If your pet strolled over to a wall, pushed his direct versus it and simply stood there without moving, you may pass it off as a random curiosity or your pet simply being ridiculous. However, head pressing in dogs is an uncommon compulsive habits that indicates that something is physically incorrect with your puppy.
Why does head pressing in dogs occur?
A canine pressing his direct versus a fence. Photography © MagMos|iStock/ Getty Images Plus.
“It’s usually a sign of disease in the front part of the brain, but can also be seen with metabolic diseases,” states Michelle Murray, DVM, MS,Dipl ACVIM (Neurology), CCRT, owner of NEST Veterinary Neurology in San Clemente,California “For example, severe liver disease can cause toxin buildup in the body, which causes the brain cells to not function properly.”
Common conditions connected with compulsive head pressing in dogs consist of brain growths, poisoning, sleeping sickness (swelling of the brain), stroke, nerve system infections (such as rabies or bacterial, fungal or viral infections) or an injury to the brain (for example, if your pet struck or fell on his head).
“I have seen head pressing in dogs most often associated with brain tumors, however, I have also seen it with many other diseases, including immune-mediated brain diseases, infectious diseases, congenital brain diseases and vascular diseases,”Dr. Murray discusses. “It’s more a function of where in the brain the problem is, rather than the specific disease itself.”
Head pressing may be accompanied by other signs
Head pressing in dogs is frequently accompanied by other signs, such as pacing (particularly pacing in circles), modifications in habits, unexpectedly having mishaps in the home, getting “stuck” in corners (relatively cannot discover his escape of a corner of the space), seizures and vision issues.
Are dogs who are head pressing in discomfort?
Although we understand exactly what physical problems to believe when dogs are head pressing, nobody truly understands the precise reasons that they reveal this habits. “It’s hard to know if the dogs are experiencing pain,”Dr Murray discusses. “Many people with brain diseases complain of headaches. In my opinion, these dogs do not seem obviously [in pain], but could they have a dull headache? It’s certainly possible.”
Do you believe your pet is head pressing? See a veterinarian ASAP
If you see or perhaps believe your pet is head pressing, do not postpone looking for veterinary treatment. Your veterinarian will do a total physical examination to attempt to identify exactly what may be triggering this habits. During the examination, the veterinarian will examine your pet’s high blood pressure and examine his eyes.
“After evaluating your dog, the veterinarian will probably recommend doing some baseline testing to rule out metabolic diseases, including lab work (blood and urine) and x-rays,”Dr. Murray states. “If your vet does these things and still suspects a brain problem, he may recommend a referral to a veterinary neurologist for imaging of the brain (MRI) and possibly even taking a sample of spinal fluid to look for infections or abnormal cells.”
The diagnosis for head pressing in dogs is extremely reliant upon the precise cause and how extreme the issue is. Because we’re speaking about the brain, it’s certainly a major circumstance. The earlier you look for veterinary assistance, the much better off your pet will be. “In general, this is a very serious symptom that should be addressed as soon as possible,”Dr Murray recommends.
Tell us: Have you ever experienced head pressing in your dogs? What was the perpetrator?
Thumbnail: Photography © freemixer|iStock/ Getty Images Plus.
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