Nose bleeds

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Podgelover

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Does anyone have any experience with nose bleeds?

My 21 year old TB had a nosebleed last night from both nostrils. Tiny amount of blood wiped up with a tissue, then checked him last night and nothing. This morning a tiny bit from one nostril; again wiped up with a tissue. Then this afternoon bleeding from both nostril. Having spoken to the vet over the phone they have said it's not much to worry about as he would have to lose a lot of blood before it became serious? I am just slightly concerned!

Thanks!
 
Podgelover said:
Does anyone have any experience with nose bleeds?

My 21 year old TB had a nosebleed last night from both nostrils. Tiny amount of blood wiped up with a tissue, then checked him last night and nothing. This morning a tiny bit from one nostril; again wiped up with a tissue. Then this afternoon bleeding from both nostril. Having spoken to the vet over the phone they have said it's not much to worry about as he would have to lose a lot of blood before it became serious? I am just slightly concerned!

Thanks!
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Yes, my horses have had nosebleeds, (often from putting their heads in the hedgerows and nicking their nostrils!), and your vet is right that a small amount of blood can look alarming.
But if is bleeding from both nostrils then would get Vet out......if isn't much or is a "one-off" then maybe could wait til tomorrow, but if you are worried then give the vet another call and let him/her decide if should come out. If there's any infection, then always better to nip it in the bud sooner rather than later.
 
I think you've done the right thing in calling the vet, and I agree with lizzi2: if he continues to get nosebleeds, especially in both nostrils, call the vet out.

An emergency vet once caused my boy to have a bad nose bleed (unavoidable situation, no one to blame). He bled and bled: the floor was stained with it and I remember being so anxious! I got the same 'would take a lot before its serious' but I could have sworn every drop in him was on the floor! What I'm trying to say is although yours is only bleeding a bit, theres no reason for it. Mine bled a lot but it was explainable: and so it reassured me when he finally stopped. Until I found an explanation I would be wary.

Good luck:)
 
That was my exact worry! I know two nostrils is bad, poor horse is constantly in the wars at the moment. I haven't noticed any coughing or bed eating, so I suppose that is something. Will be closely monitoring and will get the vet out if it continues. It is an incredibly small amount of blood, which is why the vet probably isn't worried. Just can't help but be concerned it's just not normal!
In fairness he is showing no signs of discomfort at all and the vet is probably right unless it starts to pour out it may not be worth concern. There isn't even enough blood to drip on the floor to be quite honest!
 
What colour is the blood? Dark red will have come from somewhere near the head, bright red from the lungs. You say he has been in the wars - has he banged his head recently? This is normally the cause of most nosebleeds in nirmal horses. He is also an older horse. Was he a racehorse in his previous life? I only ask as he is a tb and that would have been strenuous on him and he may have been a bleeder then, it may have caught up with him again now.

My 18yo tb still has random nosebleeds and he was a bad bleeder when racing. No rhyme nor reason to when he gets them and its only 1 or 2 a year and it doesn't bother me but I have seen literally half os his blood contents on the floor where he landed on his foot and severed his heart bar 1 artery! Trust me -a horse has a HELL of a lot of blood!

Personally I wouldn't be too worried but if he hasnt banged his head and it persists then I would get a scope done just incase there is something there.
 
My horse suffers from nosebleeds too. At one point he had 3 small nosebleeds in the same week. I had him scoped to rule out anything nasty and it appears that he just has a damaged blood vessel which will bleed at the slightest thing. He is also more prone to bleeds if the temperature changes quickly, particularly if it gets very hot. It's just something I have got used to but I have owned him for quite some time so it is 'normal' for him.

I would keep an eye on your boy for now and have him scoped if it becomes more regular or if he shows any other unusual symptoms. Agree with those who have said you did the right thing calling the vet in the first instance.
 
Littlebrownhorse said:
My horse suffers from nosebleeds too. At one point he had 3 small nosebleeds in the same week. I had him scoped to rule out anything nasty and it appears that he just has a damaged blood vessel which will bleed at the slightest thing. He is also more prone to bleeds if the temperature changes quickly, particularly if it gets very hot. It's just something I have got used to but I have owned him for quite some time so it is 'normal' for him.

I would keep an eye on your boy for now and have him scoped if it becomes more regular or if he shows any other unusual symptoms. Agree with those who have said you did the right thing calling the vet in the first instance.
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Thanks that's really helpful! I am sure its not that serious because if it were it would be so regular and a lot more blood. Haventy noted temps but I may start noting. He hadn't had any since the weekend until yesterday there was a tiny drop, it doesn't even make it out of his nostril its such a small amount.
 
My tb had something similar about 18 months ago. No sign of any kicks and no history of bleeds in the 6 years I had owned him.

Vet scoped to rule out a couple of unusual but potentially serious things (tumours, gutteral pouch mycosis) and having ruled them out it was a case of some bute and keep an eye.

It's never recurred so we assumed it was a bump of some kind but I don't regret scoping.
 
criso said:
My tb had something similar about 18 months ago. No sign of any kicks and no history of bleeds in the 6 years I had owned him.

Vet scoped to rule out a couple of unusual but potentially serious things (tumours, gutteral pouch mycosis) and having ruled them out it was a case of some bute and keep an eye.

It's never recurred so we assumed it was a bump of some kind but I don't regret scoping.
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Yeah perhaps I should get him scoped at least for peace of mind. He is on Bute at the moment for another reason, to be honest I'm having a nightmare with him at the moment, he seems to be falling apart! :(
 
Mine's retired at 12 from an old injury but once a year does something dramatic to keep me on my toes. Nosebleed was 2013, 2014 was ulcerated cornea, let's see what this year brings.

The vet that came out on that occasion errs on the lets consider the worst case scenario side of things, another might have recommended wait and see but if you have vet coming out for something else, the scope wasn't expensive.
 
I do feel like a broken record when it comes to nosebleeds, but my own horse had guttural pouch mycosis so I'm a tad paranoid....

Minor nosebleeds at rest can be a warning sign of GPM, so scoping may be in order.... are there any other signs at all, facially? Mine has horners syndrome, sweating on one side of the face and a droopy eyelid, more obvious following his almost fatal bleed and subsequent surgery, but he did have very minor changes beforehand, but I put those down to just looking a tad down in the dumps....
 
alsxx said:
I do feel like a broken record when it comes to nosebleeds, but my own horse had guttural pouch mycosis so I'm a tad paranoid....

Minor nosebleeds at rest can be a warning sign of GPM, so scoping may be in order.... are there any other signs at all, facially? Mine has horners syndrome, sweating on one side of the face and a droopy eyelid, more obvious following his almost fatal bleed and subsequent surgery, but he did have very minor changes beforehand, but I put those down to just looking a tad down in the dumps....
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I haven't noticed any other symptoms if I'm honest, and I am a real worrier so would really try to find them, the only thing I'd say that's changed is he's a little more sleepy when he comes in, but he's just moved to individual turn out due to being kicked by another horse and I think he might be a bit full of grass he's had no sweating and he's not even clipped, he's had no drooping in his lips or anything like that. He's very much himself other than that, and he's out of work so it's not exercise related :( I'm so unsure as to what to do because it's so tiny it doesn't even make it past the bottom of his nostril, which makes me think it may not be that serious?
I think a scope to put my mind at rest may be the best thing all round
 
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