Dog with a nosebleed?

[Razaiel]

My dog (Jap Spitz aged 10) had a nosebleed today - not sure how long it lasted but he made a bit of a mess. I didn't think that much of it at the time (humans have them all the time), just held a cold damp tissue to his nose and it seemed to stop - made a mental note to self to check Google later. Checked google and scared myself with stories of dogs with tumors and all sorts of maladies related to sign of nosebleeds (one page said if dog has nosebleed see vet same day). I then went to look at dog again (this is about 2-3 hours later) and the same nostril was bleeding again.

I'm going to take him to vet first thing in the morning and hope it's just nothing or some foreign object stuck in his nose or something - I just wondered if anybody else has had this with their dog? I'd never heard of a dog with a nosebleed before ...

[JLC]

I've never heard of that either, but it sounds worthy of a trip to the vet as soon as possible. I hope it turns out to be something simple and easily treated!

[tigerlily]

When I read the title, that was immediately what popped into my head. I definitely agree that a vet trip is in order, especially with it being an older dog. I will keep my fingers crossed for you that he stabbed himself in the nose with a stick or something. Let us know how things go.

[SatanicIntention]

Sometimes nosebleeds are spontaneous and will resolve themselves without complication. True, it can be a pre-existing condition such as a cancerous growth in the nose or another problem, but being that it is allergy season and is very hot outside, and also that he is an older dog, nosebleeds are alot more common than you think.

Placing an ice pak on the dog's muzzle(not on the nose itself, but the nasal bone in front of the eyes) helps and that is all the vet would do anyway. It's always a good idea to get a radiograph of the dog's skull and nasal passages just to make sure there aren't any growths or abnormalities that may predispose him to nosebleeds.

[Razaiel]

Thank you for your replies - I just didn't think nosebleeds in dogs were that common but was hoping they were more common than I think. It is funny weather here in the UK at the moment - it has been very hot suddenly for the last week or two and yesterday there were loads of things floating about on the wind - so I'm hoping it's nothing. I'm still going to vet though to take him in today and get him checked out. Better safe than sorry.

He certainly doesn't seem unwell - he's up and about to see what I'm doing in the kitchen in the hopes of food and is eating


~Sue