Do dogs get hairballs?

Question

My toy poodle began vomiting up everything he ate, soon after he swallowed any food or water. I brought him to the vet for an x-ray and many other tests and they were negative. He did not have a movement for 5 days, and then slowly began digesting things again. He definitely chews his fur on occasion, but I was told it could not be a hairball. How do I stop him from eating his fur? And would a hairball remedy help him in the future, should this happen again. He is occasionally vomiting now, and there is always a small chunk of hair in his vomit. Hope someone can give me some good advice

He seems to chew his fur because for the fun of it. He does not have any allergies or skin problems. Would giving him a hairball remedy be a problem?

Answer 1

Dogs can get hairballs, though it's not as common a problem for them as it is for cats. And your poodle does sound like he might have a hairball problem.

You may wish to take him to a vet to find out what IS going on. And find another vet, if the one you're using insists there's not a problem.

For stopping him from eating his fur- You might try an Elizabethan collar, one of those broad plastic collars that vets sometimes use to keep animals from aggravating injuries.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Cats get hairballs from grooming when they lick their fur, dogs don't do this. He would need to eat a lot of fur for a blockage. Vet should be able to give your dog dye to show up the digestive system on an x ray. How old is he?,has it always happened?

Answer 3

Dogs don't groom themselves like a cat does, which is why cats get hairballs.

It could be possible that chewing on his paws could be a sign of an allergy.

You may want to consult with your doctor about checking your dog with an endoscope to see if everything is ok in the esophagus and the stomach. My cat had vomiting problems, an endoscopy found he had stomach cancer, which was treatable. The type of cancer he has would not show up on an xray. Just a thought, I don't mean to alarm you. You can touch base with your vet about that.

Good luck.

Answer 4

First, make sure he doesn't have fleas or a skin irritation that could be making him want to chew on himself.
Then, if he still eats his own fur, put some "Bitter Apple" or a similar bitter product on the areas of his fur where he chews. And give him alternative, better-tasting chew toys.
If he is very itchy, he might even put up with the bitter taste in order to scratch himself, so it's important to make sure he's comfortable.
Cats swallow hair in their normal grooming process, but dogs should not.

Answer 5

Because dogs have a digestive system that will almost digest anything...i mean dogs can even digest cats so what does that tell you? i once saw my brothers dog eat an entire wooden leg off of a chair and then one day my mom left some hot salsa made with some habenero peppers and the dog ate the whole bowl and made my mom mad but over the next three days the dog had to live outside because he was tootin' everywhere.

Answer 6

No, I do not believe dogs get hairballs...I have had dogs my whole life and have never seen a hairball, either from the mouth or the bowel movements.

my cat on the other hand is another story...YUCK! I looked around and from several different sites, I came up with this product..its worth a shot.

Answer 7

Spray his fur where his chews with this gross tasting stuff. Not sure what it was called but they sell it at petsmart. Just tell them the situation and they will give you the stuff. If you cant find it then make your own out of water ant viniger.It wont hurt your dog, but he wont like the taste and will crease chewing. Good Luck!

Answer 8

Dogs can ingest hair, which can cause a blockage. I don't really know the specifics as to how to stop/solve the problem, except to say you need to take him back to the vet and tell him there is still something wrong.