You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Nose bleeds (also called epistaxis) are seen in both cats and dogs from time to time.

Bleeding from the nose can be quite a frightening experience because the blood is often bright red (being well oxygenated) and of course the animal may sneeze forcefully spraying blood everywhere!

There are many causes of nose bleeds, including the following alphabetical list :

• Allergy
• Blood clotting defects (thrombocytopenia)
• Foreign materials up the nose eg grass awns
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Infections - rhinitis, aspergillosis
• Parasites (not in the UK)
• Tooth disease
• Trauma
• Tumours
• Vasculitis

Fortunately most of the causes of nose bleeds are not serious, but an accurate diagnosis is needed and that might require XRays, advanced imaging (CT;MRI) blood tests and other diagnostic tests. Your veterinarian will advise you about the most appropriate tests to perform if your pet develops nose bleeds.

Updated October 2013