# Best hairball formula food?



## Richo (Jul 4, 2003)

Hello everyone

Barnaby has been having a lot of issues lately with vomiting food with hairballs in it. I tried changing his food to a better quality (Evo, Merrick) and it seemed to help at first but then it came back and it's been almost daily.

I brought him to the vet yesterday and they could not find any problems from a general examination. She told me to increase the amount of Petramalt I give him and maybe start mixing in a hairball formula food to see if that helps. 

She mentioned Science Diet as one brand but I've heard it's overrated and there must be better brands. I looked at the pet store for a hairball formula of one of the better brands recommended on this forum but didn't find any made by Evo, Merrick, or Natural Balance.

Anyone have success with a hairball formula?


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

My cat Lacey will vomit hairballs pretty much daily if I don't give her canned pumpkin in her food. Mow Mow recommended freezing the pumpkin in small rations and then tossing them into her food. One tbsp is too much for my Lacey so I give her about a 1 tsp per feeding nightly. This has reduced the vomiting to a rare occurrence, but I need to be consistent with the pumpkin. I use Libby's 100% canned pumpkin. It's easy to find at your local grocer, and it works really well.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Pumpkin. I swear by it for my guy and hairballs. If I miss more than a day or two I start spot cleaning the carpet again.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Okay, now I'm going to have to get some for my girls. Gigi herks up a hairball several times a week.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

EVO Weight Management is very high in fiber, which is what they put in hairball formulas. Pumpkin does the same thing. You can also try some slippery elm.


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## Richo (Jul 4, 2003)

I tried canned pumpkin in his wet food years ago per suggestion of the vet when he was having dry stool problems and he wouldn't eat the food. He's not too picky with dry food but very finicky about his wet food.

I normally feed him Wellness canned but I tried Merrick canned the other day and he turned his nose up at it. To me it smells exactly like the wellness.

Do cats really notice the taste of the pumpkin or do you have to go with some stinky food? I know he likes fish variety canned food but I heard that fish isn't good for their urinary tract.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I add it to his wet food with hot water and mash it all with a fork to make it the consistency of pancake batter and he laps it all up.


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## Richo (Jul 4, 2003)

I did buy some pumpkin. About how much should be added to a 5.5 oz can?


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

My guy gets just under a tablespoon but I would start small, a tsp with each meal... maybe.


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## Richo (Jul 4, 2003)

Well, I only give him about 1/4 of the can per meal, so a teaspoon sounds like too much for that. Do you mix it just before the meal? It would seem like mixing it ahead of time would allow the pumpkin to absorb more of the flavors of the food itself, so it would be less detectable.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Hmm, I've never thought about trying that. My guy just sucks it all down


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

Hmmm perhaps this explains the absolute lack of hairballs after I switched my two over to Weruva. It has pumpkin in all of their fave flavours. I've got some pumpkin in the freezer for snacks, but they haven't had that in a while and that was more to put Pedro on a better track for his weight. Pedro was getting at least 1 a week on MediCal before and during the switchover.


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## Richo (Jul 4, 2003)

Well, right now things have gotten better. I have been giving him Petromalt more often and have mixed in EVO weight control food with his dry food gradually increasing the amount.

There hasn't been any food vomit in the last 5 days, only a couple hairballs, which could have easily been Baxter because those are nothing new.

However, 2 days ago there was a 6 inch piece of string hanging out of Barnaby's back side after he used the litter box. I always try to keep any string out of his access because he is a string chewer but be found some somewhere.

Anyways, I'm wondering if this could have been causing some kind of blockage in his digestive system that he couldn't pass the hairballs like he normally does.

I guess time will tell but I'm keeping my fingers crossed


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