# Mia is bleeding



## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

A mystery in our house: I found a cluster of small blood stains on the bedspread this morning after finding similar spots on Thursday morning. I searched Mia from topknot to tail and cannot find any sign of injury. She's walking, eating, and drinking normally and the spots are so small that I'm disinclined to worry, but I _am_ puzzled, and like all health-related mysteries, I'd prefer knowing the cause. I wish I could turn her over to one of you for a look-over.

Clues:

The only definitive clue that she's unwell is that she's sleeping more than usual.
She snuggled up extra tight on Wednesday night, often a sign that she was feeling unwell.
She asked me to lie down with her last night on her doggy bed, a sign that she was sleepy, was sick of being in my home office, or possibly that she felt unwell.
She is licking her wrists, but when I investigated, I found no trace of blood or injury, only green triangles stuck in her fur.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Oh how strange. Possibly from inside her mouth? It would be hard to find sign of it though.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

Is she spayed? If not, my thought would be that she's coming into season. If she had an OSS, that's also a possibility, although if done properly, she shouldn't have any uterine tissue left to cause spotting. If she had a traditional full spay, there is the off chance of what is called stump pyometra. 

Alternatively, urinary crystals can cause blood in her urine, which would leave spots if her vulva still had some urine on it when she jumped on the bed. 

Either option could cause her to not feel normal.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

The first things that come to mind for me would be anal glands, urine infection, or mouth- maybe loose or infected tooth, irritation from chewing, or something small caught in her teeth or gums.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

My gut says maybe bladder or kidneys. Whatever it is, hoping it just mysteriously clears up as so often happens.


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## DogtorDoctor (Mar 20, 2020)

When you checked her wrists, did you also flex the joint to see if she was sore? She could be focusing there because she's painful, but licking the extremities (or the chest, for that matter) can also be sign of oral pain, as others have mentioned. I would try to get a good look at her mouth, paying close attention to her gums and the insides of her cheeks. Make sure to pull her jowls all the way back so you can see her last few teeth.

I also agree to check her vulva for any signs of discharge (either bloody or otherwise). If you can ask her to eliminate somewhere you'll be able to see urine color (like a sidewalk or gravel somewhere), it might help you see if her urine is bloody.

I hope she starts to act like her normal self soon!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Mia will be 11 next month and was spayed many years ago (OVE), but that's exactly what the spots reminded me of. She's chewing normally, her sanitary area looks normal with no signs of swelling or discharge. 

She's snoring right now, but when she wakes up, I'll palpate and flex her wrists again and check her mouth.

She probably tried to tell me what happened and I missed it. We're going to have a quiet day at home and I will hope that solves it.


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## Jbean (Feb 18, 2019)

We found small amounts of blood both times our black girls had toe cancer, so check her toenails. Pad injuries can bleed a lot too.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

If you can tape a small plastic cup to a yard stick you should be able to catch a midstream urine. You should be able to see if it is off color and if you let it settle also see if there are any crystals. I agree also with those suggesting to check her mouth. I hope this mystery is easy to solve..


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I forgot the ladle, but it's now standing at the ready next to her leash. I gave her another look over, and her right wrist seems tender, but I don't see an injury - and nothing that would cause bleeding. I checked her toes and pads as well. She hasn't left any more spots around the house, so whatever it was may have passed.

Am about to check to see if the stains came out in the wash.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I hope you find the source soon and that it is nothing serious. White paper handkerchiefs or kitchen roll can be good for dabbing to check for traces of blood.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Oh golly, I found it - there's a sore on the left side of her muzzle, near her nose. It's hard, swollen, and oblong about 1.5 inches long. There appears to be a puncture mark, and since we have copperheads, I'm looking for a second one.

I tried to clean the area - it looks like three puncture marks, a bit like a jack o'lantern. Shoot, she has been licking her lips more often. Can't believe I missed this. My attempt to clean it has aggravated it.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Oh yikes!!!! Glad you found it. Really hope it isn't a copperhead bite!!!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oh no!! Poor Mia. So glad you found it. Will this require emergency treatment? Thinking of you both.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

😢 I hope she is okay


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I didn't scrub her clean, but I put her in the bathtub and held a warm compress to the area, which I refreshed several times. Once it seemed like there was healthy blood flow, I poured H2O2, let it bubble, then covered with triple antibiotic. We played some games and she got some treats to distract her from licking off the AB right away. The inside of her mouth appears normal. Now she's sleeping.

I first saw the blood on Thursday morning, so whatever happened, happened Wednesday. Since it's already Saturday and she's acting more or less normal, I'm going to rate this as a non-emergency and call my vet on Monday. It's not an area I can bandage, but I will clean it again tomorrow as I did above.

Poor girl  She practically climbed in my lap Wednesday night, which she never does, so I knew something was wrong. I just didn't know what.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Poor girl. 

I have recently stopped using H2O2 and switched to using a syringe of homemade saline solution. 









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Less painful and most of the studies are showing its not usually necessary to use the alcohol, and not helpful for healing to use H2O2. 

I still keep H2O2 in the house though - it's a great treatment for fungas gnats in my potted plants.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

H2O2 is generally not favored as an antiseptic anymore since it is an oxidizing agent and can damage healthy tissue and inhibit inflammatory/healing responses. My only use for it nowadays is as an antiemitic for which it is excellent. It works really fast so make suere you are outside or restricted to a bathroom or kitchen with tile floor. Glad you found the wound, hope it heals very fast.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Oh dear, poor baby. I hope she’s feeling back to normal quickly. I admire your sleuthing.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I’m glad you found the cause of the bleeding and hoping Mia heals well !


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

So glad you can rule out a more chronic cause! It is jarring to find a wound you were unaware of, especially when you don't know the cause.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

I'm so glad that you found the source, but what a scary source! Keeping you both close in my thoughts.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

I'm sorry to about Mia's punctures, maybe snake bite. Yikes. Is there a copperhead bite protocol for dogs?

I hope she is doing better.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Poor Mia! Glad you have found it though, and I second the use of saline solution - gentle, tested and effective. Has it formed an abscess do you think? When the cats have had abscesses it has usually taken antibiotics to sort them.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

How's Mia today?


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Thanks for the support, everyone. We slept well and I've recovered from the shock. I'll take her to the vet tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure it's an abrasion and hematoma from a tumble she took early one morning last week. It was dark and I only heard her fall, and I now realize that her canine stoicism hid her injuries. The puncture is likely a divot from gravel where she fell. I washed it again this morning (warm compress and water) and don't see any signs of infection or abscess. She's eating and drinking normally, just uncommonly content to hang out at home.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

So much better than a snakebite!


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

I’m glad to hear she is improving


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Aw. Enjoy the quiet Mia time. Hope all goes well at the vet tomorrow.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

To catch everyone up, the vet is also puzzled. They sedated her for cleaning and found two spots (no other descriptor) on her tongue, plus four marks on the side of her muzzle. The vet is confident it was a bite of some sort, perhaps snake or spider, but bloodwork was normal. Whatever happened seems like a rare event. Mia's on oral AB and perking up slowly. She's also enjoying being handfed morsels of food-cloaked medication in between naps. We've taken a few short strolls in the woods, which seem to brighten her spirit, and may visit with a friend tomorrow, if she's feeling up for company.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

I'm late seeing this thread, Liz, but really glad it wasn't more serious and she's okay. I too would have been worried out of my mind.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I'm glad she is recovering. Poppy says scrummy medicine is _lovely_ - hers come wrapped in chunks of chicken!


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

This is one of those times when it would be great if Mia could talk. Clearly the poor baby had a nasty run in with some creature. Was she alone in the yard?

It’s good the vet did a careful check and prescribed prophylactic antibiotics.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm extraordinarily grateful to the folks here, especially those who pointed to the connection between licking extremities and oral pain (special shout out to @DogtorDoctor ), because the wound was absolutely invisible. The vet tech asked me to point out the affected area several times, because it's nearly impossible to see even when you're looking for it. I would not have discovered the injury if it weren't for the people here. Thank you.


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