Has your dog come up to you today and mentioned that he has a headache? Probably not. We do know they happen, however, based on the similarity of the behaviors that humans display when we have a headache.
What causes headaches in dogs?
Probably the most common cause of headache in dogs is something most of us have experienced: a mild blow to the head. It happens most frequently in young dogs when they’re playing with another dog, but some other causes in dogs of all ages include:
- Car accidents.
- Getting kicked: This is more common in heelers and herding dogs or dogs like Golden Retrievers and Aussies that are around horses a lot.
- Falling: When dogs get the zoomies, they might fall off a ledge or deck, and even if the injury isn’t serious, they still might have mild head trauma.
Some of the other causes of headaches include:
- An infection: Since most dogs have dental disease after about 3 years of age, an infection in the mouth is a common cause of headaches. Sinus infections and ear infections are also known to cause problems.
- Allergies: These are also commonly associated with infections in the ears.
- Neurological disease: Diseases like meningitis might start out as a headache, but as they progress, they’ll have more signs.
- Anxiety: Noises, visitors and any other cause of stress may cause a headache.
What are the symptoms of headaches in dogs?
Most dogs with the type of pain we associate with a headache are going to be light sensitive. They might be sensitive around the head or if you’re rubbing the ears, especially if they’ve had some head trauma. Some of the other things you might notice include:
- Not wanting to eat.
- Not wanting to interact with the family or other dogs.
- Licking the feet or forelegs.
What is the best way to treat a dog’s headache?
If you recognize that your dog has a headache, the best way to help is to allow your dog to go to a dark room and lie down. One cause of headaches is mild dehydration, so if your dog goes to lie down in a quiet room, take an extra water bowl to him so that he doesn’t have to walk to the place where his water bowl is normally if he wants to drink.
If you have kids, tell them to leave the dog alone. Some cases of aggression are seen after mild head trauma and a subsequent headache.
Don’t give any human medications sold for treating headaches. If you need to do more and your dog doesn’t have any neurological signs that warrant a visit to the vet, you can try tryptophan, some herbal remedies and some other cures like soft music.
All of the methods used to calm an anxious dog are worth trying, but no one can guarantee you that any of them will work better than just letting the dog sleep it off in a dark room.
What are the signs that it’s more than just a headache?
If your dog is head-pressing, which is standing and pushing his head into a wall, he’s in pain and definitely needs to be examined. An infection or brain tumor needs to be ruled out by an exam and testing.
If your dog has any neurological signs, like stumbling and circling, he should also be seen immediately.
When should I take my dog to the veterinarian for a headache?
If you recognize that your dog has a headache and they don’t seem to be getting better with mild treatment, you should make an appointment and have your dog seen as soon as possible. There are case reports of migraine-like behavior in dogs leading to secondary behavioral changes like aggression. These dogs do respond to medication.
