What to do if your horse has a nosebleed

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/06/2016 (3441 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Horses can develop nosebleeds for many reasons; some nosebleeds are minor and some require prompt attention.

Most nosebleeds occur from a bump to the head or nose and are minor. Knowing some of the signs of the more serious causes for nosebleeds will help you identify a problem early before there are serious consequences.

A nosebleed occurs when there is a disruption of blood vessels somewhere in the respiratory tract. This includes the upper airway, as you would expect, but also the sinuses and lungs.
The most common reason for a small amount of blood in the nostrils is a minor trauma or bump to the nose. These types of nosebleeds are often missed and, if noticed, they resolve within minutes with only a small trickle of blood present.

If the nosebleed recurs on a frequent basis or there is profuse bleeding from the nostrils (either one side or both sides), then you need to seek veterinary medical attention.
In the upper respiratory tract — which includes the inside of the nose back to the larynx as well as the sinuses and guttural pouches — recurrent or significant bleeding can be due to several things, including:

• A fungus infection that wears away at the wall of the internal carotid artery in the guttural pouch;

• It can be due to fungal infections within the sinuses or in the labyrinth of tissue in the nose;

• A benign tumor, known as an ethmoid hematoma, which forms at the back of the pharynx or in the sinuses;

• Severe trauma to the head (flipping over backwards and hitting the skull);

• Or any cancerous tumors of the upper airways.

Abscesses in the guttural pouches or sinuses can also result in bleeding but usually with some yellow discharge as well.

Fungal infection of the internal carotid artery is a life-threatening condition and usually results in profuse, bright red bleeding from one or both nostrils. Ethmoid hematomas usually result in recurrent nose bleeds with red-brown blood discharge often from just one nostril. Similarly, sinus related bleeding usually occurs from one nostril on the affected side.

Lower respiratory tract bleeding occurs from exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhages, or the breakdown of blood vessels in the lungs due to over-exertion during exercise. This type of bleeding will occur following exercise, often five to 20 minutes after the exercise. If you suspect this may be the cause of bleeding, then your veterinarian should be summoned to investigate further.

Chris Bell is an equine veterinarian and surgical specialist who operates Elders Equine Veterinary Service, with clinics in Cartier and Winnipeg. See www.eldersequineclinic.com.