Why dog shakes head

Your normally joyful dog appears shaky and confused. They then collapse on the ground. They appear to be treading water, despite the fact that they are unaware of what is going on. What is causing this, and what can you do about it? Can cats eat strawberries may be a strange question to ask a cat owner, however, as we know, cats are curious creatures. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Skip to content.

It is often accompanied by persistent strong-smelling ear discharge, an inflamed, itchy, and painful ear, and ear scratching. If the growth occurs in the middle or inner ear, the dog may also experience loss of balance and coordination, circling, head tilting, facial paralysis, loss of hearing, darting of the eyes back and forth nystagmus , and other neurologic symptoms. Early veterinary intervention and treatment of persistent head shaking in dogs are very important.

Most of the conditions listed above can cause pain and discomfort to your dog. Identifying the reason behind head shaking in dogs should be done immediately so appropriate treatment can be given.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment are important because it could be a red flag signifying a potentially serious issue. Also, continuous vigorous headshaking can cause blood vessels in the ear flap to rupture leading to the formation of aural hematomas. Surgery is often required to treat this condition. Aside from a quick head shake, another thing some dogs do is shake-off.

You'll see this often after one dog meets another dog and during other situations, your dog may consider stressful. With a dog meeting, for example, Dr. Phillips explains that the initial meeting can be tense for dogs, and after the obligatory sniffing, you'll often see both dogs shake not only their head but also their whole body. The shake-off is also a normal canine behavior that some dogs use to literally "shake it off.

Common symptoms of ear vasculitis include:. The cause of ear vasculitis is unknown in almost half of all reported cases. In other cases, however, an abnormal immune system response causes this painful skin condition. If you notice the signs of ear vasculitis in your dog, consult your veterinarian right away for diagnosis and treatment.

Haematomas are typically caused by some kind of self-trauma, such as overly aggressive scratching or head shaking resulting from an underlying medical condition, such as an ear infection or skin condition. Treatments range from draining the haematoma with a needle to surgical correction.

In most cases, a bacterial infection or itchy skin condition is also present.