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  Discussion on Head nodding
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Posted on Saturday, Feb 12, 2000 - 11:11 am:

Hi Dr. O,

I first want to say thanks for the info on my last question on Sammy's runny nose. Things got hectic and I didn't get a chance to say thanks. He seems to be fine, so we're just watching.

This new problem is a 4 year old bred quarter horse that just started nodding her head. It looks just like she's nodding yes. I noticed it 3 days ago in the corral. We trimmed hooves that day so she was in the corral most of the day. The nodding seemed to irritate her, too. She kind of walks around like she's trying to escape it. When I tied her for grooming, she could control it to a point. She still nodded, but just little short nods to avoid the lead snap bouncing on her chin! After while it went away, but comes back from time to time. She doesn't show any other symptoms that I can see except a very slight runny nose, not even runny, just dampness at one nostril, which I assumed at first was just from stirring the dust up in the corral that day.

I read the articles on head shaking, and wanted to know if this might be the same thing. She doesn't shake, however, just nod! The first day I noticed it was sunny, but she also does it on very cloudy, grey days. I guess it's not something that will go away on it's own, right? Time to call the vet?
Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Annie

Posted on Sunday, Feb 13, 2000 - 10:10 am:

I have to admit I am having trouble picturing this. When I first started reading this I though you meant nodding while walking or trotting which would indicate a front limb lameness. But I think you are saying she is nodding even while standing still: sounds like she is aggravated at something. I would be slow to explain it as a serious neurological problem until I had exhausted all the other possibilities.
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Feb 13, 2000 - 10:50 am:

Hi Doc,

It's entirely possible she was aggravated about something, she's the alpha mare and the group had been corraled for a couple of days, plus we were working cattle nearby. She's easily aggravated by nature. Since she did it while walking, we'll pay closer attention, but this morning she wasn't doing it, and she goes long stretches without doing it, which makes me think it's not a lameness problem.

The one thing we are speculating on is a hay problem. We were trying to think of anything that is different and she's getting 4th cutting alfalfa hay right now. The alfalfa, as you probably read in a previous posting, is from a field we're plowing under in the crop rotation. Even though we spray for weeds, the last cutting was thin and weedy due to the serious DrOught we're in here. When I asked Randy about the weeds, he said there is the occasional pigweed, and also nightshade, which the wild geese, bless their hearts, seem to deposit in their migration. We decided to forgo feeding the horses the 4th cutting. I haven't had time to look up those weeds and see what effect they might have, so you might want to comment here.

Since everything else looks fine, we'll just keep watching to see if it continues, and try to pinpoint when it happens more exactly. If my hunch is correct, it may disappear with changing the hay.

Warm regards,
Annie

Posted on Sunday, Feb 13, 2000 - 12:24 pm:

Hi Annie,
I don't know what pigweed is - someone borrowed my book on weeds and hasn't returned it, and my dictionary merely says "kinds of herbs eaten by pigs" which is extremely informative!!

However, I do know that nightshade is very poisonous - I'm presuming there is only one nightshade in and around the world. There is Black Nightshade, with white flowers and black poisonous berries; Woody Nightshade, with purple flowers and bright red berries; and the Deadly Nightshade which truly is deadly, also known as belladonna.

I think you should get rid of that weed pronto, and make sure that there is none in the hay.
That might well be the problem. Apparently animals rarely eat the growing plant, but will eat hay containing the dried plant. Symptoms can be dilatation of the pupil, dryness of the mouth, restlessness, delirium, quickened pulse [which becomes weaker], increased respiration, elevated temperature.

Alexa

Posted on Monday, Feb 14, 2000 - 9:33 am:

Though the weeds are unlikely to cause the symptoms you describe they need to be removed. You might also want to have the mouth checked it may be a source of irritation causing the head to nod.
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Jun 27, 2002 - 5:42 pm:

My horse does this once in awhile, too. In the cross-ties, he just starts nodding "Yes" over and over again! But it got bad, and then he would flinch his head - very severe, quick pulling, like something has bit his nose/face. I found a web article on Head Shaking (I can find it if you really think it interests you.) But the main point was that it could be allergies (which my horse has) and a facial nerve (trigeminal(?)) is irritated and causes pain. The head movement is a result (trying to alleviate the pain). There is a drug for some bad cases that works 75% of the time. Luckily, as soon as a storm came through the area, it cleared it up. The vet said he probably has allergic rhinitis and the storm cleared out whatever was irritating him. I started giving him Cough Free - an herbal powder. I'm not sure if this is making a difference, but we've had hot/humid/dry conditions (which were present just prior to this behavior) and he hasn't had a reoccurrence to this magnitude (he only does it once in a while now). The day before the storm it was so bad, I thought he was going crazy! It took 5 min to bridle him (usually takes about 15 sec). He didn't want me to touch his face. He couldn't keep his head still during the ride. The head flinching he was doing was not behavioral (he has done that to me and it's not the same). It was such a quick and severe pull - like he got bit on the nose - and he wouldn't stop it. If he didn't already have a headache, I'm sure he'd get one from doing it so much. I'm really happy he's normal now. I'm not stopping the Cough Free!

Posted on Friday, Jun 28, 2002 - 7:28 am:

Hello Valerie,
I have had poor luck treating cough of allergic origins with Cough Free. I think you moving your horse to the corner stall where there is more ventilation was key to improving his problem, see the article on COPD for more on this.
DrO
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