Cat Nose Bleed Causes

Cat nose bleeds, also known as epistaxis, are not very common in cats but can signal a troubling problem when they do occur. Because bleeding from the nose is so rare, it tends to alarm most cat owners into thinking that there is something drastically wrong. However, by being informed of the causes of cat nose bleeds, it can help to put you at ease and seek the appropriate medical treatment.

Dental Infections

The nose may not seem like a valid place for an infection to take place in a cat, but it is, and infections can occur there. Most commonly infections of the nose stem from dental infections.

Dental infections are extremely harmful to not only the teeth, but they can become so extreme that they actually penetrate below the cavity of the teeth and down into the roots. When this happens, the infection will continue to grow and will be looking for an outlet for the build up of pressure. Because the nose is relatively close in proximity to the mouth, it is an easy target for the spread of dental infection.

A cat's nose is very sensitive and an infection can only magnify that. The most common sign of infection in the nose is bleeding. The infection will interfere with the normal ability of the mucous in the nose to keep it moist and secreted. When the mucous is depleted, it can cause the nose to become very dry and to bleed.

Traumatic Collision

A traumatic collision or accident is a very good way to get the nose to bleed. Trauma can occur from car accidents, playing too rough, running into a wall or even accidentally dropping something on your cat.

When the nose is hit with extreme force, the blood vessels, or capillaries, inside the nasal passage actually burst from the impact. When this happens, you will see that your cat's nose is bleeding.

In most cases, as long as the trauma isn't too severe, the bleeding should stop on its own. However, if the trauma is extreme, you should always make sure that you seek medical attention for your cat.

Parasitic Infections

Another thing that will cause your cat's nose to bleed is the infection and infestation of parasites. This does not mean that the parasites will actually be present in the nasal canal and causing it to bleed.

When your cat has parasites, like fleas and ticks, it can cause him to loose a lot of blood, because he is feeding those parasites. However, when fleas and ticks begin feeding on your cat, they actually alter the platelet count and consistency of the blood. The platelets are what are responsible for allowing your cat's blood to clot, to protect from bleeding to death in cases of extreme blood loss.

When the infection of parasites is so severe, the platelet count can be altered and is not sufficient to clot the blood. If this happens, you will see regular nose bleeds in your cat because the blood has become thinned out and is not clotting as it should be. This can be a dangerous situation, because too much blood lose can cause coma and death.

 

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