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For some cases of bleeding it will difficult or even impossible for you to control the bleeding at home and you'll have to transport your pet to the veterinarian. Once at the vet, they may need to sedate or even anesthetize your pet and use surgical techniques to control the bleeding. A classic example of this is lacerations of the tongue which will bleed and bleed and you just can't control them at home. Imagine for a minute trying to hold gauze on your dog or cat's tongue for five minutes. You can understand how this probably isn't going to work. Now another common cause of bleeding at home is clipping the nails too short. If that happens, this can also surprisingly bleed for quite a long time. What you can do is get the styptic powder from your first aid kit. Tap some of the powder into the cap. And then take the bleeding toenail and dip it directly into the powder. The powder will adhere to the bleeding area on your pet's toe. You don't need to wipe or brush it away. It will fall away on its own. But it will help to stop the bleeding. Now if you don't have styptic powder you can use cornstarch in a pinch. Now the last type of bleeding to discuss is spontaneous bleeding or bleeding that isn't caused by an injury. These can be caused by clotting disorders or sometimes tumors in the body. And this always indicates a problem and you need to take your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible if you notice bleeding without a cause.
In this lesson, you'll be learning about a few different types of bleeding incidents that your cat or dog may experience at some point and what you can do to help. At the end of the lesson, we'll provide you with a Word about some tips for cutting your pet's nails.
For some cases of bleeding, it may be difficult or maybe even impossible for you to control the bleeding at home. Which, as you know by now, means a trip to see your veterinarian.
Once at the vet's office, they may need to sedate or even anesthetize your pet and use surgical procedures to help control the bleeding. A classic example of this would be lacerations to the tongue.
Imagine your pet has a cut on his or her tongue. Now imagine trying to hold a piece of gauze on your pet's tongue for five very long minutes. Sound problematic? We agree, which is why a tongue laceration is likely something you can't control at home on your own, which means … you guessed it!
Another common cause of bleeding at home, as you may be familiar with, is clipping nails too short. The problem with this sort of injury is that the bleeding can go on for a very long time.
So, you've just cut a little too short while trimming your pet's nails. (Whoops!) Now what do you do? Don't worry, it's an easy fix.
That's it! Now, the powder will adhere to the area that's bleeding on your pet's toe, so you don't have to worry too much about aim. Also, you don't need to worry about wiping it away. Just leave it on; it will fall away on its own. But it will help stop your pet's bleeding toe.
What if you don't have any styptic powder in your first aid kit. Do you have any cornstarch laying around the kitchen? In a pinch, that can be used instead of styptic powder.
The last type of bleeding incident is what we call spontaneous bleeding or bleeding that doesn't appear to have a cause, as far as you can tell. This type of bleeding can be caused by a number of things, like a clotting disorder or tumors in the body.
Warning: No matter the cause of spontaneous bleeding, just know that this is a serious situation and almost always indicates a greater problem. By now you know the drill – get your pet to the veterinarian as quickly as you can if you notice bleeding without any apparent cause.