Head Pressing in Your Dog Can Indicate Potentially Dangerous Medical Condition

I am pretty much sure that most dog owners who are reading this post are not aware that a slight change in their dog’s behavior for no noticeable cause may give an indication of a serious health condition. This chapter may turn out to be really helpful for many dog owners like you. My friend Roby called me up this weekend and informed me of his dog – Jed’s weird behavior, which he started noticing since the previous evening. Jed suddenly started to press his head against the wall and cupboards. I suggested him to rush to the vet without delay! I could well assume what had happened.

 

"Head Pressing" is an unusual behavior in dogs characterized by compulsive tendency of pressing its head against a hard surface for an extended time span.

In common medical term this problem is usually called “Head Pressing”, which indicates a serious impending danger, as this disorder is usually characterized by malfunctioning of the nervous system that attracts immediate medical attention. However there may be more causes associated with head pressing in dogs; One of the commonly known causes is Hepatic encephalopathy (also called Portosystemic Encephalopathy), which is brought on by conditions affecting the dog’s liver. Researchers have been studying the main cause of head pressing in dogs, and concluded that malfunctioning of liver often encourages toxins and ammonia to accumulate, thereby triggering the neurologic syndrome – Head Pressing.

Although not too usual, but puppies with congenital portosystemic shunt (Acquired Portosystemic Shunt), which is a birth defect, may also be predisposed to head pressing. With Acquired Portosystemic Shunt the blood vessel(s) carries blood around the liver, instead of carrying blood through the liver. The liver’s purpose is to keep the blood purified by removing the toxins. When the blood isn’t carried through the liver, it starts mal-functioning. As it stops functioning properly, it allows the blood toxins to build up, which generates serious neurologic syndrome – Head Pressing.


However, this is not the only reason of Head Pressing in dogs. There are other reasons that cause Head Pressing in dogs.

Hydrocephalus - Accumulation of fluid in the brain

Brain Tumors - This typically happens for unknown reasons, but specialists assume that genetics and environment have a role. Slow growing brain tumors encroach into the normal space of the brain, and as it grows bigger it results in changes within the brain which cause neurological symptoms. Head pressing is one of them.

Cerebrovascular Accident - Brain stroke due to lack of oxygen supply into the brain because of the impaired blood flow to the brain due to blockage or rupture of an artery to the brain.

Taumatic Brain Injury (TBI) - Injuries occuring to the brain and neural or brain tissue and blood vessels in the head.

Meningitis, Encephalitis, and Meningoencephalitis - Meningitis, encephalitis, and meningoencephalitis caused by infection by bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa, rickettsia, or parasites can result to neurologic problems such as head pressing, walking in circle, disorientation in locomotion, frequent stumbling and false stepping and other behavioral changes.