My cat is coughing and sneezing blood. What's the underlying cause?

Poor cat. Over 90% of cats with acute sneezing discharge are infected with herpesvirus and calicivirus. These viruses are usually exposed to cats when they are young and cats seems to recover from them but they continuously cause irritation, erosions, and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (nasal passages) over time which can lead to mild nose bleeds. However there is also a possibility that your kitty could have a coagulation problems that is causing the bleeding as well. Therefore it is best to get kitty seen by your veterinarian for a coagulation profile in case kitty needs more extensive treatment to resolve this. If kitty is negative for any bleeding disorders or any other potential causes of nose bleeding (i.e. fungal, allergic, etc), then the extent of treatment will most likely be 1) Anti-viral medication (Lysine-availlabe over the counter at your local pet store or at your vet clinic), 2)Antibiotics- to treat any secondary infections present, 3)Steroid or NSAID therapy to help ease inflammation of the nasal turbinates. I would recommend scheduling an appointment with your cat's veterinarian soon to get the proper testing and treatment your cat needs for his care.

This is probably an upper respiratory infection. it's very common in cats and is very contagious to other cats as well. It is treated with oral antibiotics for about 2 weeks. if left untreated many cats will end up blind or even die from the disease. I advise going to your vet asap to start the treatment right away.

It could be a sign of a foreign body in the nose or at the back of th throat (typically starts as an acute bout of sneezing and throat discomfort). It may be related to nasal cavity infection, mass or polyp in the nose, or even low platelet count. Please, take Teddy to your local vets without delay, as if left untreated, these kind of problems can lead to a severe nosebleed that may be difficult to stop.

Since this has bene going on for a while, I would get it checked by your vet as soon as possible. It could be a cold, he could have sneezed some particle of foreign material up into his nasal cavity, he could have a polyp in his nose, there's no way to know for sure without an exam with your vet. The greenish tinge to the discharge may mean he already has an infection going on. Your vet will do an exam, possibly lab work and/or x-rays to determine what's going on and based on these results will be better able to tell you what's wrong and give you treatment options.

I can see that the vomit has blood in it, which can be caused by stomach ulcers. Dark feces can also be an indicator of digested blood in the stool, which occurs with ulcers. Ulcers can be caused by a number of underlying conditions such as chronic foreign bodies, diet, or kidney disease. The sneezing can be a sign of pain or unrelated to the vomiting (concurrent upper respiratory or lung disease). I recommend having your cat seen by a vet right away. They will likely recommend bloodwork and x-rays to diagnose and localize the issue and begin an appropriate treatment plan. I hope all is well and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Hello, sorry to hear about Ichi. I would recommend having her evaluated by her veterinarian as sneezing blood is worrisome for an upper airway infection with fungus or bacteria. Alternatively, this could be associated with an allergic reaction or hypersensitivity for food or something in the environment. Finally, cats may develop inflammation of the sinuses and upper airway known as rhinitis. If she continues to have blood in her sneezing, vomiting, a decreased appetite, or other forms of nasal discharge then have her evaluated sooner. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I do think it would be a good idea to see the vet but it can sometimes be very difficult to find the source of the blood in a situation like this. A sneeze is possible but you would probably also see some nasal discharge. If it is from urine I would expect that a cat would be visiting the litter box frequently or straining to urinate. Toenails and ears can also bleed if they are injured. Since blood in the urine in particular can be very serious I'd recommend seeing a vet sooner rather than later even if both cats seem fine otherwise.