hairballs attached to coat

[Julie-mcg20]

My cat has a very unusual hairball problem. He doesn't swallow his hairballs. They are stuck to his coat. They are a flat, pancake shape and he is very uncomfortable. His scalp is very sensitive to brushing. He won't let me cut them off. He has also lost a lot of weight and I noticed worms in his stool. Any ideas what would cause that?

[Mollycat]

Your cat needs some good care, urgently. He needs an effective worming treatment plan which should help with his weight, as basically worms are eating all his food so he isn't getting any nutrition. Those aren't hairballs, hairballs are something different that forms in the stomach, he probably has those too, but what you're seeing on his coat are mats, tangles, what happens to hair if it isn't brushed. Of course it's uncomfortable, it's like dreadlocks only he doesn't have the option to do anything about it if they are too tight and pull on his skin. Mats like that don't need untangling they will probably have to be shaved off. Please get your poor cat to a vet as soon as you possibly can.

[fjm]

As Mollycat says - mats, and can cause serious skin diseases if left. Cutting them out is very risky, even with a cooperative animal - you risk cutting the skin as well - so the only solution for bad matting is a shave down, which may require sedation. I suspect his sensitivity to brushing is due to tangles and mats dragging and hurting - once he is free of them I would immediately start getting him comfortable with gentle brushing, at first just running your hand over him then moving on to a very soft brush, with lots of his favourite treats to ease things along. That way you should be able to brush him with a more effective brush and comb him thoroughly by the time his coat begins to grow back in, to keep him tangle and mat free in future.

[Ruth B]

I have to agree that a trip to the vets would be the best option, they can shave any mats off safely and prescribe a good cause of worming treatment. If he has worms and mats there is a good chance he has fleas as well which could also be irritating the skin and contributing to his sensitivity. A good bit of TLC and medication will work wonders on him and make him a much happier cat.

[Julie-mcg20]

Thank you all for your advice. As far as the hairballs, I have some training in dermatology and after giving this a lot of thought I believe it is caused from overactive sebaceous glands in his scalp. That would explain the matting of his fur. I have cut some of them off but they keep coming back. They are not cylinder shaped, they are flat like pancakes. He has always been kept indoors until this year. I live in Redding California and as you know we have had triple digit temperatures for 2 months now. The oils he secretes are drying up and sticking to his fur. When he licks his coat he is forcing more fur into this gooey oil. He definitely need to be seen by a vet.

[Julie-mcg20]

I finally got an appointment with the mobile vet. She did some tests and decided he has hyperthyroidism. He has lost a lot of weight. He eats well but keeps losing weight. She ordered the compound medicine for him and it arrived today. The strange hairballs she said are because he is weak and lethargic and doesn't have the energy or strength to groom himself properly. She said it's very common in older cats.

[Mollycat]

Glad your kitty has finally got to see a vet and got a diagnosis. It is common for cats with hyperthyroidism to have an unkempt looking coat, and for older cats to need a little help grooming, but gentle brushing is the first line of defence before mats get a chance to form.

Hope he responds well to his medicine, hyperthyroidism is common and mostly very manageable. And thank you for coming back with an update.

[Julie-mcg20]

Thank you for your replies. He is done with his medication now and he is stronger and more active than before. Hopefully he will gain his weight back soon. As for the hairballs, I discovered they are caused by little stickers and leaves he picks up outside. I kept him indoors for years and finally let him go out about a year ago. His fur is very soft, fine and thick and when he picks up stickers they get tangled. Then he tries to lick them off and pushes more hair into them, then they snowball into these huge mats and merge together. Some of them are 3 to 4 inches wide. They get very close to his skin and it hurts him to try to remove them. If it isn't one thing, it's another. I'm just glad the thyroid problem is on the mend.

[fjm]

Good to hear he is feeling better, although if he has hyperthyroidism he will need to be on medication for life, unless you choose a permanent cure like radio-iodine therapy or surgical removal of the thyroid glands. Shaving is the best way of removing mats painlessly - it would be worth investing in a suitable clipper to do it at home. Cordless ones like the Arco are quiet with low vibration - not cheap, but certainly more economical than repeated visits to the vet to have them removed.