Why does a cat bleed from the mouth - 5 main causes of bleeding

Internal and external reasons can influence the fact that a cat develops blood from the mouth. In most cases, profuse bloody saliva occurs when vital organs—the liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines—are disrupted. If there is a problem, additional symptoms are recorded, such as broken stools, lack of appetite, restlessness, and more. As soon as the owner notices that the cat is dripping blood from its mouth or has bloody impurities in its nose, it is necessary to urgently seek veterinary help.

Main reasons

Bleeding due to mechanical damage

When a cat suddenly starts bleeding from the mouth, this may indicate an injury of varying severity. Domestic and street felines often damage their eyes and oral cavity with branches, sticks and other foreign objects. Also, such a violation can be a consequence of a fight with competitors or a consequence of eating bones and other solid foods. If bleeding in the mouth area is associated with mechanical damage, then pay attention to the following features shown in the table:

Experts note that in order to quickly stop the discharge of blood from the cat’s mouth, it is necessary to treat the wounds with cotton swabs with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Blood and liver pathologies

If there are no infectious reasons for such a symptom in an animal, you should pay attention to its blood.
Sudden bleeding from a cat's mouth is a consequence of serious liver diseases and abnormalities of the hematopoietic system. When clotting is impaired, destructive processes occur, as a result of which liver function is disrupted. Often, such manifestations are a sign of an exacerbation of some non-contagious disease, in which foam does not come out of the mouth. It is impossible to cope with the problem on your own, so it is recommended to urgently contact a veterinary clinic.

Bleeding in the lungs: why does it happen?

When a cat is bleeding from the mouth, you should consult a doctor and have your pet examined for the presence of pulmonary pathologies. With such diseases, the animal develops foamy discharge with pink bloody impurities. Lung disorders are characterized by a scanty amount of blood, and it does not clot. In the case of such diseases, you should not self-medicate, but it is important to urgently take the cat to the doctor so that it does not die prematurely.

Stomach problems

To stop the further development of symptoms in the animal’s digestive system, you can use ice.
If a cat is bleeding from the mouth, this is a signal of internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract. With this pathology, the pet often vomits bloody clots, and the disorder causes severe pain in the abdominal area. To eliminate the problem, the cat needs to be allowed to swallow several ice cubes, and a cold compress is applied to the peritoneum. A serious disorder is damage to the choroid plexuses of the esophagus, which is accompanied by the flow of scarlet or cherry blood from the cat’s mouth.

The effect of toxic components on the cat's body

Owners of kittens and adult felines need to carefully examine the discharge from the oral cavity, the nature of which can determine the disorder. When a cat starts bleeding brown from the mouth, this may be the cause of injury to the gastric mucosa. A similar condition occurs when using the following substances:

• household chemicals;
• specialized mixtures for baiting rats and other parasites.

Veterinarians focus the attention of cat owners on the fact that animals do not need to induce vomiting when poisoned by toxins. Such actions provoke damage to the esophagus and respiratory organs from poisoned vomit.

The cat is bleeding from the mouth

Vomiting of blood (scientifically called hematemesis) varies in origin and source. Hematemesis is associated not only with the gastrointestinal tract, but also with the circulatory and respiratory systems. The gastrointestinal tract is a source of hematemesis due to injury, inflammation, and the presence of a foreign body. This will result in increased heart rate and/or low blood pressure. Heavy breathing is also a sign of severe bleeding. Clotted blood accumulates in the gastrointestinal tract, which subsequently leads to vomiting.

There may be other, but less common reasons. For example, a rupture of the esophagus or a foreign body entering the stomach, which will lead to irritation, inflammation and bloody vomiting. A lack of vitamin D can also lead to hematemesis. I will discuss the reasons in more detail in a special paragraph.

Symptoms and types

Hematemesis is mainly accompanied by bloody vomiting; the blood can be either fresh or in the form of stagnant dark-colored clots. Other symptoms: lack of appetite (anorexia), abdominal pain, black feces with a foul odor and blood (melena). A laboratory test will reveal low blood cell counts (anemia), rapid heartbeat, apathy, etc.

What causes it, reasons

There are many factors that lead to hematemesis, which have already been partially mentioned. Stomach ulcers and gastroenterological diseases are one of the most common causes. The inflammatory processes occurring in these areas cause hematemesis.

This list also includes:

• Various metabolic disorders
• Neurological and respiratory diseases
• Viral infections
• Liver failure
• Head injuries
• Worms

If the blood does not clot, it may be due to drug poisoning, rat poison, or your cat may have liver failure.

Bloody vomiting can occur as a result of trauma: burns, heat stroke, surgery, metal poisoning (iron, lead), snake bites, toxic plants and pesticides. Sometimes hematemesis occurs in severe clinical cases, which can be fatal.

Diagnostics

Blood, urine, and stool tests may be needed to determine the cause of hematemesis. Ultrasound examination and x-rays are used to detect internal injuries (esophageal rupture, ulcer, etc.). Thanks to these examinations, it is possible to determine the cause of bloody vomiting and begin to eliminate it in the right direction.

Treatment

The treatment itself directly depends on the diagnosis. If the case is not too severe, you can limit yourself to home treatment. And with internal bleeding, ulcers, and severe vomiting, hospital treatment will be required. It may include blood transfusion, fluid drainage, surgery, etc.

Care

It is better to feed a cat suffering from hematemesis with easily digestible foods. That is, low in fat and fiber, so as not to upset the digestive system after a shock. Further care is prescribed by the veterinarian who has determined the cause of the disease.

Prevention

First of all, isolate poisonous plants and products from the cat. It is also necessary to resort to the simplest diet, if required.

Additional symptoms

This manifestation can be combined in an animal with severe shortness of breath, which remains with him even in a calm state.
When a cat has bleeding from the nose or mouth against the background of internal pathologies, other clinical signs are characteristic:

• scarlet discharge from the oral cavity along with the pet’s saliva;
• gagging with bloody spots;
• impurities of blood in feces and urine, and sometimes the stool takes on a dark shade, reminiscent of tar in color;
• shortness of breath not associated with physical activity;
• high body temperature;
• bad breath;
• increased fatigue;
• pale mucous membranes;
• rapid enlargement of the abdominal cavity.

Fundamental Concepts

If your pet is bleeding from the mouth, examine him, paying attention to:

• structure and condition of teeth and gums;
• possible damage to the lips;
• the color of the blood and its amount;
• presence/absence of odor, vomiting;
• general condition of the body: eating pattern, level of physical activity, muscle tone, thirst or dehydration.

Deviation from the norm in a cat of some indicators indicates the development of an unidentified disease. We strongly recommend that you seek qualified assistance on the same day.

Treatment of bleeding

If the animal’s condition is not critical, then its recovery will depend only on medications.
When a cat is bleeding from the mouth and other symptoms are disturbing, individual therapy is selected, taking into account the cause and severity of the disorder. If the bleeding is external, associated with mechanical injuries, then first aid can be provided at home, after which the pet can be further examined by a veterinarian. When the pathology is caused by problems of internal organs and systems, then emergency treatment is required in a veterinary clinic. For dysfunction of the stomach, liver, intestines or lungs, treatment is aimed at eliminating the source of the underlying disease. With a mild degree of severity of the disease, it is possible to get by with medications, but if the case is advanced, and blood is released from the mouth more and more often, then surgical intervention cannot be avoided.

Damage to mucous membranes

In various diseases, the mechanism of symptom development is clear in most cases. But why does a healthy person bleed from the mouth? In most cases, this is due to damage to the surface of the mucous membrane. Minor capillary bleeding occurs when biting the inner surface of the cheeks, tongue, or lips. The symptom often develops after dental procedures. In most cases, blood appears from the child’s mouth in this way. Children often bite their lips and cheeks after anesthesia, as the tissues lose sensitivity.

With severe inflammation of the tonsils, blood is often detected when rinsing the throat. Also, red streaks in the sputum are sometimes observed in patients with pharyngitis. This symptom indicates minor damage to the vessels of the pharynx. Such pathologies are not accompanied by dangerous bleeding. However, it is recommended to get checked. Blood from the throat may indicate oral cancer. Damage to the gums can also be dangerous. In some cases, it indicates the development of diseases such as thrombocytopenic purpura, hemophilia or scurvy.

CRF, ulcer, blood from the mouth. Help

Hello everybody! CRF is a common topic here, I never thought that we would personally encounter it, but... We need your help!!! 1. Cat Barsik. Noble, mixed Maine Coon in his blood (according to various veterinarians), age 14 years. 2. The first seven years of life - kitikat, whiskey. Since he was eight years old (when we started looking after him), he has been eating premium food - Acana, Leonardo, Ekanuba, Royalcanin Urinari (courses), Orijn, ND, Animonda. 3. A year ago, annual vaccination + rabies, 3 months ago drontal. 4. Active phase last month. Passively for the last year. 5. From six kilograms of a healthy fluffy cat, in a year it turned into a dried mummy weighing 2.5 kilograms. Disgusting fur, electrified, falling out, tangled, oily near the skin. Ulcers appear periodically throughout the body. She drinks a lot, a lot (I didn’t measure it), and pees a lot. Periodically loss of appetite. Lethargic, apathetic, freezing. Poops badly. Ammonia stink from the mouth!! Vomiting hair (long-haired), about a month ago I noticed that the cat was vomiting water (about two weeks). Temperature 37.6. Yesterday there was scarlet blood from the mouth. 6. With the symptoms described above, we donated blood and urine for analysis. They did an ultrasound of the internal organs. Based on the results, the following were diagnosed: chronic renal failure, gastritis. Prescribed: Zhi Bai 2 pills of 0.5 g before meals, 2 times a day. Phosphalugel 1/2 packet before each meal, ipak according to instructions, Renal food. Yesterday, against the background of bleeding from the mouth, they diagnosed: gastric bleeding against the background of gastritis and chronic renal failure), prescribed: acyl 0.4 IM 2 times a day, aminocaproic acid 5 ml. by mouth 3 times a day, etamsylate (dicinone) 0.3 IM 2 times a day. Today, against the background of stopped bleeding and the onset of problems with the eyes (third eyelid on the floor of the eye, the eyes are running), suprastin 0.2 was added (suspicion of an allergic reaction to Duphalight injected at the clinic), aminocaproic acid and ethamsylate (dicinone) were removed, added: B -12 0.4 1 time per day, Gamavit 1.5 ml 2 times per day. 7. Tests and ultrasound results are attached. When taking a blood test, the cat was diagnosed with anemia, according to the husband, who was assisting the doctor: there is blood in the needle, it is not possible to take the required amount for analysis. 8. Dynamics: a month and a half ago, chronic renal failure was diagnosed. Subject to the prescribed treatment (except for the Zhi Bai drug), the cat began to consistently eat Renal food and drink a lot. On October 21, a complete refusal to eat, on October 22, from drinking. On October 23, a trip to the clinic with a 3-hour drip: sinulox, omez, ionosteril, sodium chloride, SPR+, after which the cat’s condition stabilized and his appetite appeared. November 14, red blood from the mouth. Injections in the clinic: acyloc, dicynon, duphalight, aminocaproic acid in the mouth. On November 15, the bleeding stopped. The cat's eyes are half closed with the third eyelid. Leaking (never noticed before, suspected allergy to Duphalight). Lethargic, refuses to eat, can barely drag his hind legs, lies all day. At the moment, force feeding: blended Renal with ipaketine 4 times a day, 30 grams, supplementation. 9. According to the doctor, you must first deal with the bleeding ulcer, and then stabilize the condition of the kidneys. I think it’s worth urgently getting your urea and creatinine tested, and at the same time taking care of anemia in order to be able to take blood for analysis. Next, the kidneys - to stabilize the condition; for some reason, no sorbents were prescribed. The treatment does not bring results, and to be honest, it makes me suspicious. Objectively, the cat is only getting worse. Help... how to stabilize a cat? What to do? What indicators should I take for analysis? Should I take it urgently? Should I go to another veterinarian?