What this means
Bleeding from a cut, a graze or a broken nail should slow quickly and stop. If your dog keeps bleeding for a long time, if the bleeding starts again after seeming to stop, or if there is a lot of blood from what looks like a minor wound, that is a sign it needs professional assessment. Sometimes the problem is in the wound itself, for instance it is deep or a vessel is damaged, and sometimes the clotting mechanism is working less well than it should.
Clotting disorders can be inherited and show up in a young dog, or appear later, for example after swallowing a poison that interferes with clotting. Sometimes the first sign is not a wound but bleeding after a routine procedure, such as bleeding after a tooth is removed or another procedure done under anaesthetic. A vet has to assess that, because only tests find the exact cause.
It is worth noticing and noting how long the bleeding lasts, whether it comes back, whether there are other bleeding sites, such as blood in the urine, stools, nose or gums, and whether bruises have appeared under the skin. Say whether your dog could have eaten something unsafe, and whether anyone in the family had similar problems. If the bleeding will not stop, that is an emergency and a vet should be contacted straight away.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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An inherited clotting disorder
Some dogs are born short of a protein that helps blood to clot. As a result even a small wound or a procedure may bleed for longer than usual.
About the condition: Von Willebrand disease -
Born short of one clotting factor
This rarer disorder can cause heavier or repeated bleeding, more often in males, and sometimes shows up at an early age.
About the condition: Hemophilia A -
Platelets that work poorly
Even when there are enough platelets they may work poorly and fail to plug a damaged vessel. Bleeding goes on for a long time, and bruises may appear.
About the condition: Thrombocytopathy -
Bleeding after a procedure
After a procedure done under anaesthetic, bleeding sometimes starts or returns after a delay. This should always be shown to a vet.
About the condition: Delayed bleeding after a procedure -
A deep or wide wound
Deeper damage to the skin or a vessel can bleed for a long time even when clotting is normal. A vet should look at a wound like this.
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A swallowed poison that stops clotting
Some toxic substances stop blood from clotting, and bleeding can show in several places. This is an emergency.
About the condition: Poisoning
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- How long the wound bleeds and whether the bleeding comes back
- Whether other places bleed: nose, gums, urine or stools
- Whether bruises or tiny red spots have appeared under the skin
- Whether your dog could have eaten a poison or an unknown substance
- Whether the bleeding began after a recent procedure
- Whether your dog has turned pale, dull or tires quickly
When to book a routine visit
If a wound bleeds longer than it should or keeps starting again, contact a vet and describe what you see. Bleeding that will not stop is an emergency, so call straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Von Willebrand disease Blood and immunity Von Willebrand disease is an inherited bleeding disorder in which the body lacks a protein that helps platelets stick together and plug a damaged blood vessel, or the protein doesn't work properly. As a result even a small wound can bleed for longer than normal, and the disease varies in severity, sometimes only coming to light after an injury or a procedure. Genetic tests exist for some forms.
- Hemophilia A Blood and immunity Hemophilia A is an inherited blood-clotting disorder in which the body lacks one of the clotting factors, so blood clots too slowly. Even a minor injury can bleed for a long time, and blood can also leak into the joints or muscles. Bleeding that will not stop is life-threatening, so the dog then needs a vet immediately.
- Thrombocytopathy Blood and immunity Thrombocytopathy is a blood clotting disorder in which the blood has enough platelets but they do not work as they should, so bleeding is slow to stop. It can be inherited or arise from another illness or certain drugs. In such a dog even a small wound or a veterinary procedure can lead to prolonged bleeding, so it is worth telling the vet about it beforehand.
- Delayed bleeding after a procedure Blood and immunity This is a condition in which bleeding after a tooth extraction or another veterinary procedure starts not straight away but hours or even days later. At first everything can look fine, so before any procedure it is worth telling the vet if this has happened to your dog before. Bleeding that starts later can be dangerous, and then the dog needs a vet immediately.
- Skin cuts and tears Skin and coat This is an umbrella term for a range of skin wounds, from shallow scrapes to deep cuts or tears left by sharp objects, branches, fences or bites from other animals. Thin or loose skin, the paw pads and the edges of the ears are injured more easily. Even a small wound can be deeper than it looks and can become infected, so how badly the tissue is damaged is for a vet to assess.
Body systems: Blood and immunity Skin and coat