Blood which comes out of your pet’s nose, genital, anus, or any body part is called bleeding. It could either be caused by an external problem like traumatic injury, or internal problems such as having cancer or having low platelets.
If your pet is anemic in its Complete Blood Count (CBC) despite not having any external injury, this could be caused by infections such dog blood parasitism and cat viral infection. If you want to check if your pet is anemic, lift the cheek and see the color of the gums. It should be pink in most breeds of dogs and cats. If it is pale or white in color, this is considered an urgent case.
If your pet excessively and uncontrollably bleeding from its nose, genital or anus, it needs immediate veterinary attention.
CAUSES OF BLEEDING
Infections – blood parasitism in dogs, Canine Distemper virus, FIV/FeLV in cats, pyometra in female dogs and cats
Poisoning – Warfarin or rat poison (never use rat poison at home)
Inflammation – Liver, bone marrow, immune-mediated
Inborn – von Willebrand disease (should appear when pet is young)
Vitamin K deficiency
WHY YOU NEED TO BRING YOUR PET TO THE VET
If the bleeding is spontaneous and excessive, time is of the essence. Immediately bring your companion animal to the vet.
Your vet should recommend a physical exam, complete blood count (CBC), biochemistry profile, urinalysis, abdominal x-ray with or without ultrasound, IDEXX Snap4DX test (dog blood parasites test) and Leptospirosis test in dogs.
WHEN YOU CAN’T FIND A VET AT THIS TIME
For Nose Bleeding
Bring pet to a cool and quiet place. Place on top of multiple rags to absorb blood. Prepare a cold compress (a fistful of ice in plastic, wrapped in a towel) and apply upon the nose. Lightly press upon the different sides of the nose and head. DO NOT REMOVE THE BLOOD CLOT. This will only restart the bleeding process. Your dog may sneeze from time to time and you may be soaked in blood. Do not panic in front of your pet as it will recognize your emotion and it will be further stressed.
Your pet may also reject this first aid, but you should give it a reassuring and soothing voice to calm it down.
Bleeding should be controlled in an hour. If not, rush to your nearest vet.
For Female Genital Bleeding
If your pet is around 6-12 months old, ensure that this is not its heat period. If you do not like the sight of blood, you may attach a pet diaper. This will go on for 1 to 2 weeks.
If your pet is bleeding from its genital (vulva) and it is not yet its period, it should raise an alarm. Check the discharge. If it has mucus, greenish to whitish pus and a foul odor, there is no first aid for this. Rush to your vet to confirm if it is pyometra (pus in the uterus), especially if your pet just had its period a month ago.
For Traumatic Injury or Accident
If your pet got in an accident and acquired a deep wound, it will bleed a lot. To check whether it has lost a lot of bleed, the gum color should be white.
Ensure that your pet is not in pain, and you are both in a cool and quiet room. If it allows you, apply pressure upon the wound using a clean cloth. Calm down your pet using a soothing voice. The bleeding should subside in 15 minutes. If it does not, use a Styptic Powder and sprinkle upon the wound. Return the clean cloth pressure.
Once the bleeding stops, gently inspect the area and take a photograph for reference. Apply Povidone – Iodine (Betadine) through a cotton bud or ball. When possible, gently trim the hair around the area. This is for the adhesion of a medical tape. Brush off the hair. Use a gauze to cover the area, and stick to the skin using a medical tape. Replace daily for at least 7 days.
Put an Elizabethan collar to prevent wound licking. Healing wounds are very itchy.
If the bleeding persists and your pet weakens, rush to your nearest vet.
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