Why is my dog sneezing blood? What are the causes and next steps?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Anna M., DVM

  Veterinarian

  Sneezing with blood could be due to an upper respiratory infection (either bacterial or fungal), a foreign body (she could have snorted a seed or other object into a nostril), or a nasal polyp. It could also be related to an infected tooth, as some of the tooth roots in the upper jaw (maxilla) come very close to the nasal passage and can cause nasal discharge. In an older dog I would be concerned about the possibility of a cancerous mass/tumor, but that would be pretty unusual for a dog Luna's age.
  
  The best way to get more information would be to have Luna seen by a vet. Your vet may try to look into her nostrils with a scope, or may take a swab of nasal discharge and look at it under a microscope to look for evidence of infection. Depending on how Luna's lungs sound, your vet may recommend chest x-rays to make sure there isn't an infection deeper in the lungs. Hope this helps!

  

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• Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  Published on December 27th, 2016

  This could mean a couple of things. Grace could have suffered trauma to her head causing her to sneeze blood, she could have a respiratory infection, or she could have a foreign body or tumor in her nose. I would recommend having her seen by a vet, as it's not normal to sneeze blood. Using a physical exam, routine blood tests, a urinalysis, and possibly x-rays, the vet can diagnose what caused her to sneeze blood, and can recommend a treatment for it.

  

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