Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
Do cats or dogs get headaches? How can you spot it?
I've often wondered this. I get chronic severe headaches… to the point they might be migraines. And I get them out of nowhere. The good thing is I can treat my headaches with painkillers like advil or tylenol.
I just wonder if cats or dogs can get headaches then how can you spot it? And what would cause it? And how do you treat it? I'd hate for my cat to experience the pain I experience while I'm completely oblivious to it and can't do anything to help it.
2 Answers
- 7 years ago
That's an interesting question and one I've often thought about, especially having seen one of my cats whack their head really hard when chasing each other under furniture. It didn't seem to affect her as she just carried on chasing her playmate. (I'd have been reaching for an icepack and a painkiller.)
I guess they can experience headaches, but since they're notoriously good at hiding signs of pain it probably wouldn't be obvious to us. We humans tend to shun bright light if we have a bad head, but cats eyes are highly sensitive to bright light anyway, so them hiding away somewhere dark wouldn't necessarily indicate a headache.
Two vets at the Royal Veterinary College in England have reported the possibility that pets can suffer migraine, after successfully treating dogs who were exhibiting symptoms of the condition.
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/thedailyvet/ktudor/2013...
There is a medical condition hydrocephaly (water on the brain) which is known to cause headaches in cats. Fortunately this condition is fairly rare in cats and is usually present from birth, as signified by a very domed skull.
- 7 years ago
Yes, they can get headaches. My vet told me that one sign of a dog or cat having a headache is that they will "push" their heads into objects, such as a wall. They do this to attempt to relieve the pressure in their heads. I have a miniature pinscher and she has microvascular dysplasia. One of the signs of the disease progressing is headaches. I asked how I would know if she had a headache and I was given the answer I just gave you
