DogSymptoms.org

Why is my dog shaking?

Shaking in a dog can have many causes ranging from the animal simply being cold or wet to being symptomatic of underlying illness. It depends too on what part of the animal is shaking, for instance, if the dog shakes its head vigorously and repeatedly, there could be some mite infestation in its ears. If its rear-end shakes seemingly independently of the rest of the body, it could be that the dog is experiencing some kidney/liver disorder or has a compression to an area of its spine. Similarly, there could be some narrowing of the vertebra; only your veterinarian can confirm diagnosis in these cases, so always seek medical treatment if these symptoms present themselves.

In addition to parasitic or bacterial infections, head shaking may be indicative of an inner-ear fluid imbalance called ‘Vestibular Syndrome’. Alongside the shaking, the dog may exhibit poor balance and may tilt its head and experience loss of co-ordination. The animal may also roll its eyes or upwards or side-to-side and while this is distressing for both the dog and its owner, the best way to help the dog is to calm it and reassure the animal. A darkened and quiet room with a comfortable place for the dog to rest will help also. Vestibular Syndrome is unfortunately very difficult to treat and is likely to recur. Your vet will give you advice on how to deal with symptomatic episodes.

Another cause of head shaking is epilepsy, and this often involves the entire body shaking too. These fits may last anything from seconds to minutes and despite the dog seeming somewhat dazed afterwards, most usually recover rapidly. It is likely that the fits will continue for the rest of the animal’s life. While there are many causes of epilepsy, most often it is simply some anomaly within the individual dog and doesn’t have any particular cause. The condition can be controlled with medication however.

Generalized shaking may also be caused by low levels of glucose in the blood, and may be an indication of diabetes. Border Collies, for instance, are especially prone to low blood sugar levels post-exercise, and your vet will be able to advise you as to whether treatment is required. As with epilepsy, diabetes can be controlled with medication however simply a change in diet may also ease the symptoms of diabetes.

Dogs may experience episodes of fainting if they are diabetic but may also shake and faint if they have heart disease or some neurological (brain related) disorder. Likewise, generalized shaking may indicate some underlying toxicity or hypomyelination, which is a disease affecting the sheath covering the nerves. Any such symptoms warrant medical attention in order to establish a diagnosis and expedite relief for the dog.

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