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If you are faced with a dog nose bleed you want to act immediately. Do not assume it was caused by a knock of some sort. There are other more serious reasons why.

Causes: Foreign material in nose, Haemophilia, Ratsak poisoning, Ruptured nasal tumors, Car Accident or direct injury.

Foreign Matter

Material in the nose automatically stimulates sneezing. Excessive sneezing and irritation will cause bleeding. It can be caused by a grass seed, a blade of grass or an insect or anything that the dog sniffs. Allow a short time to see if the bleeding settles before going to the vet. Once the nose has started to bleed then the seed is well and truly embedded in the nose causing a lot of irritation and bleeding.

The vet may give the dog a general anaesthetic and examine the nasal cavity, soft palate and throat regions for a grass seed or any foreign matter and remove it. In the nasal cavity it is very difficult as the bleeding obscures the view and the sneezing sensation remains until the dog is fully anesthetized. The effect of tranquilizers and anesthetics calm the sneezing and allow the seed to pass through the passages and eventually be swallowed in some cases. Others can lodge in a crypt or just in the soft palate area and start up an infection. Once the irritation has passed the bleeding eases. Antibiotics may be given to prevent infection and antihistamines for the irritation.

Haemophilia

Blood clotting disorders and diseases usually show up first as anemia, nose bleeding and gum bleeding. If any of these are apparent with your dog then a veterinary examination is needed. The vet will probably recommend blood tests to identify the problem and a course of vitamin K. Supportive treatment e.g: giving blood and fluids to the dog may also be necessary.

Ratsak Poisoning

This is very similar to HAEMOPHILIA, as Ratsak is an anti coagulant designed to kill rodents. Fortunately it is treatable in the dog or cat but can still be fatal if left untreated. Veterinary treatment / consultation is needed as in haemophilia. Nose bleeding in your dog can have fatal consequences.

Tumors

As tumors grow they cause more and more irritation to the breathing passages and this can start a sneezing spasm. Eventually it will become partly blocked causing a snoring or snorting noise. Occasional bleeding may occur as the irritation and blockage gets worse. Veterinary examination is necessary to alleviate the dog nose bleed. Surgery may be possible.

Car Accidents/ Injuries

Physical nasal damage will obviously cause your dog bleeding from nose. Let the dog settle down outside in the yard in a cool comfortable place and observe the bleeding. It takes time to stop so be patient. Do not excite the dog, let it settle. If the bleeding is not easing then transport the dog to the vet. Use a wad of material (cotton cloth) and hold around the dog’s nose when transporting to the vet.

Finally, a dog nose bleed can have catastrophic results. Please take action if your dog shows any signs of trauma.