Head pressing

Last updated

Head pressing is a veterinary condition characterized by pressing the head against a wall or pushing the face into a corner for no apparent reason. [1] This condition is seen in dogs, cats, cows, horses, and goats. Head pressing is usually a sign of a neurological disorder, especially of the forebrain (e.g., prosencephalon disease), [1] or of toxicity due to liver damage, such as portosystemic shunt and hepatic encephalopathy. [2]

Contents

It should be distinguished from bunting, which is a normal behavior found in healthy animals.

Possible causes

Liver neurotoxicity

A liver shunt is a congenital or acquired condition that may lead to toxicity and head pressing. Additional symptoms include drooling and slow maturation early in development. Middle-aged and older animals more commonly suffer from liver cirrhosis than younger animals. [4]

Viral causes

Several viruses that cause encephalitis or meningoencephalitis can lead to the neurological sign of head pressing, such as eastern equine encephalitis and bovine herpesvirus 5 . [5] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Canine distemper Viral disease affecting mammals

Canine distemper is a viral disease that affects a wide variety of animal families, including domestic and wild species of dogs, coyotes, foxes, pandas, wolves, ferrets, skunks, raccoons, and large cats, as well as pinnipeds, some primates, and a variety of other species. Animals in the family Felidae, including many species of large cat as well as domestic cats, were long believed to be resistant to canine distemper, until some researchers reported the prevalence of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection in large felids. Both large Felidae and domestic cats are now known to be capable of infection, usually through close housing with dogs or possibly blood transfusion from infected cats, but such infections appear to be self-limiting and largely without symptoms.

Encephalopathy means any disorder or disease of the brain, especially chronic degenerative conditions. In modern usage, encephalopathy does not refer to a single disease, but rather to a syndrome of overall brain dysfunction; this syndrome has many possible organic and inorganic causes.

Hemangiosarcoma is a rapidly growing, highly invasive variety of cancer that occurs almost exclusively in dogs, and only rarely in cats, horses, mice, or humans. It is a sarcoma arising from the lining of blood vessels; that is, blood-filled channels and spaces are commonly observed microscopically. A frequent cause of death is the rupturing of this tumor, causing the patient to rapidly bleed to death.

Skin disorders are among the most common health problems in dogs, and have many causes. The condition of a dog's skin and coat are also an important indicator of its general health. Skin disorders of dogs vary from acute, self-limiting problems to chronic or long-lasting problems requiring life-time treatment. Skin disorders may be primary or secondary in nature, making diagnosis complicated.

Dog health

The health of dogs is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.

Cerebellar hypoplasia ("CH") is a neurological condition in which the cerebellum is smaller than usual or not completely developed. It has been reported in many animal species.

Epilepsy in animals is a group of neurological disorders characterized by seizures, caused by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain. They can start and stop very abruptly and last any amount of time from a few seconds to a few minutes. Canine epilepsy is often genetic but epilepsy in cats and other pets is rarer, likely because there is no hereditary component to epilepsy in these animals.

Malignant histiocytosis is a rare hereditary disease found in the Bernese Mountain Dog and humans, characterized by histiocytic infiltration of the lungs and lymph nodes. The liver, spleen, and central nervous system can also be affected. Histiocytes are a component of the immune system that proliferate abnormally in this disease. In addition to its importance in veterinary medicine, the condition is also important in human pathology.

Infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) is an acute liver infection in dogs caused by Canine mastadenovirus A, formerly called Canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1). CAV-1 also causes disease in wolves, coyotes, and bears, and encephalitis in foxes. The virus is spread in the feces, urine, blood, saliva, and nasal discharge of infected dogs. It is contracted through the mouth or nose, where it replicates in the tonsils. The virus then infects the liver and kidneys. The incubation period is 4 to 7 days.

Granulomatous meningoencephalitis (GME) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of dogs and, rarely, cats. It is a form of meningoencephalitis. GME is likely second only to encephalitis caused by canine distemper virus as the most common cause of inflammatory disease of the canine CNS. The disease is more common in female dogs of young and middle age. It has a rapid onset. The lesions of GME exist mainly in the white matter of the cerebrum, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. The cause is only known to be noninfectious and is considered at this time to be idiopathic. Because lesions resemble those seen in allergic meningoencephalitis, GME is thought to have an immune-mediated cause, but it is also thought that the disease may be based on an abnormal response to an infectious agent. One study searched for viral DNA from canine herpesvirus, canine adenovirus, and canine parvovirus in brain tissue from dogs with GME, necrotizing meningoencephalitis, and necrotizing leukoencephalitis, but failed to find any.

Necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) is a fatal inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disorder, where an extensive cerebral necrosis is associated with a multifocal, non-suppurative meningoencephalitis of the neuro cortex. It was originally identified and recorded in the 1960s in pure breed pugs, with which this disease is nowadays mostly associated with, occurring essentially in small breed dogs ranging from six months to seven years of age. It causes intense necrotizing inflammatory lesions in the brain stem and Cerebellum. The etiopathology is still unclear. The pathogen that triggers the disease and contributes to its development has not yet been identified. It is presumed to have a multifactorial, heritable, autoimmune etiology. The process is rapidly progressive, culminating in status epilepticus and ending fatally for the dog.

A portosystemic shunt or portasystemic shunt (PSS), also known as a liver shunt, is a bypass of the liver by the body's circulatory system. It can be either a congenital or acquired condition.

Veterinary dentistry field of dentistry applied to the care of animals

Veterinary dentistry is the field of dentistry applied to the care of animals. It is the art and science of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions, diseases, and disorders of the oral cavity, the maxillofacial region, and its associated structures as it relates to animals.

Cat health level of functional and metabolic efficiency of a cats organism

The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.

Neurological disorder Disease of anatomical entity that is located in the central nervous system or located in the peripheral nervous system

A neurological disorder is any disorder of the nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a range of symptoms. Examples of symptoms include paralysis, muscle weakness, poor coordination, loss of sensation, seizures, confusion, pain and altered levels of consciousness. There are many recognized neurological disorders, some relatively common, but many rare. They may be assessed by neurological examination, and studied and treated within the specialities of neurology and clinical neuropsychology.

Cancer of the nervous system is common in domestic canids, and includes primary neoplasia of the peripheral nervous system, primary neoplasia of the central nervous system and various metastatic cancers. Some of the most common of the central nervous system tumors are several types of primary canine brain tumors. Examples of these include: meningiomas, astrocytomas, glioblastomas, oligodendriomas, choroid plexus papillomas, and pituitary adenomas. Breeds predisposed to brain tumors include: Boxer Dog, Pug, English Bull Dog, Boston Terrier, and Golden Retrievers.

Separation anxiety in dogs Dogs get this when their owners spend too much time and then not as much time with them.

Separation anxiety in dogs describes a condition in which a dog exhibits distress and behavior problems when separated from its handler. Separation anxiety typically manifests within minutes of departure of the handler. It is not fully understood why some dogs suffer from separation anxiety and others do not. The behavior may be secondary to an underlying medical condition. With chronic stress, impairments to physiological health can manifest. Increased stress in the dog alters hormone levels, thus decreasing natural immunity to various health problems. A visit to the veterinarian is always recommended if a dog's behavior changes suddenly.

Feline cognitive dysfunction (FCD) is a cognitive disease prevalent in cats, directly related to the brain aging, leading to changes in awareness, deficits in learning and memory, and decreased responsiveness to stimuli. It is also known as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS). Alzheimer's disease and dementia in humans are diseases with comparable symptoms and pathology.

Idiopathic head tremor in dogs

Idiopathic head tremors (IHT) in dogs are characterized by involuntary lateral or vertical movement of the head. Idiopathic head tremors are ordinarily considered a benign disease characterized by uncontrollable head tremors of spontaneous initiation and cessation. These head tremors are considered idiopathic because the cause is not apparent, but nervous system disorders, seizures and head injuries may be significant contributors of idiopathic head tremors in dogs. Head tremors are usually not associated with any other symptoms, although some dogs have other signs of disease in addition to head tremors.

References

  1. 1 2 de Cardenas, Cecilia (5 November 2008). "Head Pressing in Dogs". petMD. Chewy. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  2. Faerber, Cody W.; Durrant, S. Mario; Fishman Leon, Jane (2004). Canine Medicine and Disease Prevention (5th ed.). Animal Health Publications. ISBN   978-0-9701159-1-1.
  3. "Dogs Who Head Press Should See A Vet ASAP. Recognizing This Behavior Could Save Your Dog's Life". DogHeirs. 30 May 2014. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  4. "Cirrhosis in Dogs". Pet Health Network. IDEXX Laboratories. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  5. Hostetler, Douglas E. (2013). "Nervous System". In McVey, D. Scott; Kennedy, Melissa; Chengappa, M. M. (eds.). Veterinary Microbiology (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. p. 573. ISBN   1-118-65056-5.
  6. Gilberd, Mark (2005). Natural Remedies For Sheep. p. 30. ISBN   978-0-9775330-2-2.