Pets can be mysterious, or may seem so to us. Isn’t it? For instance, take their head shake. They shake off water from their body using a head shake, but what if there is no water on their body and they move their head vigorously every now and then? Is that head shake normal in pets?
Well, the answer is NO! It is not usual for dogs and cats to shake their head frequently. Pet owners may need to be observant to detect that their canine or feline is shaking their head way more too often than necessary. SO, if it is uncommon then what could be the cause of this behaviour?
The Reason could be an ear issue!
Yes, there are a few reasons for why your pet is shaking his head madly, and almost all of them are related to ears. The floppy big things are really small from inside and have a perfect atmosphere, all dark and moist, for bacterial development. There are several other reasons that could be behind making your pet crazy. Let’s go through them!
- Infection in ears (yeast or bacteria)
- Accumulation of excessive ear wax
- Mass formation or polyps in the ear canal
- Allergies
- Foreign body such as grass seed lodged in the ear
- Fly bites
These are some of the reasons of vigorous head shaking. However this is not the only sign of an ear issue. If your pet is going through the following traits then it may be possible that there is something wrong with his ears.
Look out for these symptoms too…
- Difficulty in hearing
- Ear discharge or foul odour from the ears
- Inflammation of the ear flaps or redness
- Irritation on ears or scratching
- Flinches when you touch his ear
- Rests his head in an unusual position
These are the symptoms apart from the head shake that indicate that your dog has some pain in his ears. Look out for these signs and consult your veterinarian immediately. Do not take your furry friend’s head shake normally, as it may be because of underlying ear issue if it is frequent. Clean your pet’s ears regularly and avoid using cotton buds to clean the wax.
