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Revision as of 16:44, 25 August 2004 by Netoholic (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A hairball is a collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals that is ocasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Cats are especially prone to hairball formation since they groom themselves by licking their fur leading to hair going into the stomach.
Cows are also known for accumulating hairballs, but, as they do not vomit, these are found usually after death and can grow quite large.
Although uncommon in humans, some hairballs have been reported, often in young girls as a result of trichotillomania and pica. In 2003, a 3-year old girl in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada had a grapefruit-sized hairball surgically-removed from her stomach.
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