Title: Head pressing

{{Short description|Veterinary condition}}
{{For|the human practice of affection|Touching heads}}
[[File:Polioencephalomalacia head-pressing.jpg|250px|thumb|Head-pressing in sheep with [[polioencephalomalacia]]]]
'''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.&lt;ref name=&quot;petMD&quot;&gt;{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/c_multi_headpressing|title=Head Pressing in Dogs|last=de Cardenas|first=Cecilia|date=5 November 2008|website=petMD|publisher=[[Chewy (company)|Chewy]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200413005628/https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/neurological/c_multi_headpressing|archive-date=13 April 2020|access-date=12 December 2019}}&lt;/ref&gt; This condition is seen in [[dog]]s, [[cat]]s, [[Cattle|cows]], [[horse]]s, and [[goat]]s. Head pressing is usually a sign of a [[neurological disorder]], especially of the [[forebrain]] (e.g., [[prosencephalon]] disease),&lt;ref name=&quot;petMD&quot; /&gt; or of [[toxicity]] due to [[Hepatotoxicity|liver damage]], such as [[portosystemic shunt]] and [[hepatic encephalopathy]].&lt;ref name=&quot;FaerberDVM1999&quot;&gt;{{cite book|last1=Faerber|first1=Cody W.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-pU4pfEGqggC&amp;pg=RA1-PA67|title=Canine Medicine and Disease Prevention|last2=Durrant|first2=S. Mario|last3=Fishman Leon|first3=Jane|publisher=Animal Health Publications|year=2004|isbn=978-0-9701159-1-1|edition=5th}}&lt;/ref&gt;

It should be distinguished from [[bunting (animal behavior)|bunting]], which is a normal behavior found in healthy animals.

==Possible causes==
* Prosencephalon disease
* [[Liver shunt]]
* [[Brain tumor]]
* Metabolic disorder (e.g., [[hyponatremia]] or hyperatremia)
* [[Stroke]]
* Infection of the nervous system ([[rabies]], parasites, bacterial, viral or fungal infection)
* Head trauma&lt;ref&gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/5625-dogs-who-head-press-should-see-a-vet-asap-recognizing-this-behavior-could-save-your-dogs-life#Ft2GmPo32sfaOsbr.99|title=Dogs Who Head Press Should See A Vet ASAP. Recognizing This Behavior Could Save Your Dog's Life.|date=30 May 2014|website=DogHeirs|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324024843/http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/posts/5625-dogs-who-head-press-should-see-a-vet-asap-recognizing-this-behavior-could-save-your-dogs-life|archive-date=24 March 2015|accessdate=4 July 2014}}&lt;/ref&gt;

===Liver neurotoxicity===
A [[liver shunt]] is a congenital or acquired condition that may lead to toxicity and head pressing. Additional symptoms include drooling and slow maturation early in development. Middle-aged and older animals more commonly suffer from liver cirrhosis than younger animals.&lt;ref&gt;{{Cite web|url=https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/cirrhosis-dogs|title=Cirrhosis in Dogs|website=Pet Health Network|publisher=[[IDEXX Laboratories]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212005907/https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/cirrhosis-dogs|archive-date=12 December 2019|access-date=12 December 2019}}&lt;/ref&gt;

===Viral causes===
Several viruses that cause [[encephalitis]] or [[meningoencephalitis]] can lead to the neurological sign of head pressing, such as [[eastern equine encephalitis]] and ''[[Bovine alphaherpesvirus 5|bovine herpesvirus 5]]''.&lt;ref name=&quot;McVeyKennedy2013&quot;&gt;{{cite book|last=Hostetler|first=Douglas E.|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KcrUS1gaix0C&amp;pg=PA573|title=Veterinary Microbiology|publisher=John Wiley &amp; Sons|year=2013|isbn=978-1-118-65056-1|editor-last=McVey|editor-first=D. Scott|edition=3rd|pages=573|chapter=Nervous System|editor-last2=Kennedy|editor-first2=Melissa|editor-last3=Chengappa|editor-first3=M. M.}}&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref name=&quot;Gilberd2005&quot;&gt;{{cite book|author=Gilberd|first=Mark|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y-ZJs8ufKR0C&amp;pg=PA30|title=Natural Remedies For Sheep|year=2005|isbn=978-0-9775330-2-2|pages=30|publisher=Mark Gilberd }}&lt;/ref&gt;

==See also==
* [[Bovine malignant catarrhal fever]]
* [[Canine brain tumors]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Animal diseases]]
[[Category:Bovine diseases]]
[[Category:Cat diseases]]
[[Category:Horse diseases]]

{{Veterinary-med-stub}}