What causes Nose Bleeds?

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hotdog

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As the title says really

What can cause a nose bleed in a horse that hasn't had one before?

I was wondering if being in a rug all day getting hot could cause it?

And what should you do if your horse has a nose bleed?
 
As stranger says, hotdog. Nosebleeds can be caused by anything from, at one end, a minor bump to, at the other end, serious lung or breathing problems. Your horse would have to be microwaved before being hot would cause a nosebleed hun! If your ned has a nosebleed, a good start is to decide whether it's just a scrape on the nose. Can you see a cut from a bramble or something? Is it just a teeny bit of blood? Could ned have been hoolying around in the field? If it's a more substantial bleed that won't stop, then you need to get the vet out. The vet will want to know whether the horse has had this before and if not, has he done anything different in the last 24hrs or so, eg been boxed somewhere, had a hard day's hunting etc etc? If you're concerned, why not ring your vets and explain over the phone so they can decide if it needs a visit.
 
we have a 16 year old (going on 5) hunter who has had intermittent bleeds for some years, he's been to specialist vets, been endoscoped etc. and apparently the blood coming from the nose is only a fraction of what is bleeding fron the lung area. having said that, all is not lost- in his case(all cases are different) it is only a trickle and as he looks and feels well in every other way we put the problem to the back of our minds and ride on.(many race horses suffer this too.) we have this winter used Equiwinner patches on him and, touch wood, no bleeds! give them a try- available on the net. good luck-
 
As the other guys have said it depends on the severity, the main cause of concern if a horse had a very large nose bleed is the gutteral pouch, the carotid arteries run through these and if damage has been caused they can bleed profusely and it is very serious, i.e being an artery and also supplying the brain, therefore if your horses nose bleed is large I would get the vet out to have a look. Also nose bleeds can be caused if the ethmoid turbinates are damaged, often horses being gastroscoped can damage these on the stomach tube...these nose bleeds also look quite bad but aren't as serious as the former.

You will be able to judge for yourself whether the nose bleed is very small and insignificant i.e. a cut, or whether it looks profuse! Also if the nose bleeds occur again, I would get the vet to check. Think whether it has occurred following exercise as the others said, there can be bleeding in the lungs but this isn't quite as common in the average horse as it is in rachorses, EIPH (exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage).

If still worried and not sure speak to your vet, don't panic though!
 
keep an eye on your horse because the bleeding could be caused by a guttural pouch infection and and they can be very serious if not treated.
 
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