Head pressing

For the human practice of affection, see Touching heads.

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]

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

  1. ^ a b 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.