What To Do If Your Pet is Bleeding
Written by Small Door's medical experts
A bleeding pet injury can be a scary and stressful experience, for both the owner and the furry family member. Knowing how best to approach your pet and perform first aid on bleeding wounds can help you attend to your cat or dog in even the worst of scenarios until you can get to veterinary care.
In this article:
Bleeding is the loss of blood from the circulatory system. Your cat or dog may experience bleeding if they sustain an external injury (an injury occurring on the outside of the body) that breaks the skin and sometimes the layers of tissue below.
Some common injuries that may lead to bleeding are:
Abrasions (a scrape on the skin)
Lacerations (a cut or tear in the skin)
Puncture wounds (an impalement or foreign object, such as a stick, pole, dog bite, spear, or hook, becoming lodged in an area of your pet’s body)
Your pet may also experience internal bleeding, which is when trauma or toxic substances cause blood to leak out of the circulatory system inside the body. This is a little harder to spot, but any signs of it should prompt a visit to your veterinarian practice right away (see below for more information).
It’s recommended that you seek veterinary medical attention as soon as possible for any signs of internal bleeding (such as coughing up blood, pale gums, acute weakness/ collapse, bleeding from the nose, black, tarry stools) or any external bleeding on the skin, as at-home first aid and bandaging are not a replacement for professional medical care. Your veterinarian will be able to assess the cause of internal bleeding or perform an aseptic cleaning and remove any possible debris or foreign objects in a skin wound. Your veterinarian may also give your pet the necessary antibiotics, pain relief medications, or anti-inflammatory medicines. This will help reduce the risk of the wound becoming infected, and it will also help lower pain, soreness, and swelling.
An injured pet may act skittish, scared, or even aggressive due to pain and trauma. Try to follow these steps when approaching a wounded animal:
Approach a wounded animal slowly and cautiously.
Try to calm the cat or dog as best as you can.
Restrain your cat or dog by wrapping them in a thick blanket or towel or apply a muzzle before tending to the wound to prevent any possible biting.
Until you can get to veterinary care, slowing the bleeding is possible with these first aid steps:
Apply gentle, direct pressure/compression to the wound: If your pet is bleeding from a wound, apply gentle, direct pressure right away to the area that is bleeding using gauze, bandage materials (such as a non-absorbent pad), or even a clean cloth if you don’t have bandage supplies at hand. Keep the cloth or gauze on the wound to allow for the bleeding area to form a clot. If the wound begins bleeding through the material, you may add additional layers of cloth or gauze on top, but don’t remove layers because this may disturb the blood clot and cause further bleeding. It’s important to note that any bandages that are applied too tightly can restrict blood flow, which can lead to swelling or even necrosis (death) of the tissues, which can be a serious medical issue. Decreased blood flow and constriction is particularly an issue with bandages on the limbs or paws as one can easily place the bandage too tight in these areas.
Apply pressure to the supplying artery closest to the wound: Apply pressure to the supplying artery nearest to the wound/affected area.
Do not attempt to remove any foreign objects: Do not pull or remove anything lodged in your pet’s body. Instead, try to stabilize the object. If it’s an extremely long object, you can try to shorten the end by a few inches.
Keep your pet as still as possible: Encourage your cat or dog to not move around and to stay as still as possible.
Consider a tourniquet for severe bleeding: Placing a tourniquet is only recommended in severe, life-or-death situations, as an improperly placed tourniquet can be extremely dangerous and lead to potential limb amputation or disability. An indication of a severe bleeding injury where a tourniquet would be warranted is if the wound is actively spurting blood. To place a tourniquet, use a piece of cloth that is 2 inches in width or greater and then wrap the cloth around the affected limb two times and tie a knot. Then you’ll need a stick (preferably short in length) or a similar-shaped object to tie into the knot. Once the stick has been tied into the knot, twist the stick to essentially tighten the cloth. This is done until the bleeding stops. Once the bleeding has stopped, secure the stick using a second piece of cloth. It’s extremely important to note what time the tourniquet was applied, and you will want to loosen the tourniquet for approximately 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
In general:
For bleeding paws, limbs, and torso, you’ll want to apply pressure as directed above, and then seek veterinary care as soon as possible.
The ears and tail are very vascular areas, which means they are filled with lots of blood vessels. A small wound may cause a lot of bleeding. Apply pressure as directed above, and then transport your pet to the hospital as soon as possible so that they can receive medical care.
For bleeding nails, use a cauterizing powder (such as Kwik Stop powder, cornstarch, or flour) or a styptic pencil to help cauterize the bleeding. If the bleeding is very heavy, or if the nail continues to bleed after 10 minutes, contact your veterinary hospital for immediate treatment.
For blood in urine, feces, or vomit, contact your veterinary hospital at the first sign of any blood. It may be an indication of internal bleeding (among other serious conditions), and it’s important that your cat or dog receives veterinary care as soon as possible.
Once you have the bleeding under control after performing one or several of the above first aid steps, you should transport your pet to the nearest veterinary hospital for immediate treatment.
Upon arrival at the hospital, your veterinarian will determine whether any sedation or anesthesia are required to tend to your pet’s bleeding wound.
Not all bleeding will occur on the outside of the body. Sometimes, trauma or the ingestion of toxic substances may cause bleeding to occur internally (within the body). If not addressed as quickly as possible, this may lead to the development of shock. According to Veterinary Information Network (VIN), blood loss of just 2 teaspoons per pound of body weight is enough loss to cause shock in a cat or dog.
What are the signs of internal bleeding?
Physical signs of internal bleeding in a feline or canine may include:
Pale gums, or gums that are white or blue in color
If your pet’s body (ears, legs, paws, etc.) feel cool or cold to the touch
Lethargy or abnormal tiredness, not moving normally
Coughing up blood
High heart rate with concurrent low blood pressure
In addition to all of the aforementioned concerns associated with a bleeding wound, animal bite wounds may introduce a whole other layer of complication. Typically, bite wounds are either punctures or lacerations, and they pose more risk for infection. As there is a large amount of bacteria in an animal’s mouth, a bite wound essentially injects the wounded area with bacteria. Another danger specific to bite wounds is the potential transmission of viral diseases, including fatal diseases such as rabies. Therefore, it’s imperative to seek professional veterinary care for any type of bite wound so that your pet receives proper and timely treatment.
Being prepared with the knowledge of basic and emergency first aid care for bleeding can help you respond to any potential pet injuries swiftly and confidently. It’s important to apply first aid to your pet to stop the bleeding and seek veterinary care right away.
