Why Would a Dog Shake Its Head?

It’s normal to see your dog shake their head. A quick shake now and then is just how dogs get things out of their ears. It could be water, dirt, a bug, or just an itch. But what if your dog keeps shaking their head over and over? That’s when you need to pay attention because something might be wrong.

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Common Causes of Excessive Head Shaking in Dogs

The most common reason dogs shake their heads a lot is an ear infection. Ear infections make dogs itchy, swollen, and sometimes even hurt! They shake their heads to try and make it feel better.

Here are some other reasons your dog might be shaking their head more than usual:

Allergies: Dogs can be allergic to things in the air like pollen, dust, and mold. They can also be allergic to things in their food. Allergies make dogs itchy, especially their ears.
Ear mites: These tiny bugs live in a dog’s ear and make them super itchy! Cats get them more than dogs, but dogs can still get them.
Things stuck in their ears: Dogs like to explore and sniff everything! Sometimes things like grass, dirt, or even small toys get stuck in their ears.
Water in the ears: After a bath or swimming, water can get stuck in a dog’s ears and bother them.

My Dog Keeps Shaking His Head Like He Has Something in His Ear

If your dog shakes their head like something is stuck, take them to a vet. Lots of things can cause this, and many need a vet to fix them.

Dog Keeps Shaking Head and Tilting to One Side

If your dog shakes their head and tilts it to one side, it could be something serious. Vestibular disease makes dogs dizzy. Cerebellar hypoplasia means a part of their brain didn’t grow right. Take your dog to the vet right away if they do this!

Why Does My Dog Shake His Head Like a Seizure?

If your dog’s head shaking looks like a seizure, take them to the vet immediately. This could be a brain problem, like canine distemper virus, which can be deadly. Other brain problems can cause head shaking or tremors too. A vet needs to figure out what’s wrong so they can help your dog.

More Serious Causes

Most head shaking is from common problems that are easy to treat. But some causes are less common and more serious:

Tumors: Sometimes a tumor in or near the ear can bother the dog and make them shake their head.
Neurological conditions: Some brain problems can cause shaking or movements that look like head shaking.
Ear hematoma: This is a blood blister in the ear flap. It happens when dogs shake their head or scratch a lot, usually because of another ear problem. Ear hematomas hurt and might need surgery.

Treatment for Dog Shaking Head

How you treat head shaking depends on what’s causing it.

Ear infections: Vets usually give ear drops or medicine you give by mouth. Sometimes they need to clean the dog’s ears too.
Allergies: Vets can do tests to find out what your dog is allergic to. They might give medicine like antihistamines or steroids to help.
Things stuck in the ear: The vet will need to take it out. Sometimes the dog needs to be asleep for this.
Ear mites: Medicine can kill ear mites. All the pets in your house need treatment so they don’t keep passing them back and forth.
Ear hematoma: The vet might have to drain the blood and do surgery on the ear flap.

It’s important to do what your vet says and give all the medicine, even if your dog seems better. This will help fix the problem completely so it doesn’t come back.

What to Do If Your Dog Keeps Shaking Their Head

Take your dog to the vet right away if they:

Shake their head a lot or really hard
Have red, swollen, or leaky ears
Scratch their ears a lot
Have stinky ears
Have trouble balancing
Are sleepy or not eating
Make weird noises when they shake their head

The vet can look in their ears and figure out why they’re shaking their head. They might take a sample to look for germs or bugs.

Dog Keeps Shaking Head But Ears Are Clean

Even if their ears look clean, your dog could still have an ear infection or other problem. Take them to the vet if they keep shaking their head, even if their ears look okay.

Dog Shaking Head a Lot Home Remedy

Don’t try to fix your dog’s ear problems yourself! Home remedies can make things worse. Always let the vet diagnose and treat the problem so your dog gets the right care.

Preventing Ear Problems in Dogs

You can help prevent ear problems in your dog by:

Cleaning their ears: Your vet can tell you what to use to clean their ears safely.
Drying their ears after swimming or baths: Use a towel or a hairdryer on low heat, held far away from their ears.
Talking to your vet about allergies: If your dog has allergies, treating them can help prevent ear infections.
Using tick medicine: This will help protect your dog from ticks, which can irritate their ears and make them sick.

By watching your dog and helping them avoid ear problems, you can keep them happy and healthy!