Cats are clean animals that carefully care for their fur. Every day they lick the fur with their tongue, as a result of which some hairs enter the gastrointestinal tract, which is very unsafe for the cat. Wool clogs the intestines, causing abdominal pain, problems with digestion and stool. This can lead to the development of pancreatitis, gastritis and other gastrointestinal diseases.
Various methods are used to effectively remove hair from the stomach. Many veterinarians recommend using special malt pastes for this purpose.
In the article we will look at what malt paste is for removing hair from cats, the principle of action of the drug, how to use it correctly, contraindications, a review of popular pastes for hair removal, what other means will help cope with the problem
How does hair removal paste work?
Malt pastes for hair removal have a therapeutic and prophylactic effect.
:How the product works:
- When ingested, the paste envelops and softens hairballs, promoting their active elimination naturally, preventing vomiting and constipation in the cat.
- Improves the movement of hairballs through the intestines.
- Normalizes the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
- Restores intestinal microflora.
- Eliminates unpleasant symptoms - abdominal pain, vomiting, etc.
Thanks to the beneficial microelements it contains, malt paste also helps strengthen the immune system and has a positive effect on the condition of the skin and coat of animals.
In what cases should you give the paste?
Cats cleanse their bodies of hairballs naturally up to 3-4 times a month. Not only adults, but also kittens are susceptible to the formation of trichobezoars. If something “went wrong” and you notice the symptoms described below in your pet, then you should immediately show the animal to a veterinarian. The veterinarian will examine the animal and make a diagnosis. And, if the problem is related to the presence of an accumulation of hairballs in the stomach, he will tell you how to give the cat paste, help you choose the composition of the drug, and give recommendations on nutrition and care for your pet.
Symptoms that indicate the presence of excessive accumulation of hairballs in the cat's stomach:
- Bloating. On palpation there are pronounced pain sensations.
- Refusal of food.
- Dry cough.
- Profuse salivation.
- Constipation.
- Very hard stools with some hair present.
- Regular vomiting with the presence of hairs, blood and mucus.
- Temperature.
Delay can have very serious consequences for the health and life of your pet.
If you experience the symptoms above, contact your veterinarian immediately
Instructions and admission courses
Malt paste for cats has a pleasant taste and smell. Available in closed tubes of various sizes. Stored at temperature +5+250C.
The product can be used for treatment and prevention according to the instructions. For preventive purposes, a 7-day course of administration every month is recommended.
To relieve pain and quickly remove hair from the digestive system, the cat is given paste daily in a dosage of up to 3 cm. During the molting period, the dose increases to 5 cm. It is better to take the medicine 1-1.5 hours before or after meals.
The drug has a laxative effect, so it is not recommended to exceed the dosage indicated in the instructions.
Many cats are happy to consume malt paste in its pure form. If the animal refuses to take the medicinal composition, it can be mixed with food or added to ready-made food.
What components are usually included?
Manufacturers of pet products offer a wide selection of malt pastes that differ in composition. But the components found in most are:
- Malt. This is the base of malt paste. It is a source of fiber and also a natural sweetener, which makes the taste of the paste attractive to cats.
- Fatty acid.
- Vitamins.
- Minerals.
- Prebiotics and probiotics.
Associated bonuses from consuming malt paste are: improving the external characteristics of the animal’s fur and strengthening it.
Malt paste is available in tubes. Before giving the cat paste , you need to read the instructions. The drug should be stored in the refrigerator. But to make it easier to squeeze out the thick mixture, it can be warmed to room temperature shortly before use.
Rating of the best pastes for removing hair from the stomach
Veterinary pharmacies and pet stores offer a large selection of malt pastes for cats from different global manufacturers. We have compiled a rating of the top 5 best therapeutic and prophylactic products for removing hair from the stomach of animals, showing high efficiency and safety of use.
Top 5 best malt pastes for cats:
- Cliny is a high-quality and inexpensive paste with silver ions from a Russian manufacturer.
- Gimpet is an imported paste with natural malt and vegetable oils, does not contain sugar. It has a distinct and attractive scent for cats.
- Beaphar is a Dutch-made product containing useful microelements, oils and products of plant origin. It tastes like caramel. Effectively removes hair from the stomach, removes toxins from the body, and strengthens the immune system.
- Sanal is a hair-removing paste with a meaty taste that improves digestion and appetite. Contains herbal ingredients, oils, fats and vitamin E. Produced in the Netherlands.
- Gimcat is a vitamin paste with a high content of ballast substances with natural aromatic malt and vegetable oils. Promotes the removal of swallowed hair and undigested food residues naturally. Produced in Germany.
Composition and properties of the drug
Hair clots can cause constipation, which can be painful for your cat. Often the pet simply burps it up, which is not very pleasant for the owners in the house. Malt paste softens and breaks down hairballs, ensuring their smooth exit through the animal's excrement.
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Malt paste contains malt, fats - 40%, glycerin - 3.1%, phosphorus - 0.4%, potassium - 0.1% and additional substances: emulsifiers (E471 and E322), lubricant (E551) and thickener (E414). Lecithin in the form of fat includes the following substances :
- Inositol is very useful for disorders of inositol metabolism, which appears in diabetes mellitus, kidney and respiratory system diseases. It is also able to strengthen intercellular connections, improve their growth and metabolism.
- Choline – helps improve the synthesis of phosphatidyl choline. Equips the body with methyl elements intended for better synthesis of vital biological molecules. Its absence is accompanied by impaired liver and kidney function, decreased development and memory, and also leads to hypertension and complete infertility.
Analogues of malt paste for cats
There are also on sale therapeutic and prophylactic products for removing hair from the stomach, produced in other forms: tablet preparations, hair-removing food, etc. Let’s take a closer look.
Tablet drugs
You can replace malt paste with effective wool removal tablets based on phytocomplexes. Preparations from the VEDA brand, which produces the “Fitomina” line based on a multicomponent formula, have good reviews. Contains 12 plant extracts, taurine, natural minerals and other components beneficial to the cat's body.
Hair-reducing feed
To remove hairballs from a cat’s gastrointestinal tract, you can use special therapeutic and prophylactic food containing a large amount of plant fiber, which stimulates the motility of the digestive tract. Medicinal foods can become the basis of a cat’s diet or be used periodically for preventive purposes. The recommended duration of use is 2-6 months.
Food for hair removal:
- Daily Cat Adult Hairball Turkey and Rice – premium dry food;
- Almo Nature Functional Line – wet (canned), super-premium;
- Eukanuba Cat Hairball – dry, super-premium;
- Royal Canin Hairball Care – dry, premium and others.
Hair-bearing foods have some contraindications. Before use, read the instructions or consult a specialist.
Other means
Other effective means are used to remove hair from the stomach of pets.
Available analogues of malt paste:
- Vaseline oil – softens stool, acts as a laxative;
- vitamin-herbal complex “Nature” – a tableted product based on ballast components;
- “Nutri-Vet” is a preventive mixture of Omega-3 acids, vitamin complexes and beneficial macroelements;
- preventive pads based on malt paste - suitable for newborn kittens and adult animals;
- therapeutic and prophylactic capsules based on herbal ingredients and other effective products that improve digestion and quality of life for pets.
Malt paste and other hair removal products are an indispensable element of the veterinary first aid kit of every cat owner who cares about the health of their pet. You can purchase a therapeutic and prophylactic product in stationary pet stores and veterinary pharmacies in the city or via the Internet by placing a quick order online. Before using malt paste, be sure to read the instructions!
Symptoms of hairballs in the stomach
Some symptoms can indicate that a cat's stomach is filled with fur. The most basic of them is lack of appetite. Food simply cannot fit into a full stomach.
You can often observe the following picture: the animal eats little by little, often runs to the bowl. Cats develop a false sense of fullness. This happens due to the fact that there are also receptors in the walls of the stomach that react to the degree of fullness of the stomach. These receptors send an impulse to the hypothalamus, that is, to the food center, which is responsible for the feeling of fullness.
Trichobezoars - the name of the formed hairballs, can cause the development of other symptoms:
- The fur becomes dull
. Malnutrition has a sharply negative effect on the general condition of the animal. The cat does not receive the necessary vitamins and minerals. In addition to the coat, the internal systems of the body also suffer due to a lack of essential nutrients in the diet. - Vomiting, cough, nausea
. If a cat vomits hair, then the reason is clear - the stomach is full of trichobezoars. The pet begins to cough, trying to provoke a gag reflex. Some animals deliberately begin to eat weed leaves in order to provoke a gag reflex. A hairball that is too large may not be able to pass through the sphincter that connects the esophagus to the stomach, resulting in a blockage. - Fullness of the stomach with trichobezoars
- the presence of hair on the fangs. It is important to examine the pet’s oral cavity and if hair is found to be stuck to the fangs, it will need to be removed. Fur remaining on the fangs can cause inflammatory processes in the gums when they grow into them. - Lethargy, apathy, constipation
. A sharp change in the animal’s mood, manifested in the form of lethargy and drowsiness, may indicate an accumulation of fur in the body. In addition, the presence of trichobezoars can be determined by constipation, which is observed in the animal for several days. The cause of stool problems may be improperly selected cat food, but in the vast majority of cases, the intestinal tract is blocked by hairballs, which leads to impaired blood circulation in tissue structures. Degenerative processes of death of cells in the intestinal mucosa are launched and, as a result, general poisoning of the body occurs.
In order to protect the animal from suffering, it is recommended to purchase a special paste in advance, which will help cope with the problem without consequences. The owner will not observe the painful movements of the animal when it tries to pull out the accumulated fur, and will also be protected from dangerous consequences, such as blockage of the digestive tract by trichobezoars.
Can cat hairballs come out on their own?
This is usually what happens. The cat's body gets rid of hairballs on its own through regurgitation. The pet jumps up, begins to worry, twitches convulsively and regurgitates a clump of undigested hair. The trichobezoar rejected by the cat's body is an elongated, moist, dense formation like a sausage, the color of which matches the color of the animal. Its hue slightly changes the color of food and various gastric secretions. Typically, bezoars regurgitated by a cat have an unpleasant, but not foul, odor.
Owner reviews
Martha, owner of the British Shorthair cat:
“My Magdalena is a short-haired breed and encountered a problem during shedding. The beauty ate too much wool and tried to vomit, but nothing worked. We contacted the veterinarian. The doctor recommended Malt paste. We bought a Biofar product. The cat stopped vomiting in the morning. She really liked the taste of the pasta. Seeing the packaging, she runs to me.”
Natasha, owner of 2 Persian cats:
“Two furry miracles live in our house. Even when they took the cats from the breeder, she advised giving them a special paste to avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract due to fur. First we bought a product from Beaphar. We were always pleased with the result. One day he was not in the pet store, but I saw a paste from Sanal. It cost almost 100 rubles less, but was just as effective. Now I’ll only buy it.”
The dangers of excessive licking
Excessive licking of fur, accompanied by regurgitation of pieces of it, indicates that the cat has problems. If a pet licks itself until a small bald spot appears, then in places where there is no hair, infection may occur. This makes cats begin to lick themselves even more diligently. This creates a vicious circle, from which it is very difficult, but necessary, to get out.
Popular brands
There are several versions of the drug available in pet pharmacies and specialty stores. Which one to choose is up to the owner and his mustachioed friend to decide.
Cliny
These are products of a domestic company, which are popular due to their low price and good quality. The drug effectively removes trichobezoars, relieving vomiting and constipation. Additionally, the product is enriched with silver ions to improve the general condition of the pet. The pleasant smell attracts the mustache. The average cost is 250-280 rubles per 45 g.
Gimpet
A German analogue of the drug, which contains natural malt and vegetable oil. The pleasant structure and pronounced aroma are very popular with pets. There is no sugar or other flavor enhancers among the ingredients. Price – 700-800 rubles per 200 g.
Beaphar
An analogue enriched with Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids that are beneficial for the health and appearance of your furry friend. Contains fermented milk products and sunflower oil. The products help get rid of hair clumps and harmful bacteria. The manufacturer added caramel for an attractive taste. Cost – 500 rubles per 100 g.
Sanal
A popular brand among mustache owners, it has a pleasant meat aroma. It contains vitamin E and additives that improve your pet's appetite. This effective remedy has an excellent preventive effect. The cost of the product is 170 rubles for 20 g.
Gimcat
Paste for removing trichobezoars, which does not contain sugar or harmful preservatives. There are different flavor options. According to the instructions, the daily amount of paste is 1 cm more than other brands. Average price – 610 rubles per 100 g.
Operating principle
Malt pastes for cats do not dissolve clumps of hair, but help remove it from the body. The active ingredients of the drugs soften the trichobezoars, which later gradually come out. The pasty mass envelops hairballs and promotes their movement through the digestive tract. As a result, wool clots pass unhindered through the intestines and are eliminated during bowel movements. As a result, the cat’s constipation, nausea and vomiting disappear, and the microflora is normalized.
Malt pastes for cats also perform a preventive function. They prevent hair that has entered the cat's stomach from forming into large clumps and prevents it from growing into the intestinal walls.
What else will help clear your pet's stomach of hairballs?
Paste is just one of many remedies that can cope with the problem of trichobezoar formation. Special dry food perfectly removes hair from a cat's stomach and prevents the formation of large lumps. In appearance and smell, it is indistinguishable from conventional finished products for cats. Copes with the task due to the content of prebiotics, flaxseed, fiber and plantain.
To solve the problem, you can also use special food additives called phytomins. In their production, extracts of medicinal herbs, vitamins, minerals, lecithin, and taurine are used. They come in tablet form and are given to the pet along with food. The duration of use of phytomins is determined individually. Such supplements remove hair from the stomach gradually.
Of course, malt paste is not a panacea. It does not help everyone and not always, and in some cases or if used incorrectly it can cause harm. Therefore, when including malt paste in cat care, the owner must understand that this is only an integral part of a comprehensive solution to the problem. In addition, the animal must be regularly combed with a special glove, and grass for cats must be purchased. You should also follow proper nutrition, which helps keep the gastrointestinal tract healthy and remove hairs from the gastrointestinal tract without outside help.
Dosage
The drug can be given to a cat in two ways:
- Daily - 3 cm of paste.
- One week a month - 5 cm, then a break.
And if your pet is shedding, which usually lasts about a month, then give 5 cm of the product during this period. You can take Malt-paste constantly, and if necessary, the dose can be doubled.
Important! Provide your pet with fresh, clean water in sufficient quantity.
