A bloody nose (epitaxis) is when there is a continuous flow of blood dripping or running from the nose and not just a bit of blood sneezed up. A dog with a bloody nose needs to be supervised to be sure the nosebleed stops. You should call a vet if the nosebleed has not stopped or shows no signs of slowing in a few minutes.
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Home Treatment
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The Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook recommends keeping the dog as calm as possible and putting an ice pack on the bridge of the dog's nose. Wrap the pack in a hand towel to prevent a cold burn.
Considerations
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According to The Veterinarians' Guide to Your Dog's Symptoms, dogs will usually resist the feel of an ice bag. If the dog is especially uncooperative, call a vet immediately.
Disease Causes
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Nosebleeds in dogs can be caused by disease such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever (caused by ticks) or Von Willebrand's disease (caused by genes). Note any other strange symptom the dog has to a vet in order to speed up diagnosis.
Other Causes
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These include a foreign object lodged in the nose, injury, Vitamin K deficiency, eating rat poison, nasal tumors and having nose mites.
Warning
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Do not give any human medication for dogs with nosebleeds, including human tranquilizers to calm them down. This can make matters worse.
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