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My cat has a hairball he can't seem to cough up. It's been a few days and he's lost some weight (although he's fat to begin with). I have given him some hairball gel last night. Do I need to bring him in to see a vet?
Hi thereCustomerThank you for your question regarding your boy who has been coughing for the last few days. Hopefully this is just a hairball and nothing more sinister like a lung infection, asthma or even heat disease! If this boy is completely off his food and seems lethargic, you are better getting him to the Vet sooner rather than later. If he seems otherwise fine however, you could just continue with the hairball gel twice daily for 4 - 5 days to see if this solves the problem. If after this he is still coughing away, then get him checked over by your local Vet. Here they may also wish to take a couple of xrays of his chest and abdomen to see if there any changes that could indicate some of the other possible causes for his symptoms as mentioned above.I hope this helps and do keep a close eye on your boy in the mean time won't you.Thank you and please now click ACCEPT.Kind Regards,Dr M D Edwards
Hi Dr. Edwards,My buddy is 11.5 yrs old & otherwise healthy if not a bit lazy (if that factors in at all).He is eating a little wet food and drinking a fair bit of water. I actually did see the hairball coming up one time but he couldn't quite manage to expel it so I'm somewhat assured that the issue is a hairball. Wishing I had just grabbed the thing for him!He is keeping to himself and I can tell he's not comfortable (not his usual attention-demanding self) but he does respond to affection with some purring and so isn't completely anti-social. He's not real happy with life right now unfortunately.He's not fond of the hairball gel but I'll continue to give it to him. You figure I'm ok to continue to try that for a few days before bringing him in to see a vet?-Joel.
Hi Joel,It sounds interesting that you may have seen the hairball! From the sounds of it, he could even have a clump of hair stuck up over his soft palate! So long as he is eating, drinking and not lethargic, you will be fine just to continue with the paste and monitor him for the next few days before taking him off to the Vet. However if you think he is in pain or uncomfortable (as it sounds as though he may be), you should probably get him to a Vet today for assessment and treatment. Best of luck and do keep me posted won't you!Kind Regards,Dr Edwards
Experience: Veterinarian - BVSc