Shaking in Dogs

Should your dog be shaking or shivering, you will notice his body making involuntary movements when he is awake, outside of when he is showing his delight in your arriving home for the day. The movements can occur in any or all parts of his body. There are a variety of reasons that your dog may be shaking, to include:

• Anxiety
• Pain
• Problems with his muscles or joints
• Poisoning
• Shaker syndrome (generalized tremor syndrome)
• A virus 
• A neurological condition
• Kidney failure
• Addison’s disease

How serious your dog’s shaking is will depend on other factors you may observe. Should he be shaking mainly in response to a loud noise or particular situation, he is likely experiencing anxiety. Should he display other symptoms in addition to shaking, your veterinarian can help you to determine what may be causing his shaking.

The reason for your dog shaking will depend upon its cause. For example:

Anxiety

Should your dog be feeling anxiety for any reason, the hormone epinephrine, also called adrenaline, will be released. In response to his anxiety, your dog may also have an increased heart rate and blood pressure and another hormone, norepinephrine, will be released; all of these factors will lead to shaking in your dog as a result of anxiety.

Muscle and Joint Issues

While muscle disease is rare in dogs, any weakening of the muscles can cause your dog to shake. A degenerative joint disease, such as arthritis, may also cause shaking in the limbs that are impacted by the disease.

Poisoning

The toxic component of many items that can cause poisoning in dogs will lead to their shaking. 

Shaker Syndrome

Also called white shaker disease syndrome, this illness occurs mostly in small white dogs, causing muscle tremors throughout the dog’s body. The condition occurs more frequently in the Bichon Frise, Maltese, West Highland White Terrier, Poodle and Samoyed. While the cause of the disease is not known, it is usually connected to a mild inflammation of the central nervous system called nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis. It is not clear as to whether the inflammation leads to the syndrome or if there is an underlying issue leading to both the inflammation and the symptoms. It is likely congenital as there is a higher occurrence in certain breeds.

Virus

Certain viruses can cause neurological symptoms in your dog by impacting his nervous system.

Distemper and rabies can impact the nervous system of your dog; fortunately, vaccinations are available that are protecting your dog against these viruses.

Neurological Conditions

Should your dog experience seizures, a brain tumor, encephalitis, stroke, or a condition that impacts the central or peripheral nervous systems of your dog, it can lead to shaking in his body.

Kidney Failure

Should your dog experience kidney failure or chronic kidney disease, his potassium levels may be low, leading to muscle weakness and tremors.

Addison’s Disease

Also known as hypoadrenocorticism, Addison’s disease occurs due to a decrease in the secretion of corticosteroid from the dog’s adrenal gland. The insufficient levels of hormones impact the dog’s metabolism and electrolyte balance, leading to the symptoms of Addison’s disease, which include muscle weakness and trembling. Adrenal glands may fail for different reasons;  however, the most common is when the glands are destroyed by the dog’s own body. This disease occurs mainly in young to middle aged female dogs.

Should your dog’s shaking appear to be connected to loud noises or something that can be causing him anxiety, behavior modification may be helpful in helping him overcome his fears. Depending on the severity of his anxiety, you may seek assistance from a trainer or your veterinarian.

When your dog’s symptoms are not tied to something that may be making him nervous, contact your veterinarian so that your dog can be examined.

Upon examining your dog, your veterinarian may recommend additional testing in order to make a diagnosis. Treatment to remedy shaking in your dog will depend upon the underlying condition causing it. For example, should your dog’s shaking be the result of muscle or joint problems, pain medication and anti-inflammatories may be recommended, as well as lifestyle modifications. Should the shaking be due to Addison’s disease, intravenous hydration therapy will be administered, along with cortisol-like medications that will help to regulate his hormone levels.

In order to protect your dog from viruses, regular visits to your veterinarian and having recommended vaccinations administered is imperative; vaccinations are very effective at protecting your dog from disease. When looking at how to prevent anxiety in your dog, make sure that he gets plenty of exercise and remains active. Should his anxiety be triggered by noises, you will want to provide him a place where he won’t be startled by loud noises.

Treatment for this symptom can range from no cost through $6,000 and is dependent on the cause of the shaking. An average, when considering the variety of causes of shaking in your dog, the cost is $2,500 to treat Shaker Syndrome for example, and $4,000 if kidney failure is the cause.