Written By : M Samy

Why is my dog shaking and what to do ?

Why is my dog shaking and what to do ?

Why is my dog shaking

If your dog is shaking and you are looking for an explanation, you have come to the right place.

Let’s start with the common causes responsible for tremor and shivering in canines, which would not be serious. 

And then we will also see some more serious reasons that will require your dog to be taken to the vet if his case and the symptoms match.

1-When you don’t have to worry even if your dog is shaking 

what to do when my dog is trembling

If you notice any shaking, trembling or shivering in your dog, don’t panic, because it may be just because:

  • Your dog’s just wet or cold.When the cold is too intense, rapid muscle contractions are a natural reaction of the body to restore its temperature.
  • Your dog is frightened because of an unusual noise…etc
  • Your dog is only stressed 
  • Your dog is over-excited and over-joyed, which makes him shiver because his emotional state is too intense.
  • Your dog may be Nervous or Just Anxious
  • Maybe your dog is just vicious and wants to get your attention, some hugs and why not some delicious treats too.
  • Your dog is aging , It is common to observe tremors in the limbs, caused by muscle aging and loss of strength.

What can you do in these cases to make your dog stop Shaking ?

It is obvious to dry your dog if he is wet or to cover him and warm him up if it is cold. 

If your dog is afraid, if he is nervous and stressed, talk to him, pet him and comfort him in order to calm him down. 

If he seems to be listening somewhere else, try to hold his attention with his favorite toy to distract him from the source and the noise that caused his fear or stress and he will calm down and stop shaking after that.

2-What are the other, more serious reasons that can cause your dog to tremble?

If none of the above reasons seem to be the real reason for his shaking , you should consider something more serious and it could be one of the following reasons why your dog is trembling:

why my dog is shaking

Your dog may be poisoned 

This may happens if your house is not pet-friendly

First and without wanting to alarm you, if you have reason to believe that your dog has just eaten something that could have poisoned him .

See also  The health Benefits of pets

Your dog may have swallowed some leaves of one of the poisonous plants, or any liquid, insecticide, rat poison, etc…and caused these tremors. Some foods, such as chocolate, caffeine or grapes, are toxic to dogs.

I advise you to take your dog without delay to a clinic or consult his veterinarian, if not to call Animal Poison Control (888-426-4435) and follow their instructions . 

Generalized Tremor Syndrome ( a Shaker syndrome)

This disease is caused by inflammation of the area of your dog’s brain that is responsible for the voluntary movement of muscles… 

It’s difficult to detect it without a veterinarian examination, because your dog will tremble as if he’s just cold…etc

Your dog may be suffering from muscle weakness

This would be the case if your dog starts to tremble after a physical effort, after your return from the park for example.

Your dog might be suffering (Pain)

Your dog might be shaking because he’s in real pain, according to the famous veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Werber, DVM because of it:

 If you see, or feel, an obvious problem 

A grossly abnormal limb indicating a possible fracture

An extremely bloated or tense abdomen indicating a possible bloat, pancreatitis

Other intestinal pain, or extreme stiffness (as if your pet doesn’t want to move) especially in the neck or back with or without gait abnormalities 

 Ataxia (appearing as if your pet is drunk and wobbly), which may indicate a herniated disc or a muscle problem along the spine…etc

You want to seek veterinary medical attention as soon as possible , the sooner the better. 

Conclusion

helping a shaking dog

As you can see, when your dog is shaking, you mustn’t panic, maybe  he’s just a little cold, because of his fine fur ( thin coat).

Or just wants a little attention from you or it is a little more serious, which will require the intervention of a veterinarian but generally it is never very serious.

M Samy pet blogger and author at famillypet

About Author

Hey! Samy here , Welcome to my Blog I'm an animal lover, especially pets and Really concerned about their well being ; I've been around and caring for all my life and Now ; a full-time Pet blogger at your service . My motto here at Famillypet is: "Pets First" ... Read More

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