peppersb

I'm worried about my 12-year-old boy Bob. For the past 4 or 5 days, I've noticed little spots of blood that seem to be coming from his left nostril. I now have white sheets on top of all of his favorite sleeping spots so that I can see what discharges he is leaving behind. He occasionally sneezes loud and hard, spraying little bits of blood and/or mucus. I'm hoping that he's got something curable. Maybe he breathed in a burr or something that is causing irritation. But my big worry is cancer of the nasal cavity which is apparently pretty deadly. Has anyone had any relevant experience?

I've had some email and phone conversations with my vet and he is coming to look at Bob tomorrow morning (my vet does house calls).

Abbe gails Mom

Hope that everything is ok with BOB. Praying that its something simple like irritation from dry air or something simple like that, we will be thinking of you .

Chagall's mom

I can understand how worrisome this must be, but I hope the fact that there's blood from only one nostril may indicate it's a mild irritation and nothing more serious. I'm sure you've googled everything you can find on this, the range of possibilities is varied. I took a look at VetInfo and here's what that site offered. I hope to hear the vet visit shows nothing more than a minor problem. Got my fingers crossed for Bob and you.

http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...-k8VWw&cad=rja


Why Is Your Dog Sneezing Blood? - VetInfo
Discharge with dog sneezing can have many causes. However, blood in the discharge is almost always serious, so consult your veterinarian.
Common Causes of Sneezing Blood

When dogs sniff, they can sometimes suck foreign objects into their nose such as grass or pointed grass seeds. If these get lodged wrong, it can cause your dog to sneeze blood as he tries to clear his nose of the object. This will often cause blood coming from only one nostril and will be accompanied by excessive sneezing, possibly to the point of exhaustion.

A severe bout of sneezing can also cause bloody sneezing. This could be cause by an allergy or foreign substance such as pepper that may affect your dog. If the bleeding begins during a severe sneezing bout and doesn't persist long after, it probably isn't serious.

Many types of infections are accompanied by sneezing bloody discharge. Buildup of fungus or bacteria can cause your dog to sneeze blood, even if the infection has cleared up. If the infection has not cleared, it is usually relatively easy to cure with antibiotics or anti-fungal medication. The nasal canal may need to be cleaned to remove buildup.
Serious Causes of Sneezing Blood

However, many causes of bloody discharge are quite serious, often caused by some type of cancer. Tooth abscesses can also cause nasal bleeding, but this will usually be just from one nostril.

Dogs with long noses are particularly susceptible to nasal cancer, which can cause bloody nasal discharge and sneezing. Bloody tumors in other internal organs can also cause dogs to sneeze blood. Bloody sneezing resulting from nasal tumors may start infrequently and gradually become more frequent during a period of weeks or may. Nasal discharge may come from one or both sides. Nasal tumors are almost always malignant.
Diagnosis

Simple blood and urine tests are usually not sufficient to diagnose the cause of bloody sneezing. Since there are a variety of possible causes, diagnosis might require a wide variety of tests such as X-rays or CT scans of the skull or face, biopsies or rhinoscopes, which require a camera through the nasal passages.

Veterinarians may opt for a nasal flush and physical examination of eyes, nose and throat to eliminate simple illnesses before undertaking more expensive and complicated testing. Nasal tumors may hide in small passages of bones, so they can be difficult to detect. This also makes them more difficult to treat since nasal tumors don't respond well to chemotherapy and usually must be completely removed to have a successful prognosis.

Though humans can experience bloody noses without concern, this is not true for dogs. If your dog has recurring or persisting blood in nasal discharge, consult your veterinarian. There are many different causes, not all of them serious, but most require some type of treatment, even if it's just dislodging a piece of grass.

__________________

Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

Indiana

I sure hope Bob's okay...this is totally not applicable, probably, but when I was growing up our calves used to quite often get a weed seed in their nose when they were grazing that would present the same symptoms, and my dad used to do a nasal flush to their immediate relief; I'm hoping it's just the same thing with Bob.

peppersb

Indiana -- That's my groomer's theory, and she is a poodle breeder and knows more about poodles and dogs in general than just about anyone I know. So I hope that you and she are right. Bob does like to go sniffing around in the bushes.

Abbe Gail -- Thanks so much for your prayers. I really appreciate that.

Chagall's Mom -- Thanks for the article. I like the way it presents lots of possiblities. I'm afraid that I've been googling a lot and I've gotten my head totally wrapped around this cancer idea. I guess that's the way I deal with things--look at the worst case first. I really hope that I'm wrong because I really really really like this boy. What a good dog. Funny boy always keeps me laughing. Bob's bleeding started with a few little spots on the bed. At first I didn't know which dog it was coming from, and then it took a while to figure out that it was coming from his nose. Sneezing started a couple of days later. There's not much blood. But even a little is a big cause for concern.

I'll let everyone know what the vet says tomorrow. I have a fabulous vet so at least I feel like we're in good hands.

sweetheartsrodeo

We are thinking about you and Bob. I hope he is better, and am praying you get a good report from the vet.

BTW I wish I had a vet to do a house call... Very lucky!

__________________

"I know that dogs are pack animals, but it is difficult to imagine a pack of standard poodles ... and if there was such a thing as a pack of standard poodles, where would they rove to? Bloomingdale's? "
--Yvonne Clifford, American actress

peppersb

I can't tell you how much I love my vet. My dogs have never been to his office. And on top of the house call advantage, I have a lot of confidence in his medical knowledge and ability to diagnose and treat my dogs.

Thanks for your prayers.

MollyMuiMa

Happy thoughts for Bob!!!! Hope he'll get a good report. Here in Cailf. those symtoms would usually indicated a Foxtail in the nose, as it is a common occurence here to find foxtails imbedded in noses, ears, and paws. Nasty weeds....

Chagall's mom

peppersb: I completely understand your mind wandering to the worst possible scenario. I think that's human nature. We brace ourselves for what's to come in a attempt to be prepared. I'm preparing to hear good news about Bob! I hope the understandable anxiety and worry you have right now is all for naught. I too have a vet who routinely makes house calls, it's always been of such great comfort to both my pets and me. Glad Bob has such great care from you and your vet.

__________________

Just be nice.
Cabryn Chagall, CGC

ArcadiaX

Lou and I are pulling for Bob to be on the road to recovery soon! It seems that those foxtails are nothing but a menace, grrrr. Sending a prayer for Bob and you.

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Robin (Lou's Momma)