How to Spot Bruising Under Animal Fur

Just like humans, pets can bruise, too. But, unlike humans they have a thick coat that can hide the bruise. A bruise or contusion appears on the skin when some sort of injury breaks the small blood vessels in an animal's soft tissue. The discoloration may be hard to find, but it's there. And, it should be treated with a cold compress. It's just a matter of finding the spot.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Get the animal to lie or sit still. Bribe it with treats if necessary.
2. Go over the animals body slowly, moving fur aside every inch or so. Look for any changes in color. Specifically look for blue, brown or yellow areas.
3. Press on the spot with your hand. See if the animal pulls away in pain. This verifies that it's a bruised area.
4. Determine if the bruise is hard or raised. If so, it might not be a bruise but a cyst or tumor.
5. Look to see if the fur is thinning in that area. That would also indicate a bigger problem.
6. Figure out how old the bruise is. There are essentially two types--bruises that are new and bruises that are several weeks old. You can tell because older bruises are yellowed in color.
7. Treat the bruise by placing a cold compress on it. Hold it there for 10 minutes, if possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Bring the pet to the veterinarian if there is unusual or excessive bruising or if you think it might be a cyst or tumor.