Nosebleeds in horses

[SEL]

Asking for a friend not on social media

She's had the horse a couple of years and he will randomly start bleeding from either nostril - enough to be an obvious nosebleed (plus he's grey so you can definitely see it)

Vet checked his guttural pouches last year and nothing. They seemed to stop for a while but are back now. No link to exercise - he doesn't do much - or anything else we can think of.

She's had her bodyworker out who has suggested a CT scan. Given the horse is in his teems and at most plods around the block I'm thinking overkill (not insured) but interested in what other people think. The vets when they came out last year weren't particularly worried, but there is a fair trickle of blood so its not just a scratch.

 

[Jambarissa]

One of mine was like this, nosebleeds and sometimes infected snot which cleared quickly with antibiotics. Started in her 20s. Vet thought it might be a crack in her skull, said he could do a scan but wouldn't be able to fix it so not worthwhile.

Is it at any time of year? Mare on my yard has nosebleeds triggered by certain pollens. She vasalines the nostrils and uses polinex which seems to keep it under control.

 

[Polos Mum]

Mine had them and the vet advice I had at the time was

- One is OK - if it's both its bad
- red fresh looking blood is OK - dark / browny is bad
- a small amount looks like a lot down the front of a grey horse (mine was grey too) - so small (3-4 table spoons) is nothing to worry about - albeit looks grim

Looking for a cause was like looking for needle in haystack if they are intermittent and you don't have a clear trigger that you can do at a vets surgery on demand.

For mine it was probably a thin walled blood vessel that would leak occasionally - his was worse in summer (maybe pollen) and influenced by exercise (not necessarily ridden but a good play about in the field).

If she gets half a mug of watered down ketchup and pours it on his chest she'll realise how much a small amount of blood really looks !

 

[Caol Ila]

My old mare used to get intermittent nosebleeds, and the vet's advice was the same as what Polos Mum has said.

So I basically ignored them.

She lived until age 28.

 

[SEL]

Thanks - I'll pass that on.

I think a CT scan is excessive because I'm pretty sure the scope would have picked up anything horrible last year and if there's something vile that would show on a CT scan then she'll know soon enough!!

 

[maya2008]

One of my old mares did it randomly a few times a year after a giant crack on the head (she was in her stable, went down to bone…proper TB injury that!). No other symptoms, was never a problem.

 

[SEL]

One of my old mares did it randomly a few times a year after a giant crack on the head (she was in her stable, went down to bone…proper TB injury that!). No other symptoms, was never a problem.

We don't know much about his history although the dentist spotted a tooth removal - so maybe there was an accident.

The bleeding bothers his human more than him!

 

[mcgreggor]

My gelding used to get intermittent nosebleeds, never both nostrils and always fresh blood. It would happen maybe 1-4 times in a year and he never seemed bothered so never involved the vet. He actually hadn't had one in the last couple of years. We lost him this month, aged 34 to a non-related issue (strangulated lipoma).

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

One of our mares gets intermittent nosebleeds..I think due to pollen..she’s 26 so I’m not investigating with a vet. They don’t last long and she isn’t distressed and there’s no infected mucous discharge. Benign neglect …

 

[jonp4161]

It sounds like a frustrating situation. From what I've read, it seems like intermittent nosebleeds in horses can be tricky to diagnose. If the vet isn’t too concerned and the nosebleeds aren't accompanied by other symptoms, it might be less worrisome. However, if you're still concerned, getting a second opinion or further investigation like a CT scan could provide peace of mind. Hope you find a solution that works for both you and your horse!

Asking for a friend not on social media

She's had the horse a couple of years and he will randomly start bleeding from either nostril - enough to be an obvious nosebleed (plus he's grey so you can definitely see it)

Vet checked his guttural pouches last year and nothing. They seemed to stop for a while but are back now. No link to exercise - he doesn't do much - or anything else we can think of.

She's had her bodyworker out who has suggested a CT scan. Given the horse is in his teems and at most plods around the block I'm thinking overkill (not insured) but interested in what other people think. The vets when they came out last year weren't particularly worried, but there is a fair trickle of blood so its not just a scratch.

 

[Mudfukkle]

One of mine had intermittent nose bleeds. She was scoped, but nothing was found. Vet suggested it was just weak blood vessels. So, we just ignored it and carried on.
She was PTS at the grand age of 29 - not related to her nosebleeds.

 

[SEL]

One of mine had intermittent nose bleeds. She was scoped, but nothing was found. Vet suggested it was just weak blood vessels. So, we just ignored it and carried on.
She was PTS at the grand age of 29 - not related to her nosebleeds.

thank you

The horse isn't insured so given the original scope found nothing to worry about she's assuming weak blood vessels and carrying on.

I did wonder if pollen might have been a trigger because it was bad last week.

I think being grey it always looks worse too!

 

[Orangina]

I know I'm not a horse so this is probably not helpful in the slightest but both me and my daughter suffer bad nosebleeds seasonally linked to pollen. Don't see why it couldn't potentially happen to a horse too?

 

[khalswitz]

Personally I’d be very wary of nosebleeds nowadays. It was the only sign of the gutteral pouch mycosis that ultimately killed my best mate’s gorgeous 5 yo eventer - the vet said without surgery he could have just bled to death at any moment and the only sign was a nosebleed every few days.

In the past I’d have shrugged it off but not after that.

 

[Orangina]

Personally I’d be very wary of nosebleeds nowadays. It was the only sign of the gutteral pouch mycosis that ultimately killed my best mate’s gorgeous 5 yo eventer - the vet said without surgery he could have just bled to death at any moment and the only sign was a nosebleed every few days.

In the past I’d have shrugged it off but not after that.

I thought the post said guttural pouches had been checked and found to be clear for the horse in question here?

 

[SEL]

I thought the post said guttural pouches had been checked and found to be clear for the horse in question here?

They have. Horse was scoped when they first started.

I have a friend whose horse was back & forwards to hospital for months with mycosis. He survived, but it put it on my radar.

 

[khalswitz]

I thought the post said guttural pouches had been checked and found to be clear for the horse in question here?

That’s completely my bad I obviously missed that in the post - ‘nosebleed’ just got my heart rate up!

 

[SEL]

That’s completely my bad I obviously missed that in the post - ‘nosebleed’ just got my heart rate up!

don't worry - got mine up too when my friend first mentioned them!!

I was the one who persuaded her to get the vet out for the original scope and I'm sure she thinks it was a waste of money given they didn't find anything - but just imagine if it had been something serious.

 

[khalswitz]

don't worry - got mine up too when my friend first mentioned them!!

I was the one who persuaded her to get the vet out for the original scope and I'm sure she thinks it was a waste of money given they didn't find anything - but just imagine if it had been something serious.

Absolutely! Your horse bleeding to death with little warning right in front of you is up there amongst the most traumatic things I could think of. Bit of money is worth avoiding that.

 

[Chianti]

I would ask the vet to do a blood test. Years ago my first horse kept getting very small nose bleeds and when the vet did a blood test she was very anaemic.