Head Pressing, Everything You Need To Know

Head pressing is often referred to in veterinary medicine . The reason is simple: animal medicine professionals feel the need to make this disease better known to save the lives of dogs and cats.

Many people think that head pressing is a simple disease but, in reality, it is a behavior that reveals the discomfort in the body of your four-legged friend. The name comes from the habit of holding or pressing the head on a solid surface such as walls, doors, walls and so on.

Not all animals show possible discomfort in the same way. Whether it is barking, mood changes or the appearance of strange behaviors, head pressing is the general alarm that must make you understand that something is wrong, in the body or in the mind of the dog or cat.

Therefore, before punishing him for behavior that appears strange and incomprehensible, it is necessary to verify that the animal has not developed this strange pathology.

Head pressing: how to recognize the symptoms?

If you notice that your pet often has his head leaning or pressed against a wall, a closet door or a wall, it is possible that he is suffering from this strange condition.

The accepted explanation by veterinarians is that animals do this to try to decrease the severe headache they suffer from. It is very rare for a dog to suffer from migraines, for this reason it is necessary to immediately take him to the vet to undergo the necessary tests.

It is easy to recognize when a dog is a victim of head pressing. The animal stays with its head against a wall for a long time. Unfortunately, however, this can cause injuries on the legs and skull, as the animal exerts a lot of pressure to try to relieve the pain that is gripping it.

All this without forgetting that head pressing can be the first of other symptoms. Another is that of latent disobedience, which is when your dog does not respond when you call him or ignores the commands given.

As neurological disease progresses, head pressing can be accompanied by other distinctive behaviors. As in the case of compulsive head movements, mood swings, progressive loss of vision and slowed reflexes. Some animals even go as far as to suffer from  seizures.

What are the causes of head pressing?

The causes of headaches in a dog are as varied as there are for humans. They can indicate possible neurological problems or even food poisoning. Specialists see the following factors as the most common causes of head pressing:

• Trauma and stroke .
• Hydrocephalus: increased pressure in the brain cavity due to the accumulation of fluids.
• Infectious processes that compromise the nervous system: rabies, toxoplasmosis and distemper.
• Brain tumors or edema.
• Cerebral infarction.
• Poisoning by chemicals, toxic or harmful.
• Accumulation of toxins in the body, caused by a bad liver.
• Excessive ingestion of salt.

Which races are most prone to head pressing?

Each breed can have this pathology or suffer from neurological problems or severe poisoning. Most head pressing episodes are related to the following breeds: Pug, French Bulldog, Yorkshire Terrier, Boston Terrier and Beagle.

Cats can also exhibit similar symptoms. But the cases are considerably fewer than those diagnosed in dogs.

How to act in case of head pressing?

It is essential to take your pet to the vet immediately, in case you have verified the presence of the typical symptoms of head pressing. Neurological problems and poisonings can have very serious consequences and develop rapidly in the body.

Early diagnosis allows for a greater choice of treatments for the animal. In the event that the disease reaches the central nervous system and the brain, the damage can be irreversible and even fatal.

The doctor will work to find out the cause of the head pressing, with the aim of prescribing the most appropriate treatment for your dog or cat.

How to cure head pressing?

Since this is a symptomatic behavior of different diseases, the cure will be determined based on what really interests the animal.

If intestinal worms are diagnosed, treatment will be accomplished by administering antiparasitic drugs. In case of bacterial infection, the choice will fall on antibiotics. For cases of hydrocephalus, a more delicate intervention will be necessary, aimed at promoting drainage in the affected brain region.

As we have seen, there is no single cause or single treatment for head pressing. Go to the vet and follow his instructions with confidence.

How to prevent head pressing?

There is no specific way to prevent this strange behavior in cats and dogs. What you can do is take care of your pet’s health, always ensuring a balanced diet and also adequate hydration.

Recognizing the early symptoms of the disease can save your pet’s life. Taking care of them also means never letting your guard down against possible problems.

Main image source: John Garghan.