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Nosebleed, won't eat.

Species: Dog
Breed: lab
Age: 11-15 years
We have an 11 yr old black lab. About 2 mos. ago we noticed blood dripping from her nose & took her to the vet. They put a scope up her nose but said it wasn't long enough. Everything they could see looked normal but it looked like a blockage further up. Gave her antibiotics & sent her home. Don't notice much blood anymore but she's getting really thin. She will hardly eat or drink and we haven't seen her go to the bathroom lately. She also has some fairly large growths(1 on her belly, 1 on the back of her neck, 1 by her mouth). Several years ago she had some of these growths removed and they said they were not cancerous. We love her but can't afford to put alot of $ in to her.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Cabo is not doing well.

The symptoms you have described have me worried. When a lab doesn't want to eat then there is usually something serious going on.

Has Cabo had any blood work done recently? This may help us to determine if there is a serious problem and if so, what it is.

It sounds like the vet was concerned about a cancer affecting the nose. If this is what is going on it is possible that there is cancer affecting other parts of her body as well. Cancer can cause significant weight loss.

Another possible reason for bleeding from the nose is a problem with platelets. However, if we see platelet issues in an older dog this is often because of either cancer in the bone marrow or cancer in the spleen.

It is also possible that the bleeding in the nose was due to a tooth root infection. This would obviously be a better scenario than cancer. If there was a tooth root infection then we would see some temporary relief with antibiotics but the problem usually comes back again unless the tooth is removed. A tooth root infection could cause her to not eat and to lose weight as well.

It may be hard to decide what to do from here if you have limited funds to spend. Ideally it would be great to do some bloodwork and possibly some xrays to see if the vet can determine what is going on.

If these tests are not in your budget, then the vet can help you with deciding whether it is time to make the difficult decision for euthanasia.

I'm sorry for the bad news.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.