, and be sure to keep us posted!

[AZBlue]

3. Good news: she's begun eating small amounts

That makes me feel better - last night and today she's eaten small bits of kibbles every now and then. She doesn't really like wet food - never has - so it's just been the dry stuff. And, she's drunk some water too. I was beginning to wonder about the syringe - I had to do that with Sally and it was NOT pleasant. Luckily I think we've avoided that.

She's acting much more energetic today but my concern now is that she hasn't gone to the bathroom - of either variety - in over 24 hours. I know she hasn't drunk or eaten a whole lot, but that still concerns me. She has a vet appointment in 50 minutes, so we'll see what they say!

Thanks!! :hi:

[demnan]

2. She might still have some hairball in her

and is upset to her stomach. If you can't get her to eat the Petromalt stuff, try a little olive oil in a saucer on the floor. I had a cat who used to take some of that when he had hair balls.

[AZBlue]

4. That's what I was wondering.

I've gotten better at giving her the Laxatone - they have a tuna flavor so I tried that instead of Petromalt - but she still hasn't gone to the bathroom. I'm taking her to the vet just to be safe - I can't help it, I'm a worried mom!

Thanks! :)

[AZBlue]

5. Update: it was the hairball!

She's ok - she just had trouble with her stomach from the hairball which snowballed into dehydration, which made her want to eat even less, which dehydrated her more, and so on. She got a sub-cutaneous IV of fluids and a shot of antacid. I'm glad I took her to the vet - dehydration and not eating is nothing to blow off with cats. I have to monitor what she eats and drinks over the next couple of days, as well as her bathroom activities, but the vet thinks she'll be fine. What a relief!