Lately, you have observed your dog pressing its head against the wall for no obvious reason. Your pooch is doing this constantly. It has reached the point where your dog has developed sores on its paws and head from the obsessive pressing.
What does head pressing in dogs mean? Typically, head pressing in dogs means that your pooch has suffered damage to the nervous system, or it could be suffering from damage to the fore-brain and thalamus parts of the brain (aka prosencephalon disease).
Important! Head pressing in dogs is not breed or age related.
What causes head pressing in dogs? There a number of reasons why a dog presses its head against a wall, door or other immovable object obsessively. The most common ones are: your dog suffered a recent head injury, has been exposed to toxins such as lead, it might have rabies, it might have a tumor in its brain, or your dog could be suffering from either too much sodium (hypernatremia) or too little sodium (hyponatremia) in its blood plasma.
Are there other symptoms? In addition to the obsessive head pressing, a dog may start to pace or walk in circles compulsively. Other symptoms include vision problems, seizures, damaged reflexes, and your dog forgetting learned behavior. If you notice these symptoms in your dog, take it to a veterinarian right away.
Important! Head pressing in dogs could be fatal.
How is head pressing in dogs diagnosed? To test for the disease that is causing head pressing in your dog, a veterinarian will order a series of exams including: high blood pressure tests, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain, blood tests as well as urine tests. In addition, a veterinarian will conduct a dilated-pupil fundus examination of the retina to check for diseases that might cause infections or inflammations.
How is head pressing in dogs treated? Currently, there is no known cure for this condition. Once the diagnostic results come in, a veterinarian will be able to develop a treatment plan with regular follow-up examinations.
In conclusion, head pressing in dogs occurs when a dog’s brain has suffered damage to its nervous system or brain. This is a serious neurological condition, and it could lead to death. Therefore, it must be addressed immediately. In addition to a dog pressing its head against a wall, a pet owner will observe the dog walking in circles, display vision problems, or forget learned behavior. Low or high levels of sodium in the blood, a head injury, toxicity, or rabies are common causes of head pressing in dogs. To determine the exact cause, a veterinarian will conduct a series of diagnostic examinations to include: fundic examination of the retina, blood pressure testing, urinalysis, and an MRI scan of the brain. Once a diagnoses determines the cause, a veterinarian will recommend a treatment plan.
Does your dog suffer from head pressing?
If yes, let us know in the comments what type of treatment was prescribed.
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