Pet, dog, cat, ferret, animal health news. The most common ingredient in traditional hairball remedies for cats can be harmful to their health. Recent studies have linked petroleum-based ingredients to neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Mad Cow Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. The petroleum-based ingredients actually can dissolve and damage the protein covering of brain and other nerve cells.
Hairballs are the most common causes of occasional gagging or vomiting in an apparently healthy cat.
Large amounts of hair accumulate in the stomach from licking and grooming. This is especially prevalent in long-haired breeds. In the past, the most common remedy was to put petroleum jelly on the roof of your cat's mouth every day for awhile to help lubricate the cat's digestive tract so the hairball can pass out in the stool. Many hairball remedies contain petroleum-based ingredients. This chewable tablet helps cats digest and more easily eliminate hairballs naturally, without petroleum-based ingredients.