Yorkie Information Center
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New Yorkie Information - Topic of the Month
2-26-2010
If Your Yorkie Has a Nosebleed
While it is common for children to get occasional nosebleeds, most often due to an injury, this type of issue should not be taken lightly if your Yorkie is bleeding from the nose.
You can’t just tell your dog to squeeze their nose and raise it high! If you think that the human nose is sensitive, you can’t imagine how sensitive your Yorkie’s nose is!
Never assume that it was caused by a “bonk” on the nose! There are other causes that require immediate vet care and fast action from owners.
Let’s look at:
If Your Yorkie Has a Nosebleed
While it is common for children to get occasional nosebleeds, most often due to an injury, this type of issue should not be taken lightly if your Yorkie is bleeding from the nose.
You can’t just tell your dog to squeeze their nose and raise it high! If you think that the human nose is sensitive, you can’t imagine how sensitive your Yorkie’s nose is!
Never assume that it was caused by a “bonk” on the nose! There are other causes that require immediate vet care and fast action from owners.
Let’s look at:
- The reasons why a Yorkie may get a nose bleed, including injury
- What you must do if it happens to help your dog.
Yummy Healthy Home Cooking for the YorkieLearn about the differences between manufactured dog food and home cooked food. Which foods are the healthiest for the Yorkshire Terrier? Read this article to help you decide what is best for you and your furry little friend. Read More
The most common reasons for a dog to have a nose bleed, in order of frequency, are:
When there is foreign material or substances in a Yorkie’s nose, it stimulates the dog to sneeze. Excessive sneezing and the irritation from that substance or object can then cause the nose to bleed. This can happen from something as simple as a blade of grass or something not-so-pleasant sounding such as an insect a Yorkie sniffed up their nose by accident while sniffing around the yard.
Sneezing may dislodge the object, so there is no need to rush to the veterinarian within the first 5 minutes. However, if your Yorkie is sneezing and bleeding from the nose for more than 20 minutes, it’s time to secure them in the car and get right to the vet.
Once there, your dog’s veterinarian may decide to give your Yorkie an anesthetic to make it easier to examine the nasal cavity and your Yorkie’s throat. A strong nose bleed and sneezing may make it very difficult for the vet to see what is causing the issue and for this reason a dog may need to be under full anesthesia.
The vet will then decide if the object needs to be removed. In some cases it is in an area in which, with the use of a mild tranquilizer, it may pass through the cavities and eventually be swallowed. In either case, antibiotics may be given to prevent any infection and antihistamines may be given to help with irritation.
Hemophilia
In these cases, blood clotting disorders generally first show signs as anemia, nose bleeding and gum bleeding. Therefore, if a nose bleed is occurring along with gum bleeding your Yorkie’s veterinarian will need to do a full examination including blood testing. Vitamin K will be given along with supportive treatments such as blood and fluid infusions.
Ratsak Poisoning
In just about every area of the country, mice are a problem. Many people think that mice only occupy dirty or unclean apartments and homes…this is not true. In fact, many brand new construction homes have mice problems. Mice (and rats) will go anywhere for shelter and a food source and this includes a well kept clean home.
In trying to rid the home of mice, some people do not understand the dangerous and sometimes lethal methods that will get rid of mice, but can do such great harm to a dog.
The only way to permanently rid the home of mice is to have a wildlife company seal every little hole on the outside of the home and then bait and trap the mice that are inside. This can be done without poison! Snap traps and sticky pads work very well. Some wildlife services set up “one way doors” that allow the mice to leave but not come back.
You may think that a Yorkie would not want to chew on rat poison, but many do since they are made to smell like something tasty. Mouse or rat poison can be found in certain traps that contain small blocks for them to chew on (usually green), inside packets or as a powder.
If your Yorkie has a nosebleed and you do have mice or rat poison in the home, bring your dog to the veterinarian immediately. While this is fatal without treatment, some dogs can be saved if they are given emergency treatment right away.
Tumors
A dog can have nasal tumors; these cause irritation to the dog’s breathing passages and this can cause sneezing spasms which then cause a nosebleed. A tumor can also block the nasal passage with then can cause snoring or snorting noises. If this is suspected, it is very important for the veterinarian to make a diagnosis. If a tumor is present surgery may be possible to fix the issue.
Injury
Just like children, Yorkies can get a nosebleed from an injury and it does not need to be a serious one. Just a small bump on the nose can cause a Yorkie to have a nosebleed. If you know for certain that your dog bumped into something or was accidentally hit by something that is causing their nose to bleed, it is best to first allow your dog to calm down in a comfortable place. Try to keep your dog calm and do not do anything that would cause excitement. Observe the bleeding. If blood is flowing after 15-20 minutes, do be sure to take your dog to the veterinarian. When you are transporting your Yorkie, a passenger can gently hold a soft, clean washcloth on your dog’s nose.
Serious injuries – If your dog has been hit by a car, was in your car during a car accident or was in any other accident in which serious injury could occur…You must take the steps as if it did occur… even if your Yorkie does not seem seriously injured.
A nose bleed can occur in a dog due to head injury. Your Yorkie must be taken to the nearest veterinarian or animal hospital without delay.
Important Tip
When you are in the process of taking your Yorkie to the vet or trying to stop a small nosebleed at home, you may want to apply a cold compress on your dog’s nose, with their head held upright…however, it is important that you do not apply too much pressure on the compress. A dog’s nose is extremely sensitive and any extra pressure can make matters worse.
- A foreign object is lodged in the nose
- Hemophilia
- Ratsak poisoning
- Ruptured nasal tumors
- Injury
When there is foreign material or substances in a Yorkie’s nose, it stimulates the dog to sneeze. Excessive sneezing and the irritation from that substance or object can then cause the nose to bleed. This can happen from something as simple as a blade of grass or something not-so-pleasant sounding such as an insect a Yorkie sniffed up their nose by accident while sniffing around the yard.
Sneezing may dislodge the object, so there is no need to rush to the veterinarian within the first 5 minutes. However, if your Yorkie is sneezing and bleeding from the nose for more than 20 minutes, it’s time to secure them in the car and get right to the vet.
Once there, your dog’s veterinarian may decide to give your Yorkie an anesthetic to make it easier to examine the nasal cavity and your Yorkie’s throat. A strong nose bleed and sneezing may make it very difficult for the vet to see what is causing the issue and for this reason a dog may need to be under full anesthesia.
The vet will then decide if the object needs to be removed. In some cases it is in an area in which, with the use of a mild tranquilizer, it may pass through the cavities and eventually be swallowed. In either case, antibiotics may be given to prevent any infection and antihistamines may be given to help with irritation.
Hemophilia
In these cases, blood clotting disorders generally first show signs as anemia, nose bleeding and gum bleeding. Therefore, if a nose bleed is occurring along with gum bleeding your Yorkie’s veterinarian will need to do a full examination including blood testing. Vitamin K will be given along with supportive treatments such as blood and fluid infusions.
Ratsak Poisoning
In just about every area of the country, mice are a problem. Many people think that mice only occupy dirty or unclean apartments and homes…this is not true. In fact, many brand new construction homes have mice problems. Mice (and rats) will go anywhere for shelter and a food source and this includes a well kept clean home.
In trying to rid the home of mice, some people do not understand the dangerous and sometimes lethal methods that will get rid of mice, but can do such great harm to a dog.
The only way to permanently rid the home of mice is to have a wildlife company seal every little hole on the outside of the home and then bait and trap the mice that are inside. This can be done without poison! Snap traps and sticky pads work very well. Some wildlife services set up “one way doors” that allow the mice to leave but not come back.
You may think that a Yorkie would not want to chew on rat poison, but many do since they are made to smell like something tasty. Mouse or rat poison can be found in certain traps that contain small blocks for them to chew on (usually green), inside packets or as a powder.
If your Yorkie has a nosebleed and you do have mice or rat poison in the home, bring your dog to the veterinarian immediately. While this is fatal without treatment, some dogs can be saved if they are given emergency treatment right away.
Tumors
A dog can have nasal tumors; these cause irritation to the dog’s breathing passages and this can cause sneezing spasms which then cause a nosebleed. A tumor can also block the nasal passage with then can cause snoring or snorting noises. If this is suspected, it is very important for the veterinarian to make a diagnosis. If a tumor is present surgery may be possible to fix the issue.
Injury
Just like children, Yorkies can get a nosebleed from an injury and it does not need to be a serious one. Just a small bump on the nose can cause a Yorkie to have a nosebleed. If you know for certain that your dog bumped into something or was accidentally hit by something that is causing their nose to bleed, it is best to first allow your dog to calm down in a comfortable place. Try to keep your dog calm and do not do anything that would cause excitement. Observe the bleeding. If blood is flowing after 15-20 minutes, do be sure to take your dog to the veterinarian. When you are transporting your Yorkie, a passenger can gently hold a soft, clean washcloth on your dog’s nose.
Serious injuries – If your dog has been hit by a car, was in your car during a car accident or was in any other accident in which serious injury could occur…You must take the steps as if it did occur… even if your Yorkie does not seem seriously injured.
A nose bleed can occur in a dog due to head injury. Your Yorkie must be taken to the nearest veterinarian or animal hospital without delay.
Important Tip
When you are in the process of taking your Yorkie to the vet or trying to stop a small nosebleed at home, you may want to apply a cold compress on your dog’s nose, with their head held upright…however, it is important that you do not apply too much pressure on the compress. A dog’s nose is extremely sensitive and any extra pressure can make matters worse.
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