15 Reasons For Head Shaking In Dogs

Dog ear infections are characterized by swelling, itching, and frequent discharges, with lots of pain, and they try to move their heads around to relieve themselves of the torture. As these infections can be farther back in the ear canal, a shaky head dog needs to see a veterinarian for proper diagnosis and treatment of the problem.

The etiological allergens responsible for such hypersensitive responses are myriad and may be placed into two broad categories such as food-based and environmental.

While allergies to the environment are caused by dust mites, mold, pollen, grass, or other varieties of air particles, food allergies take place because of the reaction of certain ingredients of food from the dog's immune system.

Allergic dogs show symptoms of itching, recurrent ear and skin infection, over-scratching, alopecia, and biting of the paws with the addition of shaking of the head.

Dogs may shake their heads due to neurological issues commonly arising from disorders associated with or to the ears. Involuntary movements of the head take place owing to problems in the central nervous system.

Idiopathic head tremor syndrome is a disorder of unknown causes that can give rise to regular bobbing or shaking of the head. The symptoms can be serious neurological conditions such as brain tumors or encephalitis.

The severity and course of these disorders vary greatly and can seriously affect the quality of life of a dog. Head shaking interlinked with other neurological signs requires the intervention of a veterinarian immediately.

Any blunt injuries, such as falls and collision-causing damage to the head might present pain with enough frequency in head movements. Indirectly, a dog may shake his head owing to the easement of suffering caused by injury to the neck or spine.

Some of the injuries that possibly relate to shaking of the head include fractures, dislocation, or strained muscles in the head, neck, or ear area. Equally, internal bleeding or swelling resulting from trauma can press on sensitive structures leading to shaking of the head as a way of withstanding the pain.

If there are other signs other than shaking of the head such as depression, loss of appetite, or neurological signs then the assistance of the veterinarian is necessary as they may be dangerous types of injury.

They are parasitic arachnids, found in grassy or forested environments and may be hazardous to the health of dogs. Besides the spreading of dangerous illnesses like Lyme disease, these ectoparasites can irritate and are painful.

This makes scratching very painful, with swelling that results in the dog shaking its head to seek comfort when a tick attaches itself to the dog's ear. In addition, saliva from the tick usually contains a potent allergen which causes exacerbation of ear discomfort when introduced to the host while feeding.

Besides physical distress, dogs may shake their head due to some behavioral problems such as boredom, irritation, and compulsive disorder. The shaking of the head may present a fostered type of displacement habit and coping mechanism for anxiety and stress which require keen observation of their surroundings, their way of life, and their mental state.

Head shaking is only one symptom of dental disorders. Pain in the mouth from an abscess, gum disease, or decaying teeth will result in the dog's head shaking to alleviate the pain.

Things could only get grimmer if a dental infection found its way to the auditory canal. Symptoms that might be observed in painful-tooth dogs include pawing at the face, difficulty eating, slobbering, and bad breath. Regular dental care will help prevent dental problems and pain that may result in head shaking.

This involves professional cleaning in addition to oral hygiene at home on the part of the dog. If your dog is making all the above vocalizations, along with constant shaking of the head, then you need to get your dog to your veterinarian as soon as possible to give him proper attention.

These can be just about anything from grass seeds to foxtails, insects, and small stones causing irritation, pain, and inflammation in the area. In these instances, the dog will usually shake his head violently as a reflexive manner of easing this irritation.

As such, if left untreated, the affected puppy and the presence of the foreign body can lead to and make an infection in the ear worse.

If head shaking persists or is accompanied by other signs and symptoms such as pawing of the ears, tilting of the head, and discharge, veterinary help is necessary to be sought. Beware of the shaking head puppy

Ear mites in dogs live in a dog's external ear canal, feeding on skin debris and ear wax, thus causing irritation and itching. This normally finds them tilting their heads, pawing at their ears, and scratching excessively because of the pain they go through.

Though all can contract ear mites regardless of age, often puppies and young dogs develop this kind of infection and there is usually a black, oily discharge characteristic of the infection. So, it is important to manage it to prevent it with vet recommendation

Autoimmune diseases in dogs are health complications and sometimes make treatment difficult because some show symptoms in other ways, such as conditions in the ears when the immune system has gone wrong to attack tissues in the body.

Other times, head shaking results from autoimmune diseases of the skin and canal; this is itchy, with discomfort in the condition. Such instances are accompanied by conditions like lupus or pemphigus; severing lesions may pop in, which develop serious infections in the ears. In turn, there may be a lot of head shaking.

Diagnosis of autoimmune illness is usually an elaborate process that pretty often involves special testing and consultations with veterinary immunologists or even dermatologists. The disease can be among the reasons why your dog is shaking its head since it is important to know the various signs along symptoms.

Due to some activities such as baths, swimming, and running after rain, dogs' ears get water, and they shake their head to get rid of the excess liquid. To protect your dog's ear from bacterial infection due to water inside the ears, you need to dry the dog’s ear after such activities.

Dermatitis in dogs is the single most common cause of head shaking in dogs, mostly affected by environmental allergens, which include mold, dust mites, and even pollen.

If the skin of the ears becomes inflamed and itchy upon achievement, the natural thing that the dog will do to remove the irritation is to shake its head. Other signs and symptoms that could accompany dermatitis, besides head shaking, are chewing, itching, and erythema of areas where the dermatitis is.

Ear cysts are an abnormal growth of the ear canal that arises from skin debris and cell collection, causing pain or irritation. Symptoms include acting in pawing at the ears, tilting of the head, and continuous shaking of the head-mostly painful.

Other more serious manifestations of ear cysts include facial paralysis, disorientation, and difficulty in swallowing or eating. Early detection and performing its treatment at the vet right after its detection can avoid other complications and alleviate misery for your dog.

Though this waxy substance is produced by nature as a means of protection for the ear canal, it causes problems when it has excessively built up.

This somehow irritates the dog just like water in the ears does and hence they shake their head to take the irritant out. Then there are those precipitating factors such as breed predisposition, allergies, or poor cleaning leading to the accumulation of ear wax.

This is usually not serious, but excessive and chronic wax may invoke an ideal setting for an infection to take hold owing to yeast or bacteria. Regular cleaning of the ears can ease pain associated with wax buildup.

Insect bites or stings may be a great contributor to head shaking in canines. In the case of an insect pest, they would include fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and even bees that may cause excruciating irritation to sensitive ears and facial areas of the pet.

Venom of the insects may cause swelling and redness due to allergic reactions. In mild cases of insect bites, you can use effective home remedies or over-the-counter medicine and in the case of a severe bite, you need to consult the vet.