Shaking in Small Dogs: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions

Dogs shake for various reasons. Common causes include the following:

• Excitement: Dogs, especially small dog breeds, usually shake when they are excited. They exhibit this behavior around their owners, and it will usually be accompanied by tail wagging as occasionally it may not.

• Anxiety: Fear, stress, or anxiety makes dogs shiver especially certain breeds that are more prone to being nervous. It can occur when they hear loud noises, feel threatened, or when they are left alone. In such cases, the shaking usually stops when the dog calms down.

• Cold weather: Small dogs, puppies, and short-haired dogs shiver in the cold as a natural physical response to increase their core body temperature.

• Attention seeking: Dogs may shake to seek attention from their owners. This is particularly common with puppies.

• Pain and old age: Trembling in dogs can be a response to pain. This usually occurs on just the limbs. Older dogs' leg muscles become weaker over time and they may develop muscle tremors, especially in their hind legs.

• Ear problems: The irritation of the ear canal from ear infections makes dogs uncomfortable and causes excessive head shaking.

• Nausea: Dogs may shake due to nausea, which can be caused by medication or excessive eating. Other signs include excessive salivation, yawning, and vomiting.

• Poisoning: Dogs are affected by toxins and other substances that are not even toxic to humans (chocolate, cigarettes, chewing gum, etc). Ingestion of such substances can cause shaking and requires a vet visit. Try as much as possible to note exactly what your dog ingested.

• Kidney disease: The kidneys filter and excrete toxic waste from the blood, thus when they are diseased, the waste accumulates and causes several symptoms including shivering and trembling. This is a serious condition that requires you to see a veterinarian immediately. While kidney diseases can have no specific cause, they can also be induced by eating foods that are not even toxic to humans such as dried currants (a type of raisin) and grapes ( Skye W. Stanley and Cathy E. Langston, 2008 )

Common symptoms to look out for in your dog include:

• Shaking or trembling: Note the specific parts of the body involved and how long each trembling episode lasts.

• Shivering: This usually involves the entire body and can occur when the dog is wet or cold.

• Panting: Dogs often pant when they are exhausted or in distress. Panting in addition to shaking can signify muscle weakness, fear, or anxiety.

• Whining or whimpering: This can signify that the dog is anxious or in pain.

• Lack of appetite: When accompanied by vomiting, this could indicate poisoning, gastrointestinal distress, or severe nausea.

• Lethargy: Sudden or gradual loss of energy accompanying shaking may be an indication of a systemic illness or serious condition such as kidney disease.

Calming a dog's shivering depends on prompt and accurate determination of the underlying cause. Depending on the cause, home remedies may be sufficient or it may require professional intervention.

Some ways to calm a trembling or shivering dog include:

• Providing a warm and comfortable environment – cold is a very common cause of shivering and a warm environment helps stabilize the dog's temperature.

• Training and behavioral modification – this can help manage dogs with shaking due to anxiety or fear. Therapeutic toys can also help with the dog's anxiety, but in severe cases, a vet may prescribe calming medications such as Xanax, Diazepam, Fluoxetine or Lorazepam. However, these medications can create dependency, thus natural alternatives are a safer bet. A good example of a herbal alternative is Calmex. This promotes playful behavior in dogs by increasing the serotonin, " the happy hormone" levels in the dog. Another is pheromone products like Adaptil. This is a synthetic copy of the pheromone a female dog releases after birth to calm her puppies. It has the same effect on stressed dogs as the natural pheromone does on puppies.

• Pain-induced shaking can be soothed with analgesics or anti-inflammatories. These may be prescribed by a vet after they've determined if the pain is due to injury or a chronic illness like arthritis.

• Feeding your dog healthy food can help resolve shivering from hypoglycemia. Glucose supplements also help stabilize blood sugar levels. The dog will also benefit from supplements like  Primal-Vitality™ Beef Organ Complex , packed with essential nutrients and fatty acids to ensure adequate nutrition at all times. Read " Learn About the Benefits of Organic Meats for Dogs " to understand the importance of adequate nutrition. However, despite these great benefits, we suggest you see your veterinarian as quickly as you can if your dog experiences hypoglycemic episodes.

• Some neurological problems like seizure disorders can be managed with anticonvulsants prescribed by a veterinarian.

• Use therapeutic toys or calming music to help dogs that are scared or have anxiety.

• Provide regular exercise and mental stimulation to ensure your dog is constantly healthy. Exercise improves dogs' health ( James R Templeman, et al, 2020 ) and tones their muscles, thus delaying age-related weakness and preventing inflammation.

• Keep your dog warm and comfortable in cold weather

• Provide regular exercise and mental stimulation

• Manage anxiety and fear with training

• Keep your dog up-to-date with veterinary care and vaccines

• Monitor your dog’s health and behavior closely, and call your vet as soon as you notice a change in your pet's health.

Dog shaking is a common occurrence that can result from minor emotional causes to serious medical conditions that require veterinarian help. Understanding the wide range of causes is essential in ensuring that all possible causes are accounted for and the dog receives the correct intervention on time. Always call a veterinarian when in doubt.