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If your cat sneezes blood, you may well be worried about them. Cats can sneeze blood for many reasons: nasal foreign bodies, bacterial or fungal infections, allergies, dental problems and tumors amongst others. Even if some causes are less complex than others, it is recommended to contact a veterinarian and schedule an evaluation with urgency.
In this article, learn why cats sometimes sneeze blood, other signs to look out for, and what you can do.
What Causes Cats to Sneeze Blood?
The reasons that cats can sneeze blood are multiple, some easier to treat than others. These may include:
- Dental problems
- Trauma to the head or face
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Foreign objects in the nasal passages
- Infection (fungal, bacterial, or viral)
- Blood clotting disorders
- Allergies
- Tumors or polyps
Sneezing blood or a nosebleed is a reason to book an urgent veterinary check-up. Many of the causes of sneezing blood cause discomfort and several of them need urgent attention.
What to Do If Your Cat Sneezes Blood
There is a considerable range in severity when it comes to sneezing blood. If your cat sneezes once or twice and there are just a few fine spots of blood on the floor, there is likely no need for panic. If your cat seems in distress, has other signs of illness, or a nosebleed is showing no sign of stopping, then you should contact your emergency care veterinarian.
Depending on the situation here are a few first aid tricks that you can try at home.
- Keep yourself and your cat calm as far as possible. Stress and anxiety will increase heart rate and therefore can worsen the bleeding. Make the room calm, comfortable and quiet. Remove other pets or children from the room.
- For nose bleeds (epistaxis), you can try to stop the bleeding by applying a cold compress or ice pack (wrapped in a kitchen towel) to the bridge of your cat’s nose. If your cat won’t keep still or is struggling, skip this step as the stress will be counter productive. Ensure your cat can breathe easily and that you are not blocking their nostrils with the cold pack. Usually blood clotting will occur within a few minutes.
- Check for any obvious injuries or foreign bodies if you are able to do so safely. If your cat has a nose that is crusted up with mucus you can gently clean this away with a warm wet cloth.
- Do not try to administer any kind of medicine without talking to the veterinarian first.
Other Signs of Illnesses That Can Cause Sneezing Blood
There are different signs that may occur in addition to sneezing blood, depending on the underlying problem and these may include:
- Yellow-green or clear discharge from one or both nostrils
- Coughing
- Watery eyes
- Breathing with difficulty
- Bad breath
- Difficulty eating
- Reduced appetite
- Weight loss
- Nervous system signs such as seizure or tremor
- Pale gums or visible bruising
- Injuries
Diagnosing and Treating a Cat That Is Sneezing Blood
To diagnose your pet, your vet will ask several questions about your cat’s medical and lifestyle history. This helps establish a background to start narrowing the list of potential diagnoses. For example:
- Is your cat vaccinated?
- Are there other cats/pets in the household?
- Have they had access to rat poison?
- Does your cat go outside?
- Could they have been in a road traffic accident?
After these queries, the vet will perform a general physical examination and may recommend diagnostic tests, such as bloodwork, examination of the nasal passages and airways, x-rays and virus status testing (e.g., FeLV/FIV testing).
- Surgical interventions (removal of a foreign object, removal of a tumor)
- Dental procedures
- Medication (antibiotic, antifungals, anti-inflammatory, etc.)
- Vitamin K treatment for rat poisoning
The sooner the vet intervenes, the better the prognosis can be.
Conclusion
Sneezing blood in cats can occur for many reasons, some minor, some more serious. In addition to sneezing blood, you may notice other signs such as injuries, lack of appetite, weight loss, discharge from the nose, watery eyes, pale or bruised gums, breathing difficulties, or nervous system signs, which are important to tell your vet about.
If your cat sneezes blood and especially if they show additional signs of illness, take them to the vet as soon as possible. Following a physical examination and additional testing (blood tests, X-rays, endoscopy) the veterinarian will be able to determine the underlying cause of the bloody sneeze and administer the appropriate treatment.
Featured Image Credit: Kamil Zajaczkowski, Shutterstock