Help please - Hairball or possibly blockage?

[EatYourFive]

One of our cats has been eating a bit less than usual lately, but on Friday she stopped eating altogether and has been really lethargic since yesterday morning. She vomited a few times on Friday but only liquid came up.
She's a long-haired cat who detests brushing so we have an ongoing issue with hairballs. She's had something similar before and it was a hairball.

I took her to vet's yesterday who gave her an anti-sickness injection and some katalax to take at home. The vet said if she vomits again should contact their out of hours service as it could be a blockage.

This morning there's no improvement. She's still very lethargic and just lies down in one spot. No vomiting since Friday though.

Not sure what to do? Thinking of contacting the out of hours when they open a but later.

Anyone have experience of a blockage, what were the symptoms?

Yes, my Maine Coon was like this the other year. Also hates being brushed and we have to take him to the groomer once a month.

He was still drinking but not eating (although showed interest in food). Our vet did similar and we ended up taking him to the emergency one as the days without eating were stacking up. (Cats can’t go that long without food as they are unable to make certain essential amino acids, unlike us, dogs etc.)

It turns out he had a blockage in the intestines caused by swallowing 15 hairbands. Had to have surgery to remove them - without which it would have been fatal

So not to worry you OP, but I’d get this checked out ASAP m. How long since she ate?

Thanks @MadameHeisenberg.
She's not eaten since Friday morning, she had a few dreamies yesterday but nothing since. I am also suspecting blockage as when we had something similar before with a hairball it was resolved by now.

I haven't been able to find a cat groomer with availability for her, she gets very feisty with vets and hates having her tummy touched even by us so I'm sure she'd try and butcher the groomer as well! Wish there was a way to tell them it's for their own best!

I have cats with constant hairball issues and they have had several operations between them to clear out blockages. If it is a blockage, it needs sorting urgently, and it does sound as if it is. Please go back to the vet and get her looked at. The vet shaved mine whilst they were under anaesthetic and I now keep them clipped very short which has helped a lot. They look silly but it’s better than 4 operations a year!

Thanks @whirlyhead. Just waiting for the out of hours vet to open at 10 am and will call them straight away.

@EatYourFive

Thanks *@whirlyhead*. Just waiting for the out of hours vet to open at 10 am and will call them straight away.

Great! Vomiting and then lethargy are the usual symptons. One of my cats hates being combed so I get him shaved at the vet once a year under sedation as he turns into a knotty mess if I don’t. It may be worth considering that rather than a groomer.

Thanks again. Yes have to find an efficient way to maintain her coat going forward if it turns out to be a blockage. Just hope she will be OK, she's booked in at emergency vet's at midday now.

There are lots of things you can do such as regularly giving them katalax (cheaper versions are available that work just as well) plus hairball food. The main thing is grooming though - every day which isn’t easy with a difficult cat. I’ve now gone through about 10 blockage operations (I’m waiting to be dumped by my cat insurance company as it’s about £1400 an operation!!)

I hope she's ok. I give mine malt paste in her breakfast to speed her digestion along a bit. She doesn't seem to mind eating it and it's widely available.

I'm on my fourth long hair and some are just unmanageable to groom.

My bengal was no trouble to groom, he loved a brush.

Mine has malt paste and anti-hair ball kibble. Still gets them.

Also hates being brushed but I try to comb her with my fingers several times a time, can always get out hair and knotty bits.

She was admitted. she was very dehydrated and the vet could feel something in her abdomen so they will scan her as well and possibly operate if there's an obstruction.
I hope she will be OK..

Will have to think of some way to manage this hairball problem going forward. Brushing her is impossible, I have tried all sorts of brushes and brushing when she is eating and giving treats.. She doesn't even like us stroking her anywhere other than head and neck area, everything else is completely off limits.

I had a previous cat with a stomach tumour and prednisone Steroids gave him another year, not sure if that could be a possibility

@RandomMess sorry to hear your cat had a stomach tumour. Fortunately my cat is still only young so hopefully it's not that.

@EatYourFive I’m glad she is being looked after. This isn’t usually an ongoing problem, my cats are unusual in that fur just doesn’t pass through them. I really would recommend regular hairball paste (laxapet available on Amazon is good). But the main issue is the fur. If you can’t comb your cat, discuss your options with the vet. I keep mine clipped as they have ongoing problems and that is the only thing that has helped. Hopefully though this won’t happen again.

They found an obstruction and are operating today. She's rather poorly and had fever this morning so the surgery will be risky.

Struggling to focus on work whilst waiting for the next update.

Thinking of you OP. Hopefully all will be well x

I’ll be thinking of you. At this point she’ll be worse without surgery, they’ll take really good care of her.

Thinking of you too OP. It is a fairly simple surgery so hopefully all will go well. She may need to stay overnight too as they will want to make sure her temperature is down and she’s eating before they release her. My two do bounce back really quickly after surgery so fingers crossed your girl is the same. X

Thanks everyone.
@whirlyhead I hope you are right and she'll pull through. I can't help but feel like a nervous wreck today.
My other cat was meowing a lot last night. They aren't besties but think she's missing her company too.

Cats are robust creatures. Paws crossed here.

She's out of thesurgery, it all went well thankfully and they didn't have to remove any of her intestine.
It was a 15 cm hairball. I may have to start another thread about managing hairballs in long-haired cats who hate to be touched. For now I'm just so relieved and hoping that I can bring her home soon.

That’s a lot of fur isn’t it? You can buy cat muzzles but that still leaves their razor sharp claws.

Our Persians breeder used to have leather gauntlets for doing her cats.

15cm, wow poor cat and poor you, what a worry. I hope she recovers quickly.

Hoorah! The vet kept giving me my cats hairballs in tubes but there are only so many I wanted to see...!! The vet has never had to remove any of my cats' intestines so not sure about that bit!

The first time my female cat had the surgery the vet wanted to keep her overnight but she wouldn't eat. I went in to visit her and got her to eat, then insisted on bringing her home (she wasn't happy - they were making her sleep on a copy of the Daily Mail for god's sake and she is definitely a Vogue girl). She was much better at home.

Now, it's become so commonplace they just return them to me as soon as they come around from the anaesthetic.

They do recover quickly so I am sure she will be back to her normal self soon.

My pair are young as well - first surgeries when they were only 1, they are now 3 and still with me. You do have to be constantly vigilant though - their fur is their enemy!