What to do if your cat sneezes blood

Risks of the condition

A single bleed in a cat is not dangerous.

• disruption of mechanical circulatory function;
• insufficient filling of blood vessels and cardiac compartments with blood;
• falling blood pressure;
• a sharp decrease in red blood cells and a drop in hemoglobin levels leads to the development of anemia;
• tissue hypoxia (oxygen starvation) due to a disrupted process of oxygen transfer through vessels to tissues and organs;
• disruption of local metabolic processes, which leads to massive cell death, and then the death of the organism.

What to do if your cat sneezes blood? How to help an animal?

Of course, almost everyone has seen and heard a cat sneeze blood. If this event is not observed very often, you can simply joke about it and forget about it. And if such cases are repeated with quite a lot of frequency, this should attract the close attention of the owners. It is necessary to take a closer look at how the animal behaves; perhaps there are some symptoms that bother it. There are several reasons why sneezing can be annoying even for a small kitten. We will try to figure out why a cat sneezes and produces blood.

Treatment

The goals of therapy are to treat eye inflammation due to bleeding and any underlying causes of bleeding. Treatment of hyphema itself provides the following:

Topical corticosteroids, in the form of eye drops or ointment. They are used to reduce inflammation present in the anterior chamber of the eye.

Topical atropine, in the form of eye drops or ointment. It is used to dilate the pupil. The expansion of the latter helps relieve pain and minimize adhesion between the iris and the crystal.

Treatment of glaucoma, if the latter has caused hyphema or developed as a result of edema, is prescribed if intraocular pressure is high.

When to contact a veterinarian

In some cases, sneezing is complicated by other serious symptoms.

If you observe the following signs, it is best to contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment:

• the cat sneezes and
• mucus from the nose comes out quite profusely, discharge of yellow-green shades;
• the cat sneezes with blood;
• the general condition of the animal deteriorates significantly - the cat sleeps a lot, looks sick, plays less;
• decreased appetite;
• excessive salivation;
• weight loss, haggard sides;
• shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat;
• sometimes sneezing is accompanied by coughing;
• tousled wool;
• diarrhea and other digestive disorders;
• swollen lymph nodes (palpable in the same way as in a person): submandibular, inguinal, axillary or popliteal.

The listed symptoms indicate that the animal has an infection or other diseases that need to be treated as early as possible.

If your cat sneezes with blood

The most dangerous situation is considered to be if a cat sneezes with blood.

If sneezing is accompanied by discharge or blood from the nose, you should consult a doctor.

The reasons for this phenomenon may be various factors:

• damage by a sharp hard object hitting or touching the nose;
• violation of blood clotting processes (i.e., blood clot formation);
• dental infection;
• a tumor in the nose, including an oncological one, is especially common in old cats;
• high blood pressure.

If bleeding occurs for several days in a row, this is a reason to immediately visit the veterinary clinic

, since it is quite difficult to determine the exact cause at home. First aid is provided according to the situation - first of all, you need to stop the bleeding. And if there are traces of cuts on the nose, treat the area with an antiseptic (preferably with a mild odor): a special wound-healing ointment or spray for cats.

Preventive actions

In this article, we were able to find out why a cat sneezes blood (blood from an animal’s nose when sneezing can be a really serious symptom). But first of all, this can happen due to the presence of allergens in the house or dust getting into the animal’s nasal passages. Therefore, wet cleaning should be carried out frequently using safe cleaning products.

And to exclude dangerous diseases, it is necessary to carry out timely vaccination. Starting from six months, you should follow the established schedule of vaccinations, carrying them out against rabies, leukemia and leukopenia, and cat flu. The main thing is that regular preventive examinations are carried out by an experienced veterinarian who will be able to detect impending danger in time and begin treatment in time.

Don’t wonder why your cat is constantly sneezing. You need to hurry up and help your furry friend.

Why does a cat sneeze

The reasons why a cat sneezes frequently, with blood or mucus, can be various internal diseases. In most cases, sneezing is a normal physiological process that clears the airways, mouth and sinuses. For example, if dust rose in the air or an aerosol or perfume was sprayed, the phenomenon is quite common.

Sneezing is a completely natural physiological process.

However, in some cases, the animal may behave quite suspiciously, for example, sneezing too often. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that obvious abnormalities indicate that the cat is most likely sick.

Viral infections

These are the most common cases - a cat sneezes due to viral diseases, like people:

• adenoviral infection;
• rhinitis.

Other common infections include:

• peritonitis;

Treatment is carried out appropriately - antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs.

Pathologies of the nasopharynx

Sometimes polyps or growths grow in the animal’s nasal sinuses, causing a lack of air. You need to take a closer look and listen to the behavior of the animal. If there is shortness of breath, the cat sniffles through its nose, and sometimes breathes through its mouth, it is quite possible that the cause is related to polyps. You can examine them yourself - if you shine a flashlight into the nasal passages, you will notice pinkish growths.

Allergic reaction

Often sneezing is a typical allergic reaction. Each organism can have its own allergens, i.e. substances that cause allergies.

Here are the most common ones:

• pollen;
• candle wax;
• cigarette smoke;
• mold;
• dust.

You should also exclude strong odors (perfumes, powders, insect repellents, etc.) - they will probably make your animal’s eyes water.

Cats may sneeze if they are allergic to pollen, dust, or other allergens.

Dental problems

If sneezing is accompanied by noticeable bad breath, the cause is most likely related to the teeth and gums. It is important to carefully examine the cat’s gums - if they are swollen, residual pus is visible, which means that this is why the animal is sneezing. In such cases, an infectious disease develops that can be treated in a clinical setting. You need to seek help as early as possible, otherwise the pathogenic process will spread to the nasopharyngeal mucosa.

Heartworms

As a result, we observe:

• dyspnea;
• increased heart rate;
• weakness.

In this case, you need to urgently go to the veterinarian - the pathology can be fatal. For preventive purposes, it should be borne in mind that the pet must be protected in every possible way from mosquitoes and other insects, destroying them with safe means (for example, plates).

Oncological tumors

Sometimes tumors begin to develop in the nose or throat. Moreover, even if initially they were benign, over time they can begin to actively grow and turn into an oncological (malignant) form. To prevent the development of pathology, you need to carefully monitor the condition of the animal if it sneezes too often and for no apparent reason.

A cat may sneeze due to growths in the nasal cavity.

Asthma

Cats can also experience an asthmatic attack. It is usually accompanied not only by sneezing, but also by coughing. As a rule, asthma develops against the background of allergic reactions and becomes chronic. First aid in this case is to hold the cat’s face over water vapor for 2 minutes. The remedy helps quite quickly, because the hot steam dilates the bronchi and other airways.

Overt and hidden internal bleeding

It is impossible to see internal bleeding in a cat. But some similar processes are manifested by certain external symptoms and are called overt internal bleeding.

External symptom of obvious internal bleeding

Self-diagnosis

Even before contacting the veterinarian, the owners themselves can understand why the cat is sneezing or coughing. Carefully monitor your pet's behavior: you will probably notice some changes. If your cat sneezes infrequently, there is mucus coming from the nose, shortness of breath and swelling of the eyes, then your pet may be suffering from an allergic reaction. How to treat a cat sneezing? In this case, it is enough to stop contact with irritating substances.

When diagnosing yourself, you should pay attention to the symptoms accompanying sneezing: increased body temperature, apathy and weakness, cough accompanied by mucus. These manifestations indicate the presence of an infectious disease in the pet. Do not try to figure out how and what to treat if your cat is sneezing: entrust the treatment to an experienced specialist.

Serious symptoms

What symptoms should you immediately take your animal to the veterinarian for? There is no point in postponing treatment when :

• Blood “splatters” when you sneeze, flying in different directions;
• Along with bleeding, gumboil or periodontal disease appears;
• The mouth and nose smell very bad;
• The cat has difficulty breathing;
• The cat does not want to eat anything; his favorite treats do not attract him.

In addition, you need to look at the place where the blood is flowing from. These may not be nostrils at all, but blood vessels damaged by a broken tooth. Most often this occurs after an injury, such as being hit by a car. The neglect of the case is also indicated by the fact that part of the blood discharge does not flow out, but is swallowed.

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If your cat is sneezing and has bloody discharge from his nose

First of all, if you notice red discharge from the nose when your pet sneezes, you should not panic. Sometimes this happens if the animal's nasal capillaries are too close to the surface. And then, when excited, the pet may bleed from the nose.

After the bleeding has stopped, rinse your nose with warm water and dry with a towel, clearing the nasal passages.

If, when sneezing with blood, the bleeding does not stop, then it is possible to help the animal by placing a cold object on its back - this will serve as a signal to the capillaries, and they will narrow. Eventually the bleeding should stop.

If all these procedures do not help the animal who is sneezing, you should seek help from a veterinarian.

First aid for a cat with a nosebleed

The appearance of blood from a cat's mouth or nasal passages leads the owner of the animal into a stupor or panic. It is necessary to calm down and carefully examine the pet, thus assessing the severity of the situation.

Next, it is important to calm the pet as much as possible, which will normalize blood pressure and prevent increased bleeding. You should not give your cat human sedatives on your own without first consulting a specialist.

Severe bleeding from the cat’s nose must be stopped by applying a cold compress to the back of the animal’s nose, and then taken to the clinic.

In a clinical setting, the animal will undergo a comprehensive clinical examination to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment. Diagnosis of nosebleeds includes several laboratory tests:

• blood biochemistry;
• cytological examination;
• general blood analysis;
• urine analysis (to assess the functioning of the kidney structures).

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A more thorough examination includes endoscopy (if gastric blockage is suspected), x-ray examination of the sinuses, rhinoscopy and computed tomography. Additional diagnostic methods include conducting serological tests if a fungal infection or disease caused by ticks is suspected.

If bleeding starts suddenly, follow the instructions below:

• Remain calm and reassure your pet. Increased blood pressure due to overstimulation will increase the intensity of bleeding.
• Place an ice pack on the bridge of your nose (over your muzzle). The ice pack should be wrapped in a soft towel to prevent damage to the vessels by the cold. Also, make sure your cat is breathing freely.
• Do not administer any medications unless prescribed by a veterinarian.

Remember that while bleeding continues, the cat will swallow some of the blood. The blood is partially digested and the stool may turn black. If the bleeding is too heavy, your cat may vomit bloody clots.

A specialist can diagnose internal bleeding in a cat using the following diagnostic methods:

• external examination and palpation;
• Ultrasound, x-ray of the abdominal organs;
• uterine smear cytology;
• histology of biopsy material;
• biochemical, general and blood clotting tests;
• Analysis of urine;
• vaginoscopy;
• bac sowing

Ultrasound of the cat's abdominal cavity
Based on the results of the study, the doctor prescribes the necessary treatment:

• antibiotics to prevent infections and inflammatory processes in combination with probiotics;
• surgery in case of detection of oncology, endometritis;
• chemotherapy to exclude relapse after surgery;
• blood transfusion in case of significant blood loss;
• antishock therapy;
• drugs to restore blood clotting.

Important! It is strongly recommended to adhere to the treatment prescribed by your veterinarian at home, this applies to the regimen, duration of administration and dosage of medications. After completing the course of treatment, you need to go to the clinic once a month for prevention.

Thus, bleeding in a pet is the most risky symptom of many terrible ailments. If you suspect such a condition, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian.

So, the cat has blood coming out of its nose. If a runny nose initially occurs and streaks of blood appear in the mucus, this condition is most likely not critical, although it also requires certain actions (more about this in the article “What to do when a cat sneezes and has snot?”).

The release of drops, and even more so a trickle of blood, can seriously frighten the owner. What to do if your cat has a bleeding nose? First of all, put off panic. The owner's anxiety can agitate the pet, and this will lead to increased blood pressure and, as a result, increased bleeding.

Try to calm down: now the health of your beloved animal depends on your composure. Provide your pet with silence and a calm environment.

If moderate to severe nosebleeds develop, it is better to adhere to the following algorithm of actions:

1. Apply something cold to the bridge of your nose, such as an ice pack or something wrapped in a cloth from the freezer. This must be done in such a way as not to prevent the animal from breathing freely.
2. Find out where the nearest veterinary clinic equipped with a rhinoscope is located. If there is no one nearby, then go to any other one or call a veterinarian at home.
3. While you are waiting for a doctor's examination, if possible, carefully examine the animal yourself - its face and mouth. Remember what medications you gave the cat, whether there was access to the street, etc. If the animal feels unwell, has pale mucous membranes and rapid breathing, and the bleeding continues, then the clinic can see you without a queue.

If veterinary care is not available, cold treatment should be applied until the bleeding subsides. You can gently rinse your nose with aminocaproic acid - this is a hemostatic agent sold in a regular pharmacy. We talked in detail about the technique of rinsing the nose of cats in the article “What to do at home if a cat sneezes?”

Unfortunately, it is impossible to determine the exact causes at home - only a specialist can do this.

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Why do cats sneeze?

Sometimes a cat may sneeze several times due to the presence of dust or a strong odor source, such as perfume. This happens quite rarely and there is no reason to seek help from a veterinarian. If the animal's eyes are watery, it constantly sneezes and scratches its nose, it is urgent to show the cat to a specialist. A runny nose and sneezing may be signs of a cold or an allergic reaction.

Allergies are one of the most common diseases in cats, especially in purebred animals. It occurs as an immune response to a vaccine or a certain drug.

To relieve an allergic attack, it is enough to inject the animal with an antihistamine and stop using this medication. It is more difficult to cope with the disease if it is caused by household allergens.

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What to do if your cat has a watery eye

How to treat a cat for sneezing?

Examination of a cat at the veterinarian

Any treatment must be prescribed by a doctor. This will depend on the reason that provokes this sneezing. If the veterinarian does not find any diseases in the animal, he may recommend the use of regular house cleaning or a special air humidifier.

If a cat has respiratory tract diseases, the animal will need nasal medications to eliminate swelling. If the case is much more serious, it will be necessary to undergo a course of treatment with antibiotics. If necessary, the veterinarian will prescribe surgery. The owner of the animal, who has found out what happened to his pet, must follow exactly all the recommendations of the specialist and do everything he says. After all, it is necessary to carry out the prescribed procedures in a timely manner. The veterinarian may prescribe tablets, injections, or nasal drops.

But when taking care of your pet furry, you must also maintain personal hygiene. If necessary, use gloves and a protective mask.

What can you do at home?

Diagnosing the cause of suspiciously frequent sneezing, as well as treating a cat at home, is only possible in some cases. For example, if the animal has an allergic reaction or there is quite a lot of dust in the air.

Here's what you need to do in the first minutes:

1. First you need to carefully check whether any drug has been sprayed in the house. For example, air freshener or insect repellent. Some mosquito repellents are potentially safe for both humans and animals. But in rare cases, a cat may have individual intolerance.
2. Next, it is advisable to close the windows and doors - perhaps pollen or cigarette smoke has entered the room.
3. If you suspect that the room is dusty, you need to do a wet cleaning and remove the cat from the room for a while.
4. If an animal has an unpleasant odor from the mouth that has not been felt before, then the cause is related to damage to the teeth.
5. Finally, in some cases, your pet may have an allergic reaction to the litter. You just need to check what has changed in recent days. If you bought a new litter and your cat starts sneezing frequently, this is probably the reason. In cases where the cat has a long-standing allergy, home treatment can be carried out by giving the appropriate drug (antihistamines are most often used).

If your cat is sneezing due to dust or pollen, you must stop the animal's contact with the allergen.

If such measures do not help, then the cause is an internal disease. The most common case is a viral infection (excessive mucus is produced, the animal’s temperature rises, and it begins to cough).

Then the cat is treated with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs:

• maxidin;
• fosprenil;
• gamavit;
• bucksin.

Herbal infusions, such as chamomile tea, also help well. And apply drops to your nose against a runny nose. Treatment is especially effective in the early stages of the disease. But independent treatment is only possible if the owner already has similar experience.

Attention. There is a risk that foreign solid objects may get into your nose. Therefore, the first thing you should do is carefully examine the nasal passages - under a flashlight. If there really are foreign bodies there, they can be removed with tweezers. However, if this does not work, it is better not to risk it and contact a veterinarian.

What to do if your cat has a nosebleed?

To diagnose the root cause of bleeding, the doctor will need as complete an anamnesis as possible. Be prepared for the following questions:

• Have you used any medications, including antiparasitics, in the last 2-3 days?
• Have you changed the food or added vitamin supplements to your diet?
• Could your cat have come into contact with rodents, poisons, or household chemicals?
• Is it possible that the cat suffered a nose injury?
• Does the cat have access to the street, could she walk in dry grass?
• Have you noticed any discharge from the nose, itching, or attempts to scratch your face with your paw?
• Has your cat sneezed or rubbed its nose?
• Have you had any bleeding from the nose or mouth?
• Have your stools turned black?
• Did your cat vomit, did you notice any clots in the vomit?
• Have you noticed any bruising or swelling on your cat?

Answering the above questions will greatly help clarify the situation. Additional symptoms that will help with diagnosis:

• Asymmetry of the muzzle.
• Changes in the color of the gums (pallor, cyanosis, yellowness), mucous membranes of the eyes, nose.
• Peeling or cracking of the skin on or around the nose.
• Swelling or bulging of the third eyelid.
• Convexity of the eyeballs, not always symmetrical.
• Redness of the eyes.

There are many reasons explaining this condition.

Pyometra

In cats, bleeding from the vagina is a frequent companion to a disease such as pyometra. The development of this disease is most often provoked by an excess amount of progesterone in the cat’s body, which is produced in the following cases:

• uncontrolled use of hormonal contraceptives to prevent pregnancy;
• poor hygiene during estrus;
• violation of sanitary standards during childbirth;
• uncontrolled matings;
• impaired immunity, congenital hormonal changes;
• lack of physical activity.

Those at risk most often are elderly, nulliparous, pregnant cats with pathologies, including those who gave birth prematurely.

A cat with pyometra suffers a lot of pain

Endometritis

Endometritis is an inflammation of the walls of the uterus, often accompanied by a purulent process that further damages the organ, which provokes uterine bleeding. The greatest danger is the development of the disease in the postpartum period, when the uterine tissue has not yet recovered, and the slightest damage leads to copious bloody discharge from the cat’s uterus.

Note! It is recommended to sterilize the young female to prevent the development of endometritis and pyometra.

Bleeding disorders in cats can be present from birth or develop later in life. Defects in the protein responsible for coagulation provoke prolonged blood flow and the formation of hematomas in the deep layers of tissue. Platelet defects result in frequent superficial bruising, nosebleeds, black, pasty stools when the intestines are damaged, and difficulty stopping blood after injections or surgery.

One of the symptoms of a bleeding disorder is that the blood does not stop well when the ear is damaged.

Congenital bleeding disorders include hemophilia type A, B, von Willebrand disease, Chediak-Higashi syndrome, Ehlers-Danloos syndrome, known as cutaneous asthenia.

For your information! The clotting process can be disrupted by pet poisoning with rat poison, weakened immunity and infectious diseases such as viral leukemia, infectious peritonitis, feline distemper or toxoplasmosis, as well as chronic diseases of internal organs.

Due to uterine bleeding, the cat becomes lethargic and apathetic, she has a refusal to eat, pale visible mucous membranes (tongue, gums, ear, nose) and sensitive hypothermia of the paws. Such symptoms indicate insufficient blood supply to body tissues.

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Note! During intrauterine bleeding, blood in a cat rarely leaks onto the external genitalia, as it accumulates in the uterine cavity.

According to statistics, about 70% of bleeding develops according to a moderate principle, that is, the accompanying symptoms appear and increase over several days or weeks. The pet gradually becomes more and more phlegmatic, lethargic, begins to sleep more and more, loses appetite and loses weight, and the stomach, on the contrary, swells like a balloon due to the blood accumulating inside the uterus.

The main symptom of cat uterine bleeding is lethargy.

A pet with bleeding requires an urgent professional examination, which will establish the correct diagnosis and prescribe the necessary treatment. Attempts to stop prolonged or heavy blood loss using folk remedies can lead to the death of the cat. This is especially true in cases of bleeding in a kitten, since there is little blood in its body, and the loss of even the smallest dose can provoke the death of the baby.

Did your cat fall out of a window, get hit by a car, or become a victim of a beating? It is highly recommended that you visit a veterinarian, even if there are no visible injuries and your pet appears normal. Internal bleeding that does not open immediately after an injury can appear at any time due to a burst hematoma or a purulent process.

Professional veterinary care

A cold compress is applied to the suspected bleeding site. If possible, the mouth and airways are carefully cleared of blood or vomit. It is strictly forbidden to feed or water an injured cat. If your pet loses consciousness, it is not recommended to stir, trying to bring him back to his senses, as such actions can aggravate the condition.

Note! If a cat is bleeding profusely from the uterus, you can give it water or warm broth and urgently visit a veterinarian or call him at home.

What to do if your pet sneezes and produces blood

If a cat is constantly sneezing blood, this is the case when you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic for examination and treatment of the cat. After all, only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis if a cat develops snot and sneezing. The causes of sneezing with blood can be caused by various diseases:

• Damage to the nasal passages by foreign objects;
• Injury;
• Dental problems;
• Oncology;
• Hypertension;
• Poor blood clotting;
• Fungal infection.

If, while sniffing an object, a midge or other foreign body gets into the nasal cavity, the animal tries to get rid of it by sneezing and coughing.

Therefore, if you find bloody snot in a cat, you must:

• Immediately contact the nearest veterinary clinic. Even if there is a foreign object there, then if there is red discharge in the nozzle when the animal sneezes, this symptom means that it severely irritates the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity. The cat sneezes and produces blood; she cannot get rid of the object on her own, and her nose should be washed in the clinic with special disinfectants;
• Before contacting, it is worth observing the pet and how it sneezes in order to accurately describe to the veterinarian how the animal is sick;
• Only a doctor can make a diagnosis; you cannot rely on yourself and neighbors who do not have a medical education;
• You cannot use medications without visiting a doctor, as you can destroy your pet’s kidneys, which do not recover;
• If the foreign body is not found, the clinic should be tested for the presence of cancer.

Also, the doctor must, with the consent of the pet owner, in addition to a general blood test, do a blood test for biochemistry, measure the cat’s temperature and pressure, x-ray of the chest and nasal passages, examine the oral cavity and teeth.

All these analyzes and studies are done for a reason, but to establish exactly what the pet is suffering from, since he himself cannot tell us anything. And perhaps all this will save his life, because a correctly diagnosed diagnosis will help prescribe the right treatment for the pet.

Why a cat may sneeze - find out the reasons

Veterinarians believe that rare and one-time sneezing is normal for an animal. The reason for this reaction of the body may be:

• overexcitement
• irritants in the nose
• long movement

Sneezing caused by these factors occurs quickly and does not cause any discomfort to the animal. Prolonged attacks are the result of more serious problems. The most common causes of sneezing are:

• Diseases
• Allergic reaction
• Chlamydia

Diseases that cause sneezing can be different: nasal polyps, colds, nasal cancer, viral pathologies. Of the viral infections that cause sneezing, feline herpes is the leading one. The cause of infection is other animals with which the pet comes into contact, stress, and weakened immunity of the body. When infected with the virus, the cat becomes lethargic, loses appetite, sores appear in the mouth, and the eyes water. Important! If you notice symptoms of a viral disease in your pet, you should not treat the cat yourself. The veterinarian will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe medications for therapy. Allergies are the second most common cause of sneezing in cats. To find out why a cat is sneezing and clarify the reasons, the owner should pay attention to what the animal has an acute reaction to and isolate the object causing the problem. Most often, cats are sensitive to:

• various sprays
• poor quality toilet filler
• mold
• smoke
• dust

Aerosols penetrate deeply into the animal's olfactory organs and irritate the nasal mucosa. Regardless of whether it is perfume or a disinfectant, cats’ delicate sense of smell reacts painfully to unnatural odors. Cat litter contains ingredients that eliminate unpleasant odors. Many companies in the production of litters use high-quality raw materials that do not cause allergies in cats. Some companies save on materials and produce fillers with cheap components that cause allergies in animals. On walks, animals can find mold fungi. Spores easily enter the animal’s nose, since it is through sniffing that the animal examines objects. Cigarette smoke also negatively affects cats' delicate sense of smell. In this case, sneezing becomes a protective reaction of the body to an external irritant. Important! Bad teeth (and this happens in cats) are also the cause of an animal’s sneezing. Some types of dust cause allergies not only in people, but also in animals. Among the most harmful types of dust for the body is book dust.

Infectious diseases

In addition to allergies, sneezing and a runny nose in an animal can be caused by more serious disorders of the body.

The most common cause is colds, which are easily treatable. They can be cured quickly if you pay attention to the symptoms early.

The greatest danger to a pet’s body is viral or fungal infections. Those who are primarily susceptible to these diseases are not. Their immunity is much weaker and does not resist pathogenic microorganisms strongly enough.

The most common infections that cause sneezing and:

1. 1. Feline herpes or rhinotracheitis. In addition to normal sneezing, with rhinotracheitis, a cat begins to have a runny nose, and purulent discharge from the eyes of a brown or dark yellow color is observed. Young kittens and cats over 14 years of age are most vulnerable to this disease because their immunity is too weak to fight the infection.
2. 2. Plague. The disease is equally dangerous for both vaccinated and unvaccinated animals. Help can be given to a cat only if the distemper is not yet very advanced.
   Distemper is indicated by sneezing, sniffles, lethargy, and loss of appetite. In this case, treating the animal at home is dangerous and you should urgently contact a veterinarian.
3. 3. Calcivirosis. This is a dangerous infectious disease that is easily transmitted from one cat to another. In addition to a runny nose and sneezing, small ulcers begin to appear on the cat’s tongue and oral mucosa, which interfere with proper nutrition, and at the same time the temperature rises significantly.
4. 4. Chlamydia. At the initial stage, the pet develops severe conjunctivitis, which is accompanied by sneezing and often a runny nose with blood. This disease is especially dangerous for pregnant cats, since it affects not only their body, but also the kittens in the womb. It is not uncommon for newborn kittens affected by chlamydia to not survive birth.
5. 5. Toxoplasmosis. Cats are the only animals in whose bodies infections that cause toxoplasmosis multiply. Animals become infected with it very easily: from rodents that they can catch while walking, from other animals, and even through contaminated food.
6. 6. Bortedellosis. This disease greatly weakens the cat's immunity. First, the animal begins to sneeze with splashes, cough, it develops a runny nose and its eyes fester. Almost all types of cats are susceptible to this disease, regardless of age and breed. You can get it anywhere and from any animal, even piglets. Due to weakened immunity, cats develop other diseases that quickly destroy the animal’s body.
7. 7. Mycoplasmosis. This disease is difficult to detect at an early stage. Mycoplasmosis affects the respiratory system, the birth of healthy kittens, eye problems and stomach problems. An animal becomes infected with it not only during normal communication with relatives, but also during sexual intercourse, if the second pet was already sick with this disease. There is no vaccine against mycoplasmosis.
8. 8. Cat flu. This type of disease resembles human flu. Fever, sneezing, purulent runny nose. Cat flu is difficult to treat. Most kittens under one year of age cannot contract this disease if they are not vaccinated on time. In a small percentage of cases, adult cats manage to recover, but as a result they experience various complications.

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Why does a cat bleed from the anus: diagnosis and treatment

After making an accurate diagnosis, the doctor draws up an individual treatment plan. Depending on the factors and causes that caused the pathological condition, therapy will vary. The main methods of treating nosebleeds are:

• stopping bleeding by applying cold compresses to the bridge of the nose;
• introduction of vasoconstrictor drugs into the nasal cavity and adrenaline;
• sedatives to calm the animal;
• administration of vitamin K for poisoning with rat poison or hemophilia;
• surgical intervention for serious cases of damage to the nasal cavity.

If a cat is bleeding from the nose due to bacterial or fungal infections, therapy is prescribed to eliminate the provoking factor. As a rule, these are systemic antimicrobial agents and antihistamines.

It is also necessary to prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and vitamin complexes.

During therapeutic measures and after the animal’s recovery, it is important to provide it with proper care. It is necessary to protect your pet from stressful situations as much as possible and provide him with the right diet.

After recovery, it is advisable to periodically undergo preventive examinations with a veterinary specialist to prevent the recurrence of pathological conditions in the pet.

Author and presenter of the column: Veterinarian Igor Viktorovich Sanaev

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Other causes of sneezing in cats

Sneezing in animals can also occur for non-infectious reasons:

• Infection with helminths. From time to time, the cat needs to be given anthelmintic drugs. Helminth larvae are quite small and easily spread throughout the body through the bloodstream. They can get into any organs, including the brain and heart. If medical assistance is not provided in time, the animal will die. The danger of helminthiases is that sometimes it is quite difficult to determine their presence in the body. If the heart muscle is affected by helminths, it is impossible to remove them using conventional anthelmintic tablets or suspensions.
• Poor oral hygiene. Rotting teeth in a cat causes severe irritation of the oral mucosa. The animal stops eating normally, begins to sneeze, cough, and often begins to drool profusely.
• Toys with small details like beads and small sequins. When a cat plays, she most often tears off the decorations from the toy. Small parts get into the respiratory tract, causing the cat to sneeze and mucus to come out of the nose. In this case, you need to contact your veterinarian to remove the foreign object. It is dangerous to independently remove a foreign body from the nasal cavity of an animal, as it can damage the mucous membranes.
• Cancer. If the tumor affects the nasal passage, most often mucus mixed with blood is released from the nose.
• Asthma. It appears in cats as a consequence of past illnesses, and not as an independent illness. This may be due to an allergy, if it has a strong impact on the respiratory system, or after an infectious disease that was treated with the wrong methods. Cats with asthma almost always sneeze and have difficulty breathing.
• Bites from mosquitoes, horse flies and other blood-sucking insects cause allergies, sneezing and itching in some cats. Pets cannot be smeared with repellent, and no other protection is provided for them.

Diagnostics

Complete medical history and in-depth physical examination.

It is recommended that you inform your veterinarian of any potential exposure to toxins or poisons, head or eye injuries, patterns of (sudden or gradual) bleeding, medications currently being administered to your cat, pre-existing medical conditions, or recent physical abnormalities observed in the cat.

Complete ophthalmological examination.

Typically, this includes: examining the inside of the eye using appropriate magnifying glasses, fluorescein staining of the cornea, and tonometry to determine the presence of glaucoma. It is important to determine the extent of the hyphema, check whether it affects only the anterior chamber or even the back of the eye, and whether it affects one or both eyes. The veterinarian, if deemed necessary, may refer the owner to a veterinary ophthalmologist for further evaluation of the hyphema using appropriate instruments.

Prevention

Of course, the cat must have all vaccinations against various ticks and other harmful insects. Because walking down the street and sniffing everything you can often pick up more than just fleas. From time to time it is worth examining the animal's teeth

, since with dental disease, the nasal cavity also suffers and as a result of this, blood can also be released from the nasal passages.

Vaccinations against:

• Rabies.
• Feline leukemia.
• Against various respiratory tract infections.

All these vaccinations are given when the kitten is six months old.

My cat is sick: she is sneezing, coughing, and seems lethargic. Why? What happened? Why I turned to a veterinarian for advice. And this is what he told me. There may be several reasons for this. Firstly, it may be the accidental entry of dust or small objects into the animal’s nasal passage. Secondly, it could be a disease. Moreover, there can be all sorts of diseases: infection, colds, cat flu.

The most common reason why a cat sneezes is an infection of the nasal passage: a secondary bacterial infection or herpes. After suffering from an illness, the cat’s immunity weakens, which is why sneezing appears.

The most interesting thing is that a cat sneezes and coughs if it has toothache. This sign is used by veterinarians to diagnose dental diseases in baleen cats.

Animals are predisposed to developing nasal polyps. And as a reaction to the removal of a foreign body from the nasal cavity, the cat begins to sneeze.

Additionally, cats sneezing is caused by dust and other substances in the air. Especially if your cat is allergic. Cats, like people, have asthma attacks. And this disease not only noticeably worsens the general condition of the animal, but also causes sneezing. If a cat sneezes, becomes lethargic, stops wanting to go outside, and has difficulty breathing, then these are all signs of asthma. The cause of this disease may be a reaction to house dust, microorganisms and microparticles contained in it.

There have even been cases when cats sneezed very hard, and as a result of examination they were diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. True, this does not give the veterinarian the right to say that sneezing is a sign of heart disease in an animal.

Your pet may have rhinotracheitis, and then she will also sneeze and cough. An effective remedy for this can be vaccinations against the virus, which are carried out annually throughout the cat’s life. They will protect your cat from the most serious infections.

An example is cat flu. It is caused by extremely dangerous viruses that affect the upper respiratory tract: feline rhinotracheitis virus or calicivirus. Then the lungs are affected and pneumonia appears. The viruses that cause cat flu are the cause of about 90% of infectious respiratory diseases. They can affect a large number of animals, transmitted from one to another by airborne droplets. Not all sick animals become healthy; some recovered nasal discharge remains forever. Therefore, to combat viruses, it is necessary to use a flu vaccine. This virus is especially dangerous for small kittens, which need to be vaccinated from 6 weeks.

Pay attention to why your cat sneezes and often rubs its nose with its paw. If she also has watery eyes, runny nose, and a high fever, difficulty breathing, and ulcers in her mouth and tongue, then it is quite possible that your cat has the flu, and you should immediately consult a doctor.

Well, in addition to diseases, it may simply be the entry of a small foreign body, irritating substances, or liquid into the nasal passage. For example, fluff, pieces of grass, wool, pollen, smoke, etc.

Sneezing is always quite unpleasant, but it is not a disease, but a symptom. It worsens the condition of the animal and causes inconvenience to it. If you really want to help your pet, you need to try to establish why the cat is sneezing, to find out the real reason for this phenomenon, in order to strike a blow against the disease. If you notice that the sneezing does not stop for some time and you are unable to cope, consult a doctor. He will help. After examination and in-depth examination, in the case of a respiratory infection, the veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics. Although such medicine is powerless against the virus itself.

The cat's body, like the human body, reacts very sensitively to any changes. Frequent sneezing is one of the symptoms with which pet owners seek help from a veterinarian.

The cat is sneezing - how and with what to treat this problem?

If an animal sneezes and rubs its nose with its paw, this does not mean that the furry pet is sick. But in cases where sneezing becomes frequent and prolonged, the cat owner should think about seeing a doctor. This symptom can belong to a wide variety of diseases. Therefore, if you are not ready to risk the life of your beloved cat, deal with this issue immediately.