# Nose bleeds



## FeaRx (Jul 24, 2005)

I have a 4yr old GSD named Max. Recently, Max started to have nosebleeds from his right nostril. To this date, he's only had 2 nosebleeds. The first one was a few weeks ago -- He had thrown up from drinking too fast, so I was using a pet deodorizer, and Max sneezed and started dripping blood from his nose. I figured, maybe he breathed in the spray and it irritated his nose. Then, just last night, I was petting him, when all of a sudden he sneezed and I noticed blood coming from his nose again.

The nose bleeds seem to only last about 5mins and hes calm throughout the duration. This whole thing just caught me off guard, so I just used wet paper towels as a compress to stop the bleeding. I plan to make an apt with our vet on Monday, but I was just wondering if anyone has any insight on this? I started doing google searches and was getting worried, because a lot of results came back as nasal tumors and whatnot. 

Thanks for any info you guys can shed on this situation.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

There are a lot of blood vessels in the nasal passage. He might have a weak one that when he sneezes it bleeds. There are a few other things that will cause nose bleeds, like tumors or an infection deep in the nasal passage or nasal cavities.

The first and only time I saw blood coming out of Lakota's nose, I got concerned. I have been around dogs my entire life and not until then had I seen blood coming out of a dogs nose that wasn't injured in some way.

You might want to go to the Vet and talk with him/her to see what they think.

I took my guy in and the vet did a quick look up the nose, but wanted to get a better idea of what was going on so we had a game plan. X-rays first to look for tumors or growths, if none then he would have a Rhinoscope and possible flush. The flush got out a lot of blood and gunk, she sent some gunk off for culturing and sensitivity tests. My guy had a Staph infection in his nasal passage and cavities.

Val


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## LadyHawk (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow Val- it's a good thing you took him to get a check up!


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

I just didn't feel comfortable with him laying there and blood coming out of his nose. It was a long haul on Antibioitics on that Staph infection. 

My first GSD would go out in our old barn sniffing around and get sneezing fits and end up with a pinched nerve in his neck.

Val


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Tick diseases (particularly Ehrlichia/Anaplasmosa) should be ruled out when there are nosebleeds.


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## SammySable (Sep 1, 2015)

My Sammy, 8 years old, developed a nose bleed without warning. To our regular vet twice without success. Emergency visit South Paws. All tests negative. Waited for lab work this week. Bleed has slowed down, but not stopped.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

SammySable said:


> My Sammy, 8 years old, developed a nose bleed without warning. To our regular vet twice without success. Emergency visit South Paws. All tests negative. Waited for lab work this week. Bleed has slowed down, but not stopped.


Hi SammySable and Welcome!:welcome:

This is an old thread from 2008.
I think you may get more of a response if you begin a new thread of your own.

I'm sorry your boy is having nose bleeds! I've never experienced this with my dogs but it must be very scary for you!

I don't know if you've researched but this is from the VAC hospitals:
*How is it diagnosed?*
First, your veterinarian will require a thorough medical history from you. Useful information includes:


Has your pet taken any medication in the past thirty days? Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), especially aspirin, can inactivate blood-clotting factors leading to spontaneous bleeding. Be sure to record all medications and supplements your dog has received.
Have you used rat poison or other pesticides in your home or yard?
Has your pet eaten or killed any rodents in the past two to three weeks?
Has there been any trauma to the nose?
Has your dog played roughly with another animal?
Is your pet exposed to foxtails, grass awns or other seed heads that could become lodged in the nose?
Has your pet been sneezing or rubbing at its nose?
Have you seen any blood in the mouth or along the gums?
Have you noticed a black tarry stool?
Have you noticed any dark, "coffee-ground" vomit?
Have you seen any unusual bruising or darkened areas of skin?
Have you noticed any new swelling, lumps or masses?
 After the medical history has been evaluated, your veterinarian will perform a physical examination. Specific abnormalities that your veterinarian will look for include:


any deformity or asymmetry of your pet's face
any swelling of the bridge of the nose swollen
elevation of the third eyelids
bulging or protruding of one eye when compared to the other.
excessive tearing of either eye
redness of the eyes
the appearance of the skin around the nose
the color of the gums, especially whether they seem pale
 *What sort of tests may be needed?*
Based on the exam findings, your veterinarian may recommend one or more of the following tests:


Complete blood cell count (CBC) - to search for anemia (low red blood cell count - indicates blood loss) and to measure platelets (cells that are necessary for proper clotting)
Serum biochemistry - blood tests to assess organ function, searching for evidence of damage to the liver or kidneys from toxins or for other underlying diseases that may cause bleeding
Urinalysis - to look for blood in the urine and other abnormalities
Clotting tests - a series of tests that assess the function of the various clotting mechanisms in the blood.
Radiographs - may be performed to look for evidence of bleeding inside the body or other abnormalities that may result in epistaxis - the chest, skull and oral cavity are often radiographed in cases of epistaxis
Blood pressure - high blood pressure can cause nosebleeds
Nasal swab - culture and antibiotic sensitivity tests to identify any infectious agents
Fungal cultures
 More specific tests may be performed based on your pet's initial findings and condition. Examples of additional tests include bone marrow analysis, Ehrlichia antibody tests, tick disease tests, sinus and skull x-rays, MRI and rhinoscopy (viewing the nasal cavities with a small endoscope).
*What causes epistaxis?*
While there are many causes of epistaxis in dogs, the most common causes are _trauma_ and _infection_. Other more serious conditions that can cause epistaxis include:


Rodenticide or rat poisoning
Von Willebrand's disease (vWD)
Hemophilia
Liver failure
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
 

Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia
Bone marrow disease 
Drug reactions (methimazole, chemotherapy drugs, estrogens, sulfa class antibiotics) 
Ehrlichiosis - tick-borne disease
Rocky Mountain spotted fever - tick-borne disease
Hemangiosarcoma 
Other cancers, especially of the nasal passages and skull
Fungal diseases
 Let us know what happens and please post a picture of your boy!

Moms


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## SammySable (Sep 1, 2015)

Thank you for your note. Yes, full blood work at normal vet all negative. Bleeding continued. To South Paws Animal Hospital. Nose scoped, nothing found. Some tests pending from samples taken inside his nose. Follow up with South Paws on 4 Sep 15.


Momto2GSDs said:


> Hi SammySable and Welcome!:welcome:
> 
> This is an old thread from 2008.
> I think you may get more of a response if you begin a new thread of your own.
> ...


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

SammySable said:


> Thank you for your note. Yes, full blood work at normal vet all negative. Bleeding continued. To South Paws Animal Hospital. Nose scoped, nothing found. Some tests pending from samples taken inside his nose. Follow up with South Paws on 4 Sep 15.


Finger's crossed for you and the Fur Baby!:fingerscrossed:

Moms


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## SammySable (Sep 1, 2015)

*Nose Bleed*

Thank you for kind comments. Biopsy initial results had South Paws say negative on cancer finding. Further biopsy type tests to determine fungal or viral infection. Nose bleed has subsided substantially, but not gone yet. Doctors continuing meds for another two weeks.


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## jwmedic (Nov 16, 2013)

I'm so sorry to hear about Sammy's nosebleed. I hope your vet is able to figure out the cause and successfully treat him. 

My GSD mix, Hunter, had extreme nasal congestion and eventually developed nasal bleeding (initially on one side but then in both nostrils) 2 years ago. It took 2-3 months and numerous tests to get an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment which was very frustrating. Hunter had a relatively rare fungal infection called Conidiobolus which was treatable with high dose oral antifungal medication. 

I dont know if Sammy has any other symptoms (noisy breathing) but thought I'd chime in just in case. Fungal infections can be extremely difficult to diagnose and treat. I've posted several times in the past regarding Hunter's nasal infection (probably could search "epitaxis", "conidiobolus", and or "Dr. Grooters" if you want more info or contact me directly.

Please keep us posted.

Jill W


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## barnyard (Jun 21, 2012)

One of my shepherds had nosebleeds also. It turned out to be a fungal infection called aspergillosis. The scope didn't catch it, it was diagnosed by blood work initially. Hope your pup is doing ok.


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