Dog nose bleeds may be caused by several factors including a direct injury, an accident, a material that got stuck in the nose, toxicity, tumors or a blood clotting disorder. A nose bleed requires immediate help. It is important to know what causes the bleeding, so that appropriate treatment is applied.
Stopping the Nose Bleed
A nose bleed is easy to spot; you will notice the drops on the floor or furniture. However, the dog may also display other symptoms.
When applying immediate help, you need to pay attention not to block all the breathing passages of the dog.
The first thing you need to do is to keep calm and calm your pet as well. If the pet is calm, his blood pressure will drop; an increased blood pressure can amplify the bleeding and this will only complicate the problem.
Get an ice pack and apply it on the bridge of the dog’s nose. Make sure the nostrils are not covered, so that the dog can breathe normally. Meanwhile, try to open your dog’s mouth. Use slow movements and don’t allow your dog to detect that you are agitated. Make sure that the dog doesn’t bite you, as he may do so, being confused.
If you detect any blood in the mouth, you need to rush to the vet, as your dog may lose a lot of blood. If the dog has pale gums, this is another symptom that should worry you.
If there are no other disturbing symptoms, you can stop the bleeding at home. The ice pack should be kept for 3 to 5 minutes and the bleed should stop.
Stopping the nose bleed is easy; detecting the cause is more difficult.
Causes of Nose Bleed
It is important to detect the cause of the nose bleed, to be able to determine if the dog needs treatment. Notice if the dog bleeds from one or both nostrils.
The nose bleed may be caused by an injury (due to a fight or trauma) or if the dog has a foreign object in his nasal cavity. If there is a foreign object, the dog may also sneeze; the foreign object may be a grass seed, an insect, a paper clip, a bead, or whatever may have got stuck in your pet’s nose. The dog will only bleed from one nostril.
Other possible causes of a nose bleed include:
- Poisoning; if the dog ingests rat poison, this is an anti coagulant; the condition must be treated with blood and fluid therapy; if left untreated, the condition is fatal
- Ruptured tumors or cysts in the nasal cavity may also cause nose bleeding; the dog may also sneeze and make a snoring noise; the tumors and cysts should be removed with surgery
- Haemophilia is a blood clotting disorder; in addition to the nose bleed, the dog will also have bleeding gums
- Injuries/ accidents may also be the cause of nose bleeds in your pet; you need to get to the vet; meanwhile, you should get ice packs and gauze to press against the bleeding nostril.