My cat is bleeding from the nose, what do I do?

In this Blog article we are going to deal with one of the emergencies that we can find as cat keepers. This is nosebleed, also known as epistaxis. There are several causes that can cause injuries to the nasal area to the point of causing bleeding. Although most will be minor problems, we must know in which cases a visit to the veterinarian is essential due to the seriousness of the condition and the consequent risk to the life of the cat. So, we will see, what to do if a cat bleeds from thenose.

Nasal epistaxis in cats

As we have said, epistaxis consists of the loss of blood through the nose. In cats we can find that this bleeding comes from the outside of the nose, since it is not strange that, among congeners, they scratch each other due to play or fights. This last point will be more frequent in cats with access to the outside, especially if they are unneutered males who tend to fight over territorial issues and access to females in heat.

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Therefore, if our cat bleeds from the nose, from the outside, what to do? In these cases, castration of the cat and control, or even restriction, of access to the outside is recommended. Although these external wounds are not serious, repeated fights can cause serious injuries and transmit diseases for which there is no cure, such as immunodeficiency or feline leukemia . In addition, we must control that these wounds heal well, since, due to the characteristics of the skin of cats, they can close falsely and end up developing an infection that will require veterinary treatment. If it is about superficial wounds, it is normal that in a short time they stop bleeding and that we only see that our cat has dried blood in the nose. We can disinfect them, for example, with chlorhexidine.

We will see some common causes of epistaxis in cats in the following sections.

Why is my cat bleeding from the nose?

The most common cause of nosebleeds may be sneezing. That our cat sneezes and bleeds from the nose can be explained by the presence of a foreign body inside. In these cases we will see a sudden access of sneezing and the cat may rub its nose with its paws or against some object to try to get rid of the discomfort. Unless we see the object appear, we must go to our veterinarian to remove it if the picture does not go away.

The bleeding is explained by the breakage of a vessel or by injuries caused by the foreign body. This bleeding usually consists of a few droplets that we will see splashed on the floor and walls. For this same reason, we can see that a cat has bloody mucus, which also happens in bacterial or fungal infections that become chronic. If our cat bleeds from the nose in these circumstances, what do we do? We must visit our veterinarian to prescribe an appropriate treatment. Curing the infection, he will stop bleeding from the nose.

 

When is nosebleed in cats serious?

There are situations of nasal bleeding in which we cannot wait for it to subside on its own, because, even if it is the only symptom that we observe, our cat needs a complete veterinary evaluation to rule out more serious damage. These situations would be the following:

• Injuries: in these cases, the cat bleeds from the nose due to a blow, such as that received by a car or, very frequently, by falling from a height. The vet needs to find out where the bleeding is coming from.
• Poisoning : the ingestion of some toxins can cause nose, anal or mouth bleeding . It is a veterinary emergency since the life of the cat is at risk.
• DIC: is disseminated intravascular coagulation that occurs in severe cases of different disorders, such as heat stroke or a viral infection. It is difficult to reverse it, so it is an emergency that requires immediate veterinary assistance. Epistaxis in cats can also appear in other coagulation problems.
• Tumors: a rapid veterinary diagnosis is required, as their prognosis can improve if we detect them in the early stages.

Therefore, in these cases, if our cat bleeds from the nose, what do we do? Go immediately to a veterinary center.

What to do when a cat bleeds from the nose?

In addition to the particularities that we have mentioned, if our cat bleeds from the nose, we can follow the following advice:

• The most important thing is tranquility, keep calm so that the cat does not get nervous.
• It may be necessary to confine him in a small space, such as the bathroom or, if we see him very nervous to the point of being able to cause more damage, we may have to put him in his carrier.
• The Elizabethan collar can also help us prevent the animal from scratching and, therefore, causing more injuries.
• We must find where the bleeding comes from.
• Although in cats it is difficult due to the size of their nose, we can try to apply cold to the area. If we use ice, it should always be wrapped in a cloth. The goal is for the cold to produce vasoconstriction so that the bleeding subsides.
• If we observe the bleeding point, we can press it constantly with a gauze pad.
• In case of wounds in the nose that cause bleeding, we must clean and disinfect them.
• If the bleeding does not subside, we do not know the cause or it is one of those that we have considered serious, we must immediately go to our reference veterinary center.