The sight of your cat sneezing blood can be alarming to say the least. Some of the causes of a cat sneezing blood can be serious, while others are easily treated. Many different things can lead to a cat sneezing blood from her nose.
First, why is your cat sneezing blood?
“Epistaxis (bloody nose) can be caused by trauma (injury), foreign body, chronic and/or forceful sneezing, high blood pressure, blood clotting disorders (including liver disease and rodenticide toxicity), fungal infections and even cancer,” says Aimee Simpson, VMD, medical director of VCA Cat Hospital of Philadelphia. Certain viral infections can also cause a cat to sneeze blood.
What to do about a cat sneezing blood
If you notice your cat sneezing blood, get her to a veterinarian right away. Some of the causes of a cat sneezing blood, like a foreign object stuck in the nasal cavity, can be painful or uncomfortable. And some things that cause a bloody nose in cats, like rodenticide poisoning, can be deadly if not treated quickly.
If your cat is bleeding profusely from the nose, try to keep her calm and, if she will allow, gently hold an ice pack against her nose to try to slow the bleeding. If your attempts to use an ice pack cause her to become stressed and struggle, skip the ice pack and just get straight to the vet.
Diagnosing a cat who’s sneezing blood
Your vet will do a complete physical exam and ask you a lot of questions about your cat’s lifestyle, how long you have been seeing symptoms, and whether your cat could have gotten into something toxic like rat poison (this includes catching and eating a rodent that had eaten poison), pesticides or certain medications. Finally, the vet will likely run some tests to try to narrow down the cause of the bleeding.
“A blood-pressure screen can quickly rule out hypertension,” Dr. Simpson says. “Blood work should include a chemistry screen, complete blood cell count (CBC) and coagulation (clotting) profile. FeLV/FIV testing and a Cryptococcus (fungal) titer may also be recommended. To rule out cancer, imaging of the nasal passages with radiographs (x-rays), CT scan or rhinoscopy can be done and biopsies can be taken.”
Treatment for a cat sneezing blood
The treatment for a cat sneezing blood depends on the cause of the bleeding. The most important thing to keep in mind if you ever see your cat sneezing blood is don’t take a wait-and-see attitude. Always get your cat to a veterinary clinic or emergency hospital as quickly as possible in case the root cause of the bleeding is something that requires urgent medical treatment.
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10 thoughts on “Is Your Cat Sneezing Blood? What Could It Be?”
Hi, I need some help. I have a female cat named Amber. Amber, used to be a stray cat until my mom found her. (I’m 10) I am the “Mother” of Amber and I really love her, but recently she has been sneezing and snotting a lot. It used to be normal snot but then it slowly changed into bloody snot. The problem is, I have to use my own money to take her to the vet. I have to pay least half of the bill. But, since I can’t right now, what should I do for her? I’d appreciate any small advice. Thank you!
hi! my cat has been sneezing a lot. She has been sneezing since she was a kitten. we took her to a vet and gave her medication but she never stop sneezing. so another vet told us that it could be sinus. She’s 6 years old. Tonight, when i wanted to put her back into the cage, i realized that the floor had blood splatter (tiny droplets). and it came from her sneeze. I have no idea what to do, since it’s the first time i encountered it.
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I’ve got a very old female cat 18 years and lately she has started to sneeze. One side of her nose gets blocked. I try and keep it clean but yesterday their was a little blood in her bed where she was sneezing I’m worried. I also noticed that she hasn’t little odor from her would that because she’s very old.
Hi Sandra,
Sorry that you’re experiencing this. We suggest reaching out to a vet. Hope your kitty feels better.
My cat was sneezing a lot, I thought he had a cold, then last night I noticed just a little bit of blood.. I’m very worried, he’s an indoor cat, and I have 3 others, hasn’t been exposed to any poison.. He’s only 4 yrs old
Hi there Debbie,
Thanks for reaching out! We suggest taking your cat to the vet to be examined by a professional.
My daughter found the kitten at school she brought it home it was ok for about 2 weeks then it start to sneez more and more we have 2 cats that we adopted and 2 moths ago a pit bull we can’t afford to take it to the vet and we don’t want us are the other pets to get sick what should we do
Hi there Toni,
Thanks for commenting! Here are some articles with more information on cat sneezing and what to do:
Additionally, here are some articles that provide helpful information on how to afford proper veterinary care for your animals:
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