In this article we are going to discuss one of the emergencies that we can find as cat sitters. Its about nasal bleeding, also known as epistaxis. There are several causes that can cause injuries in the nasal area to the point of causing a haemorrhage. 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 picture and the consequent risk to the life of the cat. So, we’ll see, what to do if a cat is bleeding from the nose.

Nasal epistaxis in cats

As we have said, epistaxis consists of blood loss 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, be scratched by game or fights. This last point will be more frequent in cats with access to the outside, especially if they are uncastrated males that tend to fight over territorial issues and access to females in heat.

Therefore, if our cat is bleeding from the nose, from the outside, what to do? In these cases the recommended castration of the cat and the control, or even the restriction, of access to the outside. Although these external wounds are not serious, repeated fights can cause significant 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, because, by the characteristics of the skin of cats, they can close in false and end up developing an infection that will require veterinary treatment. If it is superficial wounds it is normal that in a short time they stop bleeding and that we see only that our cat has dry 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 does my cat bleed through my nose?

Sneezing may be the cause of nosebleed that we encounter most often. That our cat sneezes and blood through the nose can be explained by the presence of a strange body inside. In these cases we will see a sudden sneeze access and the cat may rub its nose with its legs or against some object to try to get rid of the discomfort. Unless we see the object poke, we must go to our veterinarian to extract it if the box does not return.

The bleeding is explained for the breakage of some vessel or for injuries caused by the foreign body. This bleeding usually consists of droplets that we will see sprinkled by soil and walls. For this same reason, we can see that a cat has snot with blood, which happens also in bacterial or fungal infections that are chronicled. If our cat bleeds through the nose in these circumstances, what do we do? We must visit our veterinarian to prescribe an appropriate treatment. Curing the infection, it will stop bleeding from the nose.

When is nasal bleeding in cats severe?

There are situations of nasal bleeding in which we can not wait for it to be sent alone, because, even though it is the only symptom we observe, our cat needs a complete veterinary assessment to rule out more serious damage. These situations would be the following:

• Trauma: in these cases the cat is bleeding from the nose by a blow, as it can be the one received by a car or, very frequently, by the fall from a height. The veterinarian should find out where the bleeding is coming from.
• Poisoning: the intake of some toxins can produce nose, anal or oral bleeding. It is a veterinary emergency because the life of the cat is at risk.
• CID: is the disseminated intravascular coagulation which occurs in severe conditions of different alterations, such as heat stroke or 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 quick veterinary diagnosis is required, because its prognosis can improve if we detect them in the initial phases.

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

What to do when a cat bleeds through the nose?

In addition to the particularities that we have commented, if our cat bleeds through the nose we can follow the following tips:

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

This article is merely informative, in .com we do not have the faculty to prescribe veterinary treatments or make any kind of diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian in case of any type of condition or discomfort.

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