My cat has a bloody nose. What is the cause and treatment?

Original Question: Do cats have nosebleeds? Blood was expelled after sneezing twice. - Sandra

Dec 27, 2018

Hi Sandra,

Thanks for your question.

This is called epistaxis and without other information I can only talk about this clinical symptom in a general way as it would apply to any cat. The very quick, simple and absolutely best answer is to see your veterinarian for a consultation and physical examination.

There are many conditions that can cause this and some can be serious.

The possibilities include trauma, bacterial infection, viral infection, cancer, lodged foreign material, tooth abscess, bleeding/clotting disorders along with others. Some of these possibilities are quite serious however I would mention that nosebleeds in cats don’t often indicate some of the more serious conditions. Regardless, all of these possibilities need to be considered.

The typical diagnostic tests I would initially perform would be a urinalysis, thorough general blood work, a coagulation profile, X-rays and a really thorough exam of the nostrils with a high-powered light and the oral cavity. Keep in mind that this is a challenging area to investigate as it is encased in bone, down a hole and could be within the skull to a degree. Some of these conditions are often evaluated with the use of a CT scan, which is done at specialty centres and can be quite expensive.

My hope is that it is one of the simple conditions that is easily confirmed and treated.