Clinical Signs of Hairballs in Cats Fed a Diet Enriched with Cellulose

Problem statement: The intake of cellulose may delay gastric emptying and raise the intestinal transit rate. These effects could antagonize hairball formation. Thus, it was hypothesized that a diet enriched with a cellulose preparation (Arbocel BWW40®), forming a completely insoluble fiber network, would diminish the severity of clinical symptoms of hairballs in cats. Approach: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with parallel design, 24 privately owned cats were used and the clinical signs were evaluated by the owners. For a period of four weeks, the cats (n = 12 per treatment group) consumed a complete dry food without or with 4% (w/w) cellulose. During the test period, the control or test diet was the only source of nutrition. The trial questionnaire was in the form of a booklet in which each day the occurrence of hairball symptoms (vomiting, retching and coughing) were recorded by the owners. Results: When compared with the control diet, the feeding of the diet with added cellulose lowered the total incidence of vomiting, retching and coughing by 79, 91 and 70%, respectively. The cellulose-induced decrease in vomiting was statistically significant. It is suggested that cellulose ingestion had caused delayed gastric emptying, leading to binding of single strands of hair to food particles so that more hair is transferred into the duodenum. The cellulose-mediated increase in transit rate of digesta may subsequently promote the excretion of hairs with the feces. Conclusion: This study shows that a diet fortified with cellulose reduced the severity of clinical signs in cats with existing hairballs, but the diet may also be effective in the prevention of hairball development.