Probably, yes. Most vets believe dogs can feel head pain, but they can't tell us. So vets read behavior instead: a dog that squints, hides in a dark corner, carries its head low or flinches when you touch its head may well be hurting.
What nobody can do is prove it was a headache. Still, signs that look like a headache usually have a cause worth finding, and some of them are emergencies.
One rule before anything else: never give your dog a human painkiller unless your vet prescribes it. The reasons are further down.
What Vets Actually Know About Dog Headaches
"We cannot see or palpate or tell with certainty that a dog is experiencing a headache," says Dr. Jerry Klein, chief veterinary officer at the American Kennel Club. Vets look for indirect clues instead, such as a faster heart rate or discomfort when they gently feel the head.
Dr. Klein's approach is to work backward from what causes headaches in people. Dogs get many of the same problems (ear and sinus infections, sore teeth, head injuries, brain disease), and those can make a dog's head hurt. What's missing is a way to measure the headache itself.
The research is thin:
- One case report. In 2013, vets at the Royal Veterinary College described a Cocker Spaniel with episodes that looked strikingly like human migraine. Their paper's title asks Can dogs suffer from migraines? rather than answering it. More on that case below.
- Breed research. In Cavalier King Charles Spaniels with a skull shape problem called Chiari-like malformation, researchers think a headache may explain some of the pain signs. That is still a proposal.
Signs Your Dog's Head May Hurt
Dogs hide pain well, and none of these signs is specific to a headache. Still, these are the changes vets and owners tend to notice when a dog's head or face hurts.
Sensitivity to Light and Squinting
Your dog may squint, blink more, avoid bright rooms or seek out dark corners.
Squinting is also a classic sign of a painful eye. A red, cloudy or painful eye can mean glaucoma in dogs, which needs a vet straight away.
Not Wanting the Head Touched
A dog who usually loves a scratch behind the ears may pull away, duck, growl or snap when you reach for the head, face or neck. Pain can make even gentle dogs act out of character.
Restless or Anxious Behavior
Pacing, not settling, panting at rest or licking more than usual can all be pain signs. They are also signs of stress and separation anxiety, so read them alongside everything else on this list.
Eating Less or Chewing Carefully
A sore head, ear or mouth can make eating uncomfortable, so your dog may eat less or chew carefully. Painful teeth in particular can look a lot like a "headache" from the outside. A dog that stops eating should see a vet.
Sleeping More or Hiding
Some dogs sleep more, struggle to get comfortable, or hide under furniture and avoid the family. In the 2013 case report, hiding was one of the signs the owners noticed.
Head Held Low, Whimpering
Cornell's canine health center lists a low head carriage, whimpering or groaning, flattened ears and a grimacing face among the general signs of pain in dogs.
What Can Cause Head Pain in Dogs
Head-pain signs overlap with ear, tooth, eye and brain problems. These are the usual suspects:
Possible cause | What you might also notice |
|---|---|
Ear infection | Head shaking, scratching at the ears, a bad smell, redness or discharge; the ear can be painful |
Dental disease | Not wanting the mouth or a tooth touched, facial swelling, eating less |
Nose or sinus infection | Nasal discharge, sneezing, snoring or noisy breathing |
Head injury | A knock, fall or car accident; dullness, wobbliness, uneven pupils |
Eye pain, such as glaucoma | Red, cloudy or painful eye, squinting |
Brain disease (tumors, inflammation, infection) | Behavior changes, head pressing, seizures, loss of coordination |
Irritants (veterinarian Dr. Nancy Kay's suggested triggers) | Smoke, pesticides, cleaning chemicals, strong smells or loud noise in the home |
A Note for Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Owners
Chiari-like malformation is a mismatch between the size of the skull and the brain, and Cavaliers are the breed best known for it. In a 2019 study of 130 affected Cavaliers, the most common sign was vocalizing (65%), and about 3 in 10 scratched or rubbed at the head or ears. The authors suggest a headache could explain some of this pain, but their findings suggest rather than prove it. If your Cavalier yelps, scratches at the head or avoids being touched, mention it to your vet.
Never Give Your Dog Human Painkillers
It is tempting to share what helps your own headache. Don't: never give acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin at home unless your vet prescribes it; acetaminophen is deadly to cats.
"Dogs are not small people," as the FDA puts it, and no over-the-counter NSAID (anti-inflammatory pain reliever) is FDA-approved for dogs or cats. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, dogs swallowing human NSAIDs is one of the most common poisonings reported to animal poison control centers.
- Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin): has a narrow margin of safety in dogs and is no longer recommended for them. It can cause stomach ulcers, kidney damage and, after large amounts, seizures.
- Naproxen (Aleve): lasts much longer in a dog's body than in people. Poisoning signs include vomiting, black or tarry stool, pale gums and weakness.
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol): can damage a dog's liver and red blood cells.
- Aspirin: can cause stomach ulcers and bleeding problems in dogs.
Warning signs after any of these include vomiting, diarrhea, black or bloody stool, not eating, lethargy and yellow gums or eyes.
If your dog swallowed any human pain medicine, or you already gave some, call now, even if your dog seems fine. Call your vet, an emergency clinic, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or the Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. Both are open 24/7, and a consultation fee may apply. Have the packaging in hand so you can say what was taken and when.
If your dog does need pain relief, your vet has dog-specific options and will choose the medicine and dose. Keep every bottle, yours and your pets', out of reach.
When to Call Your Vet
Call your vet or an emergency clinic now if your dog:
- Presses its head against a wall or furniture (head pressing usually points to a nervous system problem)
- Has a seizure, loses balance or seems dull and confused
- Has uneven pupils
- Has had any knock to the head, a fall or a car accident, even if they seem fine
- Has a red, cloudy or painful eye
- Swallowed any human medicine
See your vet soon (call today) if your dog:
- Squints, avoids light or keeps one eye closed
- Doesn't want the head, face or mouth touched
- Shakes the head or scratches at the ears
- Eats less, has trouble chewing or has a swollen face
- Hides, sleeps much more than usual or seems "not right"
- Has episodes like these that come and go
While you call, let your dog rest somewhere calm and quiet, and don't give any medicine unless your vet tells you to.
What Your Vet Will Check
Expect a careful history first: when the signs started, how long they last, and what was happening before. Then comes a full physical exam, including:
- Ears, mouth and eyes, where many "headaches" turn out to start.
- A neurologic exam: how alert your dog is, how they stand and walk, whether the head is held straight, the nerves of the face and eyes, reflexes, and gently feeling the head, neck and spine for pain.
Next steps may include bloodwork, X-rays or ultrasound. If those are normal and a brain problem is still possible, your vet may refer you for an MRI or CT scan and a spinal fluid tap (a sample of the fluid around the brain and spinal cord). As Dr. Klein points out, an MRI won't necessarily show anything abnormal with an ordinary headache, so a normal scan doesn't mean your dog imagined it.
Treatment depends on the cause: an ear infection, a bad tooth, glaucoma and a brain tumor are handled very differently. Your vet chooses any pain relief.
Can Dogs Get Migraines? The 2013 Case
The best-known case comes from Plessas, Volk and Kenny, vets at the Royal Veterinary College, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2013. They described a dog whose episodes "have a striking resemblance to human migraine."
Here is the case as summarized for owners by veterinarian Dr. Ken Tudor on PetMD (his summary of the paper):
- The dog was a 5-year-old spayed female Cocker Spaniel. Her episodes started at 5 months old and were happening monthly by the time she came to the hospital.
- Episodes of crying out and fear lasted 2-4 hours and sometimes up to 3 days. Her owners also saw drooling, hiding and avoidance, and her vets later noted sensitivity to light and sound.
- Her exam, blood and urine tests, an MRI of her head and neck and her spinal fluid were all normal. Treatments for a seizure disorder failed.
- A drug used to treat migraines in people shortened the episodes. The crying stopped, she was eager to exercise, and after 18 months her episodes were down to one every 2-3 months. Her owners felt she had a good quality of life.
One dog doesn't prove that dogs get migraines, and the authors framed it as a question. It does show that a dog can have repeated, painful-looking episodes with normal test results, and that a careful work-up can still help.
Can Dogs Sense Your Migraine?
That's a different question, and some people searching are really asking it. A 2013 online survey of 1,029 adults with migraines who lived with dogs found that about one in four noticed a change in their dog's behavior before their own first symptoms. The most common change was the dog refusing to leave their side.
The people who answered chose to take part and reported from memory, so the survey can't show that dogs reliably predict migraines. It's a nice story, not a medical tool.
Keep a Head-Pain Diary for Your Vet
Your dog can't describe the pain, so your notes become the history. Write down:
- When each episode starts and how long it lasts
- What you saw: squinting, hiding, crying out, not eating, head held low
- What came just before: a knock to the head, a new cleaning product, smoke, loud noise, a meal or chew
- A short phone video, which often shows your vet more than a description can
Questions worth asking your vet:
- Could this be coming from the ears, teeth or eyes?
- Does my dog need a neurologic exam or imaging?
- Which signs mean I should come straight back?
- If my dog needs pain relief, which medicine is safe for them?
Sources
- Plessas, Volk and Kenny 2013, J Vet Intern Med: Migraine-like episodic pain behavior in a dog: can dogs suffer from migraines?
- PetMD, Dr. Ken Tudor: Do Our Pets Get Migraine Headaches? (summary of the 2013 case)
- American Kennel Club: Do Dogs Get Headaches? (Dr. Jerry Klein)
- Cornell Riney Canine Health Center: Recognizing Pain in Dogs
- FDA: Get the Facts about Pain Relievers for Pets
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses From Human Analgesics in Animals
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Pet Poison Helpline
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version): Glaucoma in Dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version): Ear Infections and Otitis Externa in Dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version): Dental Disorders of Dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual (Pet Owner Version): Rhinitis and Sinusitis in Dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual: The Neurologic Examination of Animals
- Rusbridge, McFadyen and Knower 2019, J Vet Intern Med: Signs of Chiari-like malformation-associated pain and syringomyelia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
- PetMD: Head Pressing in Dogs
- American Kennel Club: Concussions in Dogs
- Dr. Nancy Kay, Speaking for Spot: How To Know If Your Dog Has a Headache?
- Marcus and Bhowmick 2013, J Altern Complement Med: Survey of Migraine Sufferers with Dogs to Evaluate for Canine Migraine-Alerting Behaviors
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian.
