Dog, hairball???

[Tala]

I thought hairballs are generally a cat thing.

My long-haired, double-coated Chow mix is shedding right now.
She has always eaten very little for her size, but recently seems like she's been hungry all the time. I figured she could use a worming since it's been about a year. Tonight I gave her dewormer with some hamburger grease (to hide the meds in) and a meal of chicken gizzards since it said dose with food.
Shortly afterwards she threw up what looked like a big HAIRBALL, one of the chicken gizzards, and the usual frothy stomach liquid.


Should I be concerned about the hairball? She does "groom" herself a lot.
Anything I can do to prevent it? I know they give cats a greasy "hairball remedy" gel paste so I assume the hamburger grease might have helped the hairball come up?? Or am I wrong about that?

 

[Chicky Mama]

I'd recommend if you don't have one is a rake comb for dogs.I use it on my Grt.Pyries and get HUGE clumps in one pass when they're shedding,it's awesome.I also use it on the door mats that collect all their hair too.Just groom as much as possible to eliminate as much hair as you can.Also talk to your Vet for ideas or take 'em to the groomers to help him out.I know they're not as pretty cut but it'll be happier I'm sure.

 

[Tala]

I have an Oster undercoat rake, which is awesome
and a Furbuster rake, which is a Furminator knock-off
and an Oster slicker brush (with the little wires)
and I tell her that I'm going to "groom her to within an inch of her life" lol

but when she's blowing her coat I swear I can vacuum twice a day and get as much hair as I normally do in a whole week!

I did shave her the first summer we had her. That was a dissaster!!! Her guard hairs (the outer layer ones) don't re-grow fast enough, or something. She looked terrible for most of a year!
I'm never ever doing that again - she can barf up hairballs on the kitchen floor if that's what it takes

 

[Sammimom]

The furminator is very popular and works well even on short haired dogs. You can give a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin (depending on the size of your dog) regularly to add some roughage to help pass the hair, or give actual hairball medicine, but a large amount, like a tablespoon 2-3 times a week. A small amount, like you'd put on a toothbrush if it were toothpaste, won't work at all.

I saw an x-ray once of a dog who liked to groom the cat, when it became very ill they determined the stomach was packed with something...sure enough, they removed a stomach shaped hairball!! So the hair really can get packed in there, if they eat enough and don't pass it.

 

[Tala]

I know she passes some occasionally, because it comes out in the poop so that's good.

 

[Chicky Mama]

I really hear ya on the shedding.Our 2 Pyres finally look like their done with the shedding and pretty again.After it rains they'll really be pretty and white without the dust clould when you pat them.

I keep saying that the only way to clean up the backyard is to pour charcoal fluid all around and burn it out of the gravel. If ya didn't know better ya would've thought they were on chemo with the clumps that came out. I'm certain they swallow quite abit of it to,but eat like normal.I should probably look in to some aid for them too. Next year they will be clipped at least somewhat so that hair can fall out.Their coat it supposed to get thicker for the first 2-3 years and they're only 1 yr same goes for our Pompom.