Does your dog walking slow with head down? It is never a common or normal behaviour for a dog. If your dogs have begun to walk slowly with their head as a new habit, it can be a little confusing for the dog owners. Even wanted to find an answer to the question – why is my dog walking slow with head down? Let us try finding an answer to that question.
Quick Answer –
One of the primary reasons for a dog to walk slowly with head down is because of back pain or neck pain. Any specific issue with your dog’s vestibular system may also cause the new posture. Another common cause of your dog hanging head low can be an ear infection with ticks that can affect the balance of a dog.
Why My Dog Walks Slow with Head Down?
Has your dog been hanging its head down only recently? It may be a good idea to check out the following reasons and try resolving them to make your dog feel better. One of my neighbours was worried about his dog walking slow with head down. I took up a research into the possible reasons that might have caused this concern. My talks and discussion with the experts in the pet care made me understand a few possible reasons.
The major causes for why your dog is walking slow with head down can be back or neck pain, vestibular diseases, and an inner ear infection. Since dogs need help from their ears for proper balance, they may walk slowly or be disoriented when there is an ear infection. Some other causes can include heat, tiredness, discomfort or fear.
Reason 1 – Neck Pain
Neck pain is the primary reason for a dog to keep its head down. Why can a dog face neck pain and other allied symptoms? Well, I found one of them to be due to a pinched nerve in the neck. Not only that, an injury to the spinal cord can also cause this problem. Have you noticed your dog developed the habit only recently? That was exactly the case with my neighbour’s dog. A further investigation revealed that the dog had a twisted nerve in the neck.
Neck pain in dogs can be caused due to several reasons. My vet told me the prominent among them to be arthritis, joint pains or even a small muscle strain. When your dog has pain in the neck, it will obviously be forced to keep its head down. This will affect its pace and your dog will begin walking slowly.
Reason 2 – Neurological Disease
Neurological disease affects the central nervous system in the dog. The neurological disease can affect the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. My vet suggested that issues with these body parts make your dog lose coordination and balance. Distemper and Neosporosis are some possible causes that can result in your dog walking slowly.
If your dog has neurological disease, you will find several additional signs such as nasal discharge, uncontrollable movements, aggressiveness, lethargy, and excessive drinking.
Cognitive dysfunction – This disease can change the behaviour and alertness in your dog. My research led me to conclude that the signs are almost similar to Alzheimer’s in humans. Is your dog showing signs of disorientation, sleep disturbances, and anxiety? It can be a case of cognitive dysfunction.
Epilepsy – If your dog has epilepsy, it may lose consciousness and experience seizures. Another sign of epilepsy include muscular convulsions. Your dog may experience epilepsy due to head trauma or liver disease.
Degenerative myelopathy – This issue can be caused when the discs between the vertebrae begin to disintegrate or deteriorate. Commonly called a slipped disc, it can cause symptoms similar to those of humans. Some such symptoms include pain, weakness, and paralysis.
Reason 3 – Vestibular disease
The vestibular disease affects the inner ear of your dog. I have observed this affecting its balance severely. The disease is quite common in older dogs. You may find also your dog walking in circles, losing balance, vomiting and excessive dehydration.
An infection and ear damage can cause the disease due to injury. It is also found in dogs with lack of nutrition and abnormal tissue growth. The dog may also shake or tilt to one side when it has a vestibular issue.
Vestibular disease is more common in certain dog breeds. But, don’t just run to a conclusion that your dog does not have it. It can also affect many older gods irrespective of the breed. However, the following breeds have a higher possibility of vestibular disease –
- Akita
- Beagle
- Doberman pinscher
- German shepherd
- English cocker spaniel
- Smooth fox terrier and
- Tibetan terrier
However, it should be noted that vestibular disease may also come up genetically and can affect other breeds as well.
Reason 4 – Arthritis
If your dog is aged and has begun walking slow with head down, it may have arthritis. In fact, Arthritis is a common disease in dogs as they age. However, it can also affect the dogs irrespective of age. Is your dog walking slow with head down, and also shakes his head, you can be sure that it has arthritis.
If your dog has arthritis, it will find it difficult to climb stairs, walk briskly or get up soon after lying down. A dog with arthritis may also be less active and chooses to sleep more.
Reason 5 – Scared of punishment
This is not a health issue but a psychological condition. Maybe your dog is feeling guilty of something or being submissive. It is also possible that the dog has identified the owner’s emotions. I have found my dog senses it when I am upset or angry and gets into the same mood. The slow walking with head down can be a physical manifestation of the mood.
If you have scolded the dog for misbehaving, it can intuitively go into submissive behaviour. If that is the case, your dog would also avoid eye contact. Your dog may also begin walking slow with head down if it knows that it has done something that it is not supposed to, and seeks to avoid punishment. They will avoid eye contact and feel guilty.
Reason 6 – Parasitic infection
Parasites can cause several health issues in dogs. My vet suggested I look for other signs of behaviour. He told me to observe the signs like weight loss, diarrhea, and lethargy. There are multiple types of worms that can affect a dog. Take care to avoid fleas, ticks, heartworms, and gastrointestinal worms. It is advisable to take your dog to the vet for proper treatment. Your vet may suggest medications or even suggest special diet in the case of gastrointestinal parasites.
Note – According to the Veterinary Health centre of Kansas University, close to 34% of the dogs are infected with the gastrointestinal parasites.
Reason 7 – Scared of Something around
One of the common reasons why your dog is walking slowly with its head down can be that it is afraid of the people around it. Check if it is new to the surroundings or is overwhelmed with something around. If that is the case with your dog, it should be just a matter of time until the dog gets used to the surroundings and begins to behave normally.
Dogs are generally social by nature. They love to have an active human interaction. However, they do need to learn proper social interaction if new. If it is not socialised properly, it can show the signs of walking slowly with head down. I have also seen them showing a few other signs.
Reason 9 – An effect of medication
If your dog has started to walk slow with head down after a new medication, that could be the sole reason causing it. The dog may walk slowly when it is adjusting itself to the new medication. In this case, your dog may show a reduction in the activity levels and be lethargic.
it can typically begin with Antibiotics, Painkillers, Anti-inflammatory drugs and heart medications. The effects should go away in a few days. If the symptoms persist, it is a good idea to consult your vet.
Some common medications that cause sensitivity in dogs include
- Antibiotics
- Painkillers
- Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Medications for heart ailments
Reason 10- Cancer issues
When your dog has cancer, it can spread to multiple organs. This can make your dog likely to walk slowly with head down. It can also make the dog to become lethargic.
In addition to slow movement, if you find your dog is exhibiting the following signs, it may be a good idea to take your dog to the vet as soon as possible
- An increased thirst
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Blood in the urine
If you find your dog is walking slowly with head down, along with other signs of a serious illness, see your dog receives an immediate medical attention.
Why Is My Dog Suddenly Moving Slowly?
If your dog begins to move slowly all of a sudden, it is most probably because it is afraid of something. It may be sick, in pain, or maybe simply tired. There are a few reasons and diseases that can make a dog to walk slowly all of a sudden. One most possible reasons can be ear infection.
If your dog is normally active, and suddenly begins walking with head down, make sure that it does not have any illness or health issues. It may be a good idea to take your dog to the veterinarian immediately to rule out any major health concerns.
Why does My Dog Tilt its Head When Walking?
One common cause for the tilted head in dog is the vestibular disease. Since the issue with the vestibular system can affect the balance of your dog, you will find it shaking or tilting its head to one side.
Having said that, minor problems such as ear infection, ticks in the ears and head injuries can also be reasons why your dogs might be tilting their heads to one side or may even begin keeping their head down. Strokes, tumours, infections like meningitis, and trauma can be a few causes that can result in a titled head. Your dog may also begin shaking its head and licking its paws incessantly.
How to Stop Your Dog from Walking Slow with Head Down?
Well, if the issue is not health-related and just a behavioural problem, you can make the dog feel comfortable. Providing comfort can make the dog make sure that the dog avoids behavioural issues and will begin moving with the head raised. If you have a submissive dog and it is the genetic pattern of the dog, maybe you are out of luck in solving the issue. In such cases, you may not be able to prevent the dog from walking slowly with its head down.
Reducing the stressors can be yet another best way to help monitor your dogs and prevent the habit. You may also need to check for injuries, if any. If you find any injury, make sure that you have visited a vet to fix the bruises and other signs of problem.
Here are a few checks that you can undertake at your home –
- Have a look at their nose – Avoid any nasal discharge or bleeding
- Check their ears for foul smell, ticks and sticky fluid.
- Check the fur to find any ticks and fleas. You may also check it to find if it has any sort of lumps.
- Check if their anus has any bruises or redness.
- Check their nails and find if the issue has anything to do with nail clipping.
- Check eyes to find out if there are any discharges. Also, check if the eyes are watery.
- Have a look at the gums. Check for the lumps in the gums or any sort of foul smell.
The Concluding Thoughts
If you find why your dog is walking slowly with its head down, it can be due to several reasons. A few of the causes can include pain, anxiety, or just being submissive. If the behaviour is sudden and if you see it persisting for a long time, it is advisable to visit a vet and make your dog go through a thorough check-up.
Timely attention and treatment – for physical or psychological issues – can help you make your dog comfortable. Follow the right steps and make your canine companion stay in the pink of its health.
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