Equine Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds in horses can be alarming and distressing to owners, but in the majority of cases turn out to be minor in nature and duration.

However, horses are not inclined to having spontaneous nosebleeds, so even if it appears to have occurred for no reason, you must investigate the cause, which could be:

The most likely cause - a knock to the head, resulting in a relatively large bleed from one nostril.

A bleed, accompanied by coughing, can occur when a foreign body is stuck in a horse’s throat or nose.

When a veterinarian is stomach tubing a horse and inadvertently knocks the nasal tissues when pushing the tube through the nostril.

Occasionally equine sinusitis, or tumours in a horse’s respiratory tract, can cause a trickle of blood.

Becoming more serious, a nosebleed could be a clinical sign of progressive Ethmoid Hematoma--a rare vascular lesion (like a big blood blister) of the Ethmoid Turbinates (at the back of the nostril chambers).

The most serious, albeit unlikely, possible cause is Guttural Pouch Mycosis-- a fungal infection of the Guttural Pouch (pouches that open into the horse’s throat area in what is the equivalent of a human’s Eustachian tube-- connecting the middle ear to the throat). This condition may go unnoticed at first, but becomes very serious when the fungus grows over a large blood vessel in the pouch and weakens the wall of the artery resulting in a rupture. This results in a massive nosebleed and is potentially fatal.

The medical term for nosebleed is “Epistaxis”. Defined as acute hemorrhage from the nostril, nasal cavity or nasopharynx. I highlight this because, technically, a quite common cause of bleeding from both nostrils--EIPH (exercise--induced pulmonary hemorrhage), which because the bleeding (hemorrhage) originates from blood vessels within the lung (pulmonary), is not a true nosebleed at all!

At one time regarded as a Thoroughbred Racehorse problem, the prevalence of Endoscopic examinations in Veterinary practices has discovered that any breed of horse performing strenuous exercise can experience EIPH.

The cause is rupture of a blood vessel while breathing at an accelerated rate. The source of the damaged blood vessel is usually the upper part of the lungs. The blood makes its way to the trachea and (in the case of a nosebleed) the nostrils via the nasal passages.

All nosebleeds should be taken seriously. If unable to establish beyond doubt the cause is minor, waste no time in contacting your veterinarian to investigate thoroughly.