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| MY KITTEN IS AN ADORABLE LITTLE FURBALL | |||
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| A '''hairball''' is a small collection of ] or ] formed in the ] of ]s that is occasionally ]ed up when it becomes too big. Hairballs are primarily a tight elongated cylinder of packed fur, but may include bits of other elements such as swallowed food. ]s are especially prone to hairball formation since they ] themselves by ] their fur, and thereby ingest it. ]s are also prone to hairballs because they groom themselves in the same fashion as cats, but hairballs are especially dangerous for rabbits because they cannot regurgitate them. Because the ] of a rabbit is very fragile, rabbit hairballs must be treated immediately or they may cause the animal to stop feeding and ultimately die due to ]. ] are also known to accumulate hairballs, but as they do not vomit, these are found usually after death and can be quite large. | |||
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| Although uncommon in ]s, some hairballs have been reported, often in young girls as a result of ], ] and ].<ref>, ], Washington, D.C.</ref> In 2003, a 3-year old girl in ] had a grapefruit-sized hairball ] removed from her stomach;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forums.dealofday.com/threads/133187-Talk-about-a-Hairball!!! |title=Talk about a Hairball!!! |publisher=Forums.dealofday.com |date=2003-11-13 |accessdate=2011-02-09}}</ref> and in 2004, an 18-year old woman from ], had a {{Convert|2.3|kg|lb|abbr=on}} hairball surgically removed from her lower intestine.{{Verify source|date=May 2009}} Hairballs can be quite hazardous in humans,<ref>, BBC News, 1999-08-20</ref> since hair cannot be digested or passed by the human gastrointestinal system, and (assuming it is identified) even ] may be ineffective at removing the hair mass. This can result in the general impairment of the digestive system. | |||
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| == See also == | |||
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| == References == | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| {{Veterinary-med-stub}} | |||
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Revision as of 19:28, 9 March 2011
MY KITTEN IS AN ADORABLE LITTLE FURBALL