Is Your Cat Sneezing Blood?
Is your cat sneezing blood? Should you be concerned? When a cat sneezes, it is a normal reflex of the airways to discharge some form of irritating material out of the nasal cavity. Usually it is caused by an irritation to the very sensitive nerve endings that are in the lining of the nose, called the mucous membrane. Nasal discharge can be a sign of either irritation or something more serious like nasal disease. Healthy cats may have an occasional episode of nasal discharge but a cat sneezing blood may suggest a severe problem that should not be ignored and needs to have treatment.
Nasal discharge in cats can be categorized by being clear, cloudy, lightly tinged with blood, bloody or even a combination of any of these. It is then categorized according to location such as one nostril or both nostrils and whether it is acute or chronic. For example, a cat sneezing blood could suggest an injury, bleeding disorder, tick-borne infection or a tumor.
Causes
Minor nasal discharges or a cat sneezing blood can be caused by numerous conditions. Some causes are fairly brief such as viral infections that simply temporary or they could be recurrent seasonal allergies. Other causes can be due to lodged foreign bodies in the nose or tumors.
A nasal discharge can affect a cat of any age. Kittens are most likely to have respiratory infections or birth defects. Older cats sneezing blood are more likely to be affected by tumors or chronic dental disease. Outdoor cats are prone to inhaling foreign bodies from grass and weeds that lead to chronic upper airway issues. Other causes include bacterial and viral infections, infectious diseases, fungal disease, nasal mites, dental disease, inflammatory disease, polyps, congenital diseases, bleeding disorders such as abnormal clotting and extra-nasal diseases
Symptoms To Watch For
Nasal discharge and sneezing are symptoms of sinus and nasal disease other signs also include:
- Pawing at the face or rubbing the nose
- Excessive swallowing due to post-nasal drip
- Gagging or choking from fluid in the throat
- Bleeding from one of both of the nostrils
- A foul smell coming from the nose or sometimes the mouth
- Swelling over the top of the nose
- Noticeable pain
- Noisy breathing or snoring
- Weight loss or lack of appetite
- Lethargy
Diagnosis
If you have a cat sneezing blood you should take the animal to the vet for diagnostic tests. There are a few different tests that may be taken including:
- Physical examination
- General blood screening
- A coagulation screen
- A platelet count
- Fungus infection tests
- Nasal cavity examination
- Cytology and flushing of the nasal cavities
- Computerized tomography
- Skull X-rays
- Nasal tissue biopsy
A physical examination will check for the cat's ability to breathe through his nose, shape and size of his lymph nodes, assessment of the eyes and oral cavity examination.
Home Care
Recommended home care for your cat sneezing blood will vary depending on the cause of the problem. You will need to monitor your cat for any abnormalities and these will need to be discussed with veterinarian. It is necessary to administer all recommended treatments by your veterinarian. It is very important to clean all discharge from your cat's nose immediately so it does have the chance to build up and worsen the condition. Sense of smell is what causes your cat to eat so if he cannot smell food, he will not eat so you may need to slightly heat food just enough to enhance the scent so he will eat. Be careful to make the food hot. If your cat's symptoms become worse at any time you should go back to the vet immediately.