There are many reasons why a dog may have tremors, mainly due to pain, cold, or stress, but there are more pathologies that can affect it. The most common questions are ‘Why is my dog shaking?’; ‘What should I do if my dog trembles?
Tremor is an involuntary bodily response that can be due to various causes, from external factors such as low temperatures to health problems such as epilepsy or poisoning.
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Other causes on a psychological level can also cause a dog to tremble, such as fear, anxiety, stress or excessive agitation (such as when they get very happy) are reasons why your dog is shaking. Let’s see in detail what happens to a dog when it shakes/trembles, based on the origin of the tremor.
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Main causes why my dog trembles
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Some of the most common causes that can cause tremors in your dog are the following:
- Idiopathic tremors. Its causes are not known, which makes treatment difficult.
- Trauma and injury. They can cause muscle weakness and pain, causing tremors.
- Congenital. They appear before birth, due to hereditary factors or some disorder that has taken place during embryonic development.
- Side effects of some medications. In this case, the tremors usually stop after the drug that causes them is withdrawn.
- Intoxication or poisoning. Some products that are toxic to your dog could cause tremors or seizures.
- Renal failure. The kidneys do not remove toxins from the body well, which can lead to tremors in the dog.
- Heart disease. Not enough oxygen gets to the muscles because the heart doesn’t pump blood well
- Immune disease. Some involve muscle weakness and tremors.
- Strong pains It is common for dogs with abdominal, muscle, or bone pain to experience tremors.
- Hypoglycemia: Low blood glucose level
- Nervous system disease. Diseases that affect both cerebral hemisphere scan cause seizures and those that affect the cerebellum, lack of coordination, and muscle tremors.
- Spinal cord injuries. They can cause a progressive loss of coordination in the hind legs, producing tremors that could lead to paralysis.
- Distemper. A contagious disease caused by a virus similar to the one that causes measles in humans.
- Nausea or vomiting. If your dog has nausea or vomiting and is accompanied by tremors, it could be due to poisoning or intestinal inflammation.
- Old age implies loss of muscle tone and strength, so the muscles can suffer from tremors when the dog is physically exhausted.
- Convulsive disorders. Jerking and jerking are caused by a discharge of electrical activity in the brain.
- Hypothermia. Drop-in temperature due to prolonged exposure to cold.
- Fever. When the dog’s temperature is too high, it may suffer from tremors or even seizures.
There are multiple reasons why your dog suffers from tremors. Your dog may tremble because he is excited, cold, or in pain. The tremors can also be due to some congenital or hereditary cause. In some cases, it may be a sign of intoxication, or perhaps your dog suffers from a disease that includes tremors among its symptoms that result in shaking. See your veterinarian if your dog trembles frequently or exhibits strange and involuntary movements, so that he can determine the cause of the tremors and, if necessary, prescribe a treatment with appropriate medications for your dog.
Do all dogs suffer from tremors?
All dogs can suffer from tremors, although some breeds are more predisposed than others. Breeds most susceptible to tremors include the following:
- English bulldog
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Dalmatian
- Chow chow
- Doberman Pinscher
- Great dane
- Samoyed
- Golden Retriever
- Miniature Schnauzer
- Scottish terrier
- Springer spaniel
- Weimaraners
