Nosebleeds in cats are a very unpleasant, but unfortunately quite common problem. If you find signs of vascular tissue rupture in your pet, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Otherwise, irreparable changes may occur in the pet’s body.

Causes of bleeding

In some cats, periodic bleeding is normal, but in the vast majority of cases, the appearance of blood from the nose is a pathology.

To find out the true cause of bleeding, as well as prescribe an adequate treatment course, a number of diagnostic measures are taken.

The veterinarian prescribes:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• blood clotting test;
• test for the presence of autoimmune pathologies;
• biochemical analysis;
• X-ray and radiography of the nose and jaws;
• endoscopic examination;
• serological tests.

It is quite possible that the first tests will provide a complete picture of the cause of the bleeding. Therefore, a comprehensive examination of the animal is carried out only in particularly difficult cases.

Treatment

As an emergency, the cat should be calmed and an ice pack or any other cold object placed on its nose. After this, you should immediately call a specialist. After performing the above tests, the cause of the bleeding is determined. Next, a course of treatment is prescribed aimed at eliminating the pathology causing dysfunction of the body. As a rule, we are talking about taking medications: tablets, mixtures, compresses. In exceptional cases (for example, in the presence of a tumor), surgery is used.

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Our clinic specialists treat nosebleeds and other diseases in your pets. If your cat is unwell, please contact us. We apply the latest technologies, use high-quality equipment, and guarantee high professionalism and attentive attitude towards four-legged patients. You can call our specialist at home or come to the clinic.

The cat suddenly has a nosebleed, droplets appear when sneezing, or constant discharge from one or both nostrils.

In most cases, bleeding stops on its own.

What to do if it doesn't stop?

Firstly, as one famous fairy tale character said: “Calm, only calm!” When cats are excited, their blood pressure increases, which leads to increased bleeding. Try to calm your pet. Do not panic yourself, since the owner’s nervous excitement is transmitted to the animal.

Second, to constrict the blood vessels, place a cold compress (such as an ice pack) on the back of your cat's nose and hold it with gentle pressure so as not to impede breathing.

Once the bleeding has stopped, very carefully use a paper towel and water to clean your cat's nose as much as possible.

If the bleeding does not stop, or you notice other symptoms in your pet, such as breathing problems, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Causes of nosebleeds in cats

The cat's nasal cavity is lined with mucous membrane containing blood vessels and nerves. Most often, nosebleeds are the result of injury to small vessels due to mechanical damage or inflammation of the nasal mucosa. But there may be more serious reasons.

Currently, many diseases have been identified that lead to poor blood clotting. With such diseases, other signs are usually observed (for example, the appearance of red spots on the gums and ears, pale gums, lethargy, loss of energy). Reduced blood clotting in a cat can occur due to a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood (for example, with viral leukemia, viral immunodeficiency, side effects of chemotherapy drugs and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, certain tumors, with autoimmune thrombocytopenia), or with pathologies of the blood coagulation system (for example, with DIC syndrome, liver failure, hemophilia).

• Sneezing. Inflammation (for example, as a result of a respiratory infection, runny nose) or simply irritation of the nasal mucosa can cause a cat to sneeze violently, which in turn provokes nosebleeds. Sneezing can slow down natural blood clotting.

If the bleeding is one-time, caused by a minor injury and stops quickly, then there is no reason to worry.

If the bleeding is frequent, regularly repeated, accompanied by large loss of blood, and other symptoms are present, a visit to the veterinary clinic is a must!

Diagnosis and treatment

What you should tell your doctor:

~ Is your cat currently taking medications? If yes, which ones?
~ Is there rat poison in the house? Could the cat have eaten a poisoned rodent?
~ Has she interacted with another animal? Did she go for a walk without your supervision?
~ Has the cat had any injury, fall, blow, contact with sharp-edged objects or plants with hard spines?
~ Is the cat sneezing? Rubbing his nose with his paws?
~ Has your cat vomited or had bloody stools? If so, before or after the nosebleed?
~ Was the bleeding from one nostril or both?
~ Is there blood in the cat's mouth? Are her teeth okay? Is the mucous membrane of the mouth pale or marbled in color? (you should open the cat's mouth and inspect the gums).
~ Are there any hemorrhages on the skin, swelling on the body (subcutaneous bleeding)?
~ Does your pet have breathing problems?
~ Does he have any noticeable asymmetry or deformation of his muzzle, or swelling of the bridge of his nose? Are eyeballs the same? Are your eyes watering?

The answers to these questions will help the veterinarian in clarifying the picture of the disease.

To make a diagnosis you may need:

General blood tests(with platelet count) and urine- to assess blood loss and general health, kidney function, infection or inflammation; biochemical blood test- to assess the functioning of internal organs. The rate of coagulation is also determined.

Serological tests— for detection of fungal diseases, rickettsial infections, etc.

Pressure measurement– to exclude arterial hypertension.

Chest X-ray- to exclude pulmonary hemorrhage as a result of edema or tumor.

X-ray of the nose- to evaluate the roots of teeth and nasal sinuses, to identify possible bone destruction due to a tumor, etc.

Superficial rhinoscopy– to examine the nasal cavity and remove foreign bodies if necessary.

Dental examination– to exclude tooth root abscess or other inflammations affecting the nasal sinus.

Deep endoscopic examination of the nasal passages- if it was not possible to establish a diagnosis using the above methods.

Tissue biopsy– only if indicated (for example, detection of a tumor during an X-ray examination). The prognosis of cancer depends on the type of tumor.

Surgical method- to remove a hard-to-reach foreign object or take a tissue sample. It is used only in exceptional cases, since the procedure is very traumatic and is accompanied by severe bleeding.

Some of the above diagnostic methods require the use of anesthesia(!).

Treatment is prescribed by the doctor depending on the diagnosed disease.

Unfortunately, the cat cannot say when, how or why it started bleeding.

Because nosebleeds can signal a serious problem, it is important to seek prompt medical attention.

Any bleeding in a pet causes strong emotions in owners: from anxiety to panic. Nothing human is alien to cats, and therefore they are susceptible to nosebleeds no less than people. Sometimes this is a single manifestation of some temporary disorder, sometimes it is a signal of a serious illness.

Let's figure out why a cat's nose bleeds when sneezing, and how you can help it.

Types and causes of nosebleeds

Animals can bleed from the nose with varying intensity. The more blood is released, the more dangerous the condition may be and the faster you need to provide first aid. Bleeding can vary and be manifested by the following symptoms:

• the appearance of mucus streaked with blood when sneezing (indicates a strong inflammatory process and fragility of the capillaries of the mucous membrane);
• the appearance of droplets of scarlet blood when sneezing;
• constant discharge of blood from the nose;
• a trickle of blood from one or both nostrils.

Liquid entering the nose always provokes sneezing, so with any nosebleed the animal will begin to sneeze.

The reasons why a cat sneezes blood often lie in general problems in the functioning of the body:

• blood clotting disorder: decreased platelet levels (including in autoimmune processes, feline viral immunodeficiency) or a violation of the coagulation system (for example, in case of rat poison poisoning or liver failure);
• severe increase in blood pressure (cats can suffer from hypertension just like people).

These conditions are characterized by moderate to severe nosebleeds and are excluded primarily by performing a clinical and biochemical blood test, as well as measuring blood pressure. To make a diagnosis and to exclude pulmonary hemorrhage, doctors may suggest taking an X-ray of the chest, as well as the animal’s head, and rhinoscopy.

Very often the cause is a muzzle injury. If the cat's nose and muzzle look asymmetrical, swelling of any area is observed - this may indicate a fracture of the skull bones or severe inflammation.

A foreign body can get into the nose - some plants with hard awns, such as rye and wheat, are especially dangerous. If a cat walked across a field, it can be assumed that one of these spines has penetrated the nasal passages - this can be easily detected by a doctor during rhinoscopy.

Tumors can develop throughout the respiratory tract, the existence of which the owner may not be aware of. The destruction of such a formation or its injury can cause severe bleeding due to the good blood supply to the tumors.

One of the symptoms of the development of chronic inflammation in the sinuses is the unilateral secretion of mucus mixed with blood.

First aid for a cat with a nosebleed

The release of drops, and even more so a trickle of blood, can seriously frighten the owner. What to do if your cat has a bleeding nose? First of all, put off panic. The owner's anxiety can agitate the pet, and this will lead to increased blood pressure and, as a result, increased bleeding.

Try to calm down: now the health of your beloved animal depends on your composure. Provide your pet with silence and a calm environment.

If moderate to severe nosebleeds develop, it is better to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Apply something cold to the bridge of your nose, such as an ice pack or something wrapped in a cloth from the freezer. This must be done in such a way as not to prevent the animal from breathing freely.
2. Find out where the nearest veterinary clinic equipped with a rhinoscope is located. If there is no one nearby, then go to any other one or call a veterinarian at home.
3. While you are waiting for a doctor's examination, if possible, carefully examine the animal yourself - its face and mouth. Remember what medications you gave the cat, whether there was access to the street, etc. If the animal feels unwell, has pale mucous membranes and rapid breathing, and the bleeding continues, then the clinic can see you without a queue.

If veterinary care is not available, cold treatment should be applied until the bleeding subsides. You can gently rinse your nose with aminocaproic acid - this is a hemostatic agent sold in a regular pharmacy. We talked in detail about the technique of rinsing the nose of cats in the article “What to do at home if a cat sneezes?” .

Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the exact causes at home - only a specialist can do this.

How are nosebleeds treated?

Of course, veterinarians treat the disease that caused this unpleasant symptom. Animals with infections are given antibiotics and other drugs, with hypertension, blood pressure is reduced, and in case of poisoning, toxins are removed.

If tumors are found during the study, doctors take pieces of them for analysis - they do a biopsy. Only after this can the possibility of performing operations to remove these tumors be assessed. Complex injuries and deep penetration of foreign bodies are treated surgically.

In addition to eliminating the cause, symptomatic treatment is also prescribed to reduce the likelihood of bleeding. To do this, the animal is given injections of substances that promote blood clotting (drugs such as Ditsinon and Vikasol are most often used).

We have taken a detailed look at the information that an owner needs to know about nasal bleeding in cats. We hope that knowledge and confidence in your actions will help you provide first aid to your cat if necessary.

When a cat sneezes, it is as natural as it is for people. This happens if dust or small midges get into the nasal opening, irritation of the mucous membrane occurs and the cat sneezes to get rid of this object. The reasons why a cat sneezes blood can be different: from an advanced stage of leukemia to a fungal infection and even cancer.

If your cat is sneezing and has bloody discharge from his nose

First of all, if you notice red discharge from the nose when your pet sneezes, you should not panic. Sometimes this happens if the animal's nasal capillaries are too close to the surface. And then, when excited, the pet may bleed from the nose.

After the bleeding has stopped, rinse your nose with warm water and dry with a towel, clearing the nasal passages.

If, when sneezing with blood, the bleeding does not stop, then it is possible to help the animal by placing a cold object on its back - this will serve as a signal to the capillaries, and they will narrow. Eventually the bleeding should stop.

If all these procedures do not help the animal who is sneezing, you should seek help from a veterinarian.

What to do if your pet sneezes and produces blood

If a cat is constantly sneezing blood, this is the case when you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic for examination and treatment of the cat. After all, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis if a cat develops snot and sneezing. The causes of sneezing with blood can be caused by various diseases.:

1. Damage to the nasal passages by foreign objects;
2. Injury;
3. Dental problems;
4. Oncology;
5. Hypertension;
6. Poor blood clotting;
7. Fungal infection.

If, while sniffing an object, a midge or other foreign body gets into the nasal cavity, the animal tries to get rid of it by sneezing and coughing.

Therefore, if you find bloody snot in a cat, you must:

• Immediately contact the nearest veterinary clinic. Even if there is a foreign object there, then if there is red discharge in the nozzle when the animal sneezes, this symptom means that it severely irritates the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity. The cat sneezes and produces blood; she cannot get rid of the object on her own, and her nose should be washed in the clinic with special disinfectants;
• Before contacting, it is worth observing the pet and how it sneezes in order to accurately describe to the veterinarian how the animal is sick;
• Only a doctor can make a diagnosis; you cannot rely on yourself and neighbors who do not have a medical education;
• You cannot use medications without visiting a doctor, as you can destroy your pet’s kidneys, which do not recover;
• If the foreign body is not found, the clinic should be tested for the presence of cancer.

Also, the doctor must, with the consent of the pet owner, in addition to a general blood test, do a blood test for biochemistry, measure the cat’s temperature and pressure, an X-ray of the chest and nasal passages, and examine the oral cavity and teeth.

All these analyzes and studies are done for a reason, but to establish exactly what the pet is suffering from, since he himself cannot tell us anything. And perhaps all this will save his life, because a correctly diagnosed diagnosis will help prescribe the right treatment for the pet.

Prevention

Of course, the cat must have all vaccinations against various ticks and other harmful insects. Because walking down the street and sniffing everything you can often pick up more than just fleas. From time to time it is worth examining the animal's teeth, since when you have dental disease, the nasal cavity also suffers, and as a result, blood can also be released from the nasal passages.

Vaccinations against:

• Rabies.
• Feline leukemia.
• Against various respiratory tract infections.

All these vaccinations are given when the kitten is six months old.

VETERINARIAN CONSULTATION REQUIRED. INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION ONLY. Administration

A person knows how unpleasant nosebleeds are, but they can still take some steps right away. But what should you do if your cat’s nose bleeds? You can’t explain to her that she needs to keep her head elevated for a while, and you can’t apply ice to the back of her head. And yet, where does such an unpleasant symptom come from? It is not a fact that the animal was simply injured; it may also indicate serious disorders in its body.

Causes of nosebleeds

The animal's nose has a mucous membrane that contains blood vessels and nerve endings. Most often, bleeding is caused by damage to blood vessels as a result of mechanical trauma or inflammation in the nasal cavity.

There are many causes of a cat's nosebleed.

But besides this, there may be other reasons:

• Nose injury. Injury with a sharp object (thorny plant, needle), fight with cats or dogs. Bleeding can also occur after a fall, bruise, fracture, or as a result of an accident.
• Foreign object. Nosebleeds can be caused by grain, beads, or a piece of branch getting into the nasal passage.
• Neoplasm in the nasal cavity. Tumors in the nose in cats occur mainly in adulthood. It can be recognized by the asymmetry and deformation of the nose. In addition, swelling of the affected side, different size of the eyeballs, tearing, etc. may be observed.
• Dental infection. Bleeding is often caused by the presence of infectious diseases of the teeth, since with an abscess, the root of the diseased tooth touches the nasal sinus. The inflammatory process causes dryness and bleeding of the nasal cavity.
• High blood pressure. Hypertension leads to micro-ruptures in the capillaries of the mucous membrane, which in turn provoke nosebleeds.
• Poor blood clotting. Platelets are responsible for the formation of blood clots and stopping bleeding. If there are not enough of them, the blood becomes thin, which causes nosebleeds.

There are many diseases associated with poor clotting. With such pathologies, other symptoms are observed, such as red spots located on the gums or ears, fatigue, drowsiness, and pale gums.

A cat's nose may bleed due to injury or an infectious disease.

Severe nosebleeds can be caused by poisoning with certain substances, such as warfarin, or substances that cause hemolysis.

Here are other causes of nosebleeds:

There is no cause for concern if the nosebleed is caused by a minor injury and stops quickly. But if bleeding is frequent and repeated again and again, and other symptoms are present, a mandatory consultation with a doctor is necessary.

If there is severe bleeding, the cat should be taken to the veterinarian.

What are the types of bleeding in cats: their symptoms

Nosebleeds in cats are divided into two types: acute or chronic. If the first occurs abruptly and without any symptoms, then in the second case it is systematic, appearing from time to time.

In addition, bleeding can be unilateral or bilateral. For correct diagnosis, it is important to know whether the blood is coming from one nostril or from both. Basically, unilateral bleeding means the presence of a foreign object in the nose, a tumor, or injury. Bilateral signals the presence of a disease of infectious origin.

In some cases, urgent assistance from a specialist is necessary.

Signs and symptoms accompanying bleeding in serious diseases:

• when sneezing, blood sprays from the nose as if from a spray bottle;
• swelling in the form of gumboil or periodontal disease is observed;
• in severe situations, not all the blood comes out, but the main part is swallowed, in which case the feces may be black in color, and also viscous;
• there is a metallic smell coming from the mouth:
• difficult and noisy breathing;
• loss of appetite or decreased appetite.

First aid for nosebleeds

If you notice a nosebleed in an animal, you should not panic; first of all, you need to calm down and examine your pet to understand how serious it is. The animal should not be nervous so that the pressure does not increase, which can aggravate the situation.

If your nose bleeds, apply ice to it.

If the bleeding is quite severe, you need to apply ice to your nose, then rinse it and pat dry with paper towels. If these manipulations do not help and the bleeding does not stop, or additional symptoms appear, you need to immediately consult a doctor.

Diagnosis of nosebleeds

First of all, the pet owner should tell the doctor:

• whether the animal is currently taking any medications;
• is there rat poison in the apartment, and whether the animal could have consumed a poisoned mouse or rat;
• whether the cat walked on the street without its owner and whether it could have contact with other cats;
• did the animal fall or hit any sharp corners;
• does the cat sneeze and scratch its nose with its paws?
• bleeding is one-sided or two-sided;
• are there any problems with the teeth, and is there blood in the oral cavity?
• whether he has rapid breathing;
• is there any asymmetry of the muzzle or its deformation;
• isn't it?

To make an accurate diagnosis, the veterinarian will conduct a comprehensive examination of the pet, diagnosis will be carried out by:

• general clinical blood test;
• blood clotting test;
• urine analysis;
• biopsy, cytology;
• X-ray of the nose;
• general examination of the nasal and oral cavity, as well as the throat;
• conducting tests for the presence of diseases caused by fungi;
• conducting tests for the presence of infectious diseases transmitted by ticks;
• computed tomography;
• pressure measurements.

The veterinarian will conduct several tests to find out why your nose is bleeding.

Depending on the complexity of the symptoms present, the doctor will determine which diagnostic method the animal will need. After which he will prescribe appropriate treatment that will help stop the bleeding and remove the causes that provoked it.

Cat treatment and care

Treatment begins with stopping bleeding by any means. In addition, the cat is given sedatives as it may become scared and cause more damage to the nose, which will cause more bleeding. The veterinarian will tell you how to stop the bleeding and remove its original cause during an in-person examination.

What is the main help for an animal:

• first you need to apply an ice compress;
• To narrow the peripheral vessels and stop nosebleeds, you can use adrenaline;
• if the cat does not even allow himself to be examined, the doctor may resort to anesthesia;
• in severe cases, the animal may require surgery under general anesthesia.

If bleeding occurs due to an infectious disease, you may need to take antibiotics or other antimicrobial agents. When blood flows due to diseases in the oral cavity or as a result of tumors in the nose, surgical intervention may be required. Although in some cases, chemotherapy alone can be used.

A veterinarian should treat the underlying cause of nosebleeds.

Regarding preventive measures, we can say that it is enough to just monitor timely vaccinations and add a sufficient amount of vitamins to the diet. In addition, once every three months it is necessary to take your pet to the doctor for preventive purposes so that he can promptly identify a pathology that threatens the animal’s life.