Why does a dog tremble when lying down. Why the dog is trembling and breathing fast: the most common reasons. Natural causes of the phenomenon

Few owners enjoy watching their beloved dog shake and tremble. What could be the causes of trembling? Should I call the veterinarian? Let's look at the main reasons. Be sure to note: trembling should not impair the dog's ability to control its movements. If your dog is having a seizure, it's a completely different situation and you need professional help right away!

Your dog is cold

The most common reason why a dog starts to shiver is cold. The problem is especially relevant for small dogs, whose body cannot provide them with sufficient thermoregulation.

Animal is scared or nervous

The dog may react with a shudder to a sudden change in the situation - to thunder, to the sound of fireworks, to a trip in transport. When the irritant disappears, the trembling will stop by itself.

The dog is delighted

Maybe your dog is just too happy. She may well be trembling with anticipation if she sees that you are going to play with her or are about to put a whole bowl of her favorite food on the floor. When an animal is overwhelmed with emotion, it may well begin to tremble with delight.

The dog is getting old

As dogs age, some of them develop tremors, especially in their hind legs, but sometimes in their front legs as well. This can be a natural sign of aging, or it can be caused by pain - check with your veterinarian if you notice trembling in an older dog. Perhaps the pet needs treatment, but this can also be a fairly harmless manifestation of age.

Animal does it on purpose

Perhaps the dog has simply learned to tremble, if before in response to this you always began to stroke and calm him. In this case, shivering is just her way of getting the right dose of attention from the owner. You just taught the dog to tremble from time to time.

The dog is sick

Perhaps your dog is seasick, overeating, or poisoned. The same reaction can be caused by taking pills. If your dog's shivering is accompanied by excess saliva, fatigue, and lack of attention, it could be nausea. Ask your veterinarian what steps to take.

Trembling is caused by toxins

Some substances cause shivering in dogs - for example, chocolate, cigarettes, xylitol can lead to just such a reaction. Harmless to others, for dogs, some foods are not just toxic - the same chocolate is a real poison for them! If you think your dog may have eaten something poisonous, call your veterinarian immediately.

Your dog has a tremor

In some small white dogs, such as the Maltese, this disease occurs more often than others. This is the occurrence of constant trembling of an unknown nature, which can be cured by the prescription of certain drugs. You will be able to notice an improvement after a week of treatment.

The dog has distemper

This viral disease can occur in a puppy that has not been vaccinated. Distemper is accompanied not only by trembling, but also by visual and olfactory dysfunction, fever, and cough. This disease is deadly, so you need to contact your doctor as soon as possible.

A caring owner is attentive to his pet and will definitely notice if the dog is trembling. What could this symptom indicate? Let's talk in this article.

Trembling in a dog appears very individually, and there may be reasons a bunch of. To begin with, try to eliminate the simplest and most harmless causes of trembling. And if, nevertheless, the dog is trembling for some serious reason, then contacting a veterinarian is the only right decision.

Temperature

Dogs often tremble by cold, especially short haired ones. There is only one way out: dress the dog, wrap it in a blanket, or increase the temperature in the room. Wet dog after washing very sensitive to drafts and can catch a cold even if you think the room is warm.

Excitement

Temperamental pets sometimes react very violently to various circumstances. Fights, explosions of firecrackers, travel by transport can be serious frighten or excite dog to shiver. This state will pass soon. On special occasions, a soothing tea can be given.

The nervous system of many decorative dog breeds is quite weak, and they often tremble with excitement. It is worth protecting them from strong feelings.

Hormones

Dogs of both sexes tremble during sexual hunting. To rid the animal of this condition, you can resort to surgical or chemical castration. However, males are usually nervous to shiver only at the sight of bitches.

Pain syndrome

Often the dog trembles when in pain. Make sure that the pet is not injured, has not fought, has not been bitten by animals or insects. Old dogs may tremble

Abdominal pain may also cause tremors. You can give your dog a mild pain reliever. But if the pain is caused by poisoning, the dog needs an ambulance. Lethargy and vomiting should confirm your concerns.

Allergy

Allergies can be accompanied by a wide variety of symptoms, including trembling. If you notice that your dog is trembling and itches, she has redness of the mucous membranes, then most likely it is an allergy. Taking an antihistamine will relieve all symptoms.

Viral diseases

If the dog is trembling and lethargic, refuses to eat, she has a fever- these are vivid symptoms of a viral disease (panleukopenia, adenovirus, influenza, etc.). The dog could get it by airborne droplets. You need to see a doctor as soon as possible. Watch for other symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, urine staining.

With a strong helminthic invasion or migrating heartworm, the dog may also tremble. Tick ​​bites are dangerous for infection with piroplasmosis. Even if you haven't seen a tick, it's worth doing a blood test.

Diseases of the internal organs

Trembling in dogs accompanies some diseases.

Pneumonia. The first symptom is usually a strong, wet cough. If the dog is trembling, a fever has set in. Hurry up to see a doctor.

Heart diseases. Also accompanied by shortness of breath, drowsiness, fatigue.

Diseases of the nervous system. The changes may be irreversible, but compatible with life. The need for treatment should be determined by the doctor. Serious drugs have side effects that can be worse than the disease itself.

If the dog is trembling for no apparent reason and no accompanying symptoms, some balance still broken:

balance of calcium and magnesium;

deficiency of the hormone insulin (diabetes);

dysfunction of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).

It is impossible to treat such conditions without detailed blood tests and the help of a qualified veterinarian.

Chills in dogs is not an independent disease, but a concomitant symptom of many quite diverse diseases.

When chilled, the dog trembles as if very cold.

Causes of Chills in Dogs

The causes of chills in dogs are many and varied. It may appear when:

• changes in body temperature (often hypothermia),
• insufficient amount of calcium,
• hypoglycemia (lack of glucose in the blood),
• neurological abnormalities after a recent head injury

Chills can be a symptom of poisoning with chemicals and drugs, a form of convulsive seizure (with trembling of the whole body).

Chills can be caused by respiratory diseases (pneumonia, pleurisy), viral infections (canine distemper), the first days after vaccination, and other diseases. In the end, the dog may simply be frightened and this may make her shiver: in transport, in a crowded place, when examining a veterinarian.

What to do with chills?

The owner can independently provide first aid to the dog with chills. However, it will depend on the reasons that caused the painful condition. If it is known that the dog is frozen, then it must be warmed up: put a heating pad, cover with a blanket.

If, in addition to chills, the animal has an intestinal disorder, vomiting, and there is a suspicion that the dog could have been poisoned by drugs or pesticides, first of all, it needs to rinse the stomach and make an enema. If there is reason to suspect that the chills are due to low blood sugar, maple syrup or karo syrup should be rubbed into the dog's gums.

Chills may appear after vaccination. This means that the dog has an allergic reaction and needs to be given an antihistamine - diprazine, diphenhydramine, etc. If the cause of the chill is not clear or obvious, the animal's temperature should be taken. If it exceeds 40 degrees, then this may indicate a viral disease. The dog will need antipyretics.

However, it is better to urgently contact the veterinarian and take tests. At a dangerously high temperature (above 41 degrees), you can give the dog such a cocktail: noshpa, diphenhydramine (or suprastin) and analgin at the rate of: 0.1 mg of each drug per 1 kg of body weight. And give more to drink.

If the animal is shivering all day, while it has diarrhea, vomiting and periodically loses consciousness, this condition can be very dangerous and requires urgent specialized care. In any case, before providing first aid for chills, it is necessary to find out the cause of this condition.

An attentive owner will immediately notice a shiver in a dog. Many owners immediately go to the vet. Before going to the clinic, you first need to independently determine the cause. It is immediately noted that those who have small breeds in their care should only worry in extreme cases. For small dogs, this condition is almost always the norm.

Trembling (tremor) is a reaction of muscles to certain processes occurring in the body. It can be a strong desire to eat, sexual desire, fatigue, illness, reaction to cold, defense.

Small breeds tremble even from a loud knock or thunder. In the case of miniature dogs, you should be more attentive to their fears. If a Spitz or Chihuahua is afraid of a roar, they can not only tremble, but also run away from home.

Attention! With prolonged trembling, a visit to the veterinarian should not be postponed.

Causes of Trembling in Dogs

If the animal is not large, but quite large, such as a German shepherd, then when trembling occurs, you should not immediately panic. First you need to think about the reason, to exclude safe options. These include:

1. Fright.
2. Voltage.
3. Allergy.
4. Cold.

Dogs with short hair may shudder after bath procedures. Even if it seems to the owner that the animal is already warm with thick hair, this is a mistake. The pet can quickly catch a cold. Therefore, after washing, you should increase the temperature in the room, and wrap your pet in a dry towel. At what to do it it is necessary at once, without delays.

In order not to treat the dog with antibiotics and immunostimulants after the bath in the future, you need to purchase warm clothes for it and insulate the bed. If the walk with the animal was on a cold day, and the pet began to shiver on the road, you can simply cuddle it to yourself. This is the case if there is no hair dryer or a warm blanket at hand.

If the dog is frightened by the sound, it is not forbidden to give her chamomile tea to drink. The drink will calm the nervous system. The animal effect of the herb will feel immediately. In the future, the pet should be protected from such situations.

Excitement

If the animal is waiting in anticipation of a treat, it may shudder and even start a certain dance. This phenomenon is not considered a negative moment, since the dog is happy at these moments.

Excitation

In an excited state (estrus, rut), a tremor can also be noticed in a pet. The reason is hormonal changes. Castration or sterilization will help eliminate this phenomenon. In this case, the tremor should not strain the owner, since it is a natural process.

Attention! When in heat, trembling can be severe. It is necessary to observe. If he refuses to eat, an urgent need to do a general blood test.

hypoglycemia

In miniature breeds, hypoglycemia is a constant companion. This is a blood sugar deficiency. Accompanied by its disadvantage:

1. Trembling.
2. Weakness.
3. Sluggish state.

It is important to detect pathology in a timely manner in order to prevent more serious health problems, including death. The disease is treated with one injection with glucose.

Hypoglycemia is one of the causes of shivering in miniature dogs.

Allergy

If the owner has switched the animal to another type of food or introduced a new drug into the treatment course, the dog may shiver after each visit to the bowl or dose of medication. The reason is the allergic response of the body. To solve the problem, it is necessary to change the food, stop giving drugs and “feed” the pet an antihistamine. Then look at the reaction and take to the veterinarian for examination.

Pain

Another reason that makes the owner worry is pain. Often animals tremble after injury. If the cut/bite/burn is minor, they lick the wound. And even then, you should not let the situation take its course, you need to watch the wound. It is able to fester at the healing stage, then a veterinarian will definitely be needed.

Another cause of trembling is trauma.

Attention! If the dog's pain is intense and there is no apparent reason for this, it is worth going to the clinic to determine the cause, and possibly surgery.

Viral pathologies that cause trembling

If the dog has not been vaccinated, trembling may occur against the background of a viral disease. The most dangerous are:

1. Encephalomyelitis.
2. Hepatitis.
3. Plague.
4. Adenovirus.
5. Enteritis.

Encephalomyelitis

Coordination is noticeably disturbed, the pet often falls. His limbs are weak. All this is accompanied by tremors and may result in paralysis. It is diagnosed in dogs aged 5 to 8 years. Almost always leads to paralysis.

Viral hepatitis

This pathology affects young dogs - up to 12 months. Infection occurs after contact with sick pets. You can also get infected in nature, where the virus can remain active for a long time.

The disease instantly affects the internal organs, including the kidneys and liver. Tremor occurs along with impaired coordination, paralysis and other manifestations regarding the nervous system. An examination by a veterinarian is mandatory, he will make a diagnosis after passing general tests. If the disease is confirmed, then the treatment will be to take serum and vitamins.

plague of carnivores

Plague is transmitted through saliva and secretions. Also, the infection enters the body through contact with other pets. The virus makes its way through the soft tissues of the mucosa, multiplies, causing significant changes in the internal organs.

In addition to trembling, there is fever, strong emotion, photophobia. Also, the dog is feverish, there are discharges from the nose and eyes. A little later, there is a cough, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting.

Attention! The plague lasts about 14 days and the dog recovers. There are times when a pet gets sick for several months and dies.

Parvovirus enteritis

Trembling is one of the signs of this dangerous disease. Infection through food, water and by sniffing a sick animal. Most often, the disease affects puppies up to 4 months old, but older ones can also catch it. The intestinal form of pathology is more common. The dog refuses food, liquid. She starts vomiting and trembling.

It is worth knowing that if therapy is not started in the first 4 days after infection, the prognosis will be sad. When promptly seeking help, the outcome is positive. The animal is treated with hyperimmune serum. Also give water-salt solutions and immunomodulators.

adenovirus

You can identify the pathology by the resulting cough, fever, severe trembling. It happens that the dog becomes lethargic, it tends to sleep, it does not eat well. With such symptoms, you should immediately go to the veterinarian. He will prescribe treatment in the form of mucolytics, antibiotics. If the therapy is chosen correctly, after 2 weeks the pet recovers. At the same time, it can infect other animals for several more months.

Video - Adenovirus in dogs

Worm infestation

dirofilariasis

You can recognize the disease by swelling, dry cough, frequent breathing. Treatment - Ivomek and Filarsen. Without therapy, the dog dies.

Possible reasons

If the dog ate a low-quality / inappropriate product, trembling will also be one of the signs. Salt poisoning leads not only to shaking, but also to intense thirst. This will raise the temperature, cause a series of convulsions and diarrhea. In this case, the pet is given caffeine, sunflower oil and some starch.

It happens that the dog has tachycardia. Trembling will also show this. The animal may suffer from frequent bowel movements, tremors. Then the direct way to the clinic. Because these signs often mean myocarditis.

Trembling also occurs if there is inflammation of the spinal cord. In the presence of such a disease and severe shaking, the pet should be laid on a blanket, massaged. It is also necessary to use antibiotics and vitamin complexes. All this should be prescribed by a veterinarian. Almost all cases lead to paralysis and drying of the limbs.

Trembling together with weakness can be with hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus. In the latter case, an unsteady gait and convulsions are added.

Tremor is not the only sign of any pathology. It is considered as a component of the anamnesis. After eliminating physiological reactions, the veterinarian should be contacted immediately. All of these diseases are dangerous and often lead to a tragic outcome in a short time.

How to cure a dog if the animal does not eat, does not drink, shakes all over, barely walks?

Answer

Trembling occurs due to the contraction of certain areas on the animal's body. Owners of small dogs can easily relate to trembling, selected animals of small sizes are characterized by increased emotionality.

The body of a dog may tremble due to nervous diseases. What is happening is evidenced by the refusal of water and food. The message does not indicate the breed, we will take into account all options for dog trembling.

Why do dogs shake

1. It is known from biology textbooks that shivering is considered an unconditioned reflex. The animal can shake from the manifestation of emotions: aggression, joy, excitement. After strong emotions, the body continues to tremble, experiencing the consequences.
2. The dog may tremble if there is a surge of hormones in the body. This sometimes happens when seeing an animal of the opposite sex. In the latter case, the dog is characterized by violent behavior, does not follow the commands of the owners.
3. The animal is able to shake from the cold. To calm the trembling, the owners must rub the pet, make it move actively.
4. When traveling long distances, moving to a new place, the adaptation of the animal is slow. In unusual climatic conditions, the animal begins to tremble, body temperature rises or falls, appetite decreases. The cause of the condition is a fluctuation in air temperature, a change in its humidity.
5. The reason for trembling is fear. There is a release of adrenaline into the blood, the heartbeat accelerates, the body begins to tremble. The animal refuses to eat. When driving in a car, the dog gets motion sick. The condition is accompanied by trembling of the body, vomiting, loss of appetite, and sometimes loss of consciousness. The animal may not walk for some time. The way out of this situation will be sedatives. The dog falls asleep, saving energy.
6. Active life, excessive excitability are considered the cause of sleep disturbance. An animal can move its paws in a dream, whine, get up abruptly in a dream without waking up, which happens due to a lack of magnesium.
7. Pets, including dogs, are sensitive to hypothermia and drafts. Tetrapods have a much higher body temperature than humans. Dog owners should not rely on their own instincts. If the room is warm, you still need to protect your pets from drafts, especially after swimming. After washing, the animal's hair should be wiped with a terry towel. You need to wipe until the wool is almost dry. For drying use a hair dryer.

Trembling is a sign of disease

In case of body trembling in a dog, pay attention to the well-being of the animal. The situation is troubling:

• the animal does not eat or drink anything;
• the dog's body temperature rises;
• wool becomes dull, unkempt;
• the appearance of peeling on the skin;
• rapid pulse;
• cyanosis appears on the mucous membranes;
• upset or nausea occurs;
• aggressiveness increases or, conversely, the animal becomes lethargic.

If one or more of these symptoms are noted, the dog should be taken to the veterinarian. There are many causes of pathology - poisoning, heart problems, dehydration, nervous disease, heat stroke. Only a veterinarian can make a diagnosis, self-medication or ignoring is inappropriate.

The animal may tremble with allergies. In such cases, antihistamines are prescribed.

Trembling begins in females before childbirth. The prenatal condition is not considered a pathology and does not require human intervention.

Causes of pathological trembling in dogs:

• Chronic thyroid disease associated with hormonal imbalance. To establish a diagnosis, you will need to donate blood.
• Sugar deficiency. Diabetes can be detected by testing for sugar.
• Lack or excess of magnesium or calcium. Trouble is common in animals. Accompanied by trembling, uncontrolled actions, sleep disturbance, manifestation of aggression. Such a violation is established using a biochemical blood test.

These three diseases are common in dogs. Not fully cured, require systematic monitoring. With normal care and regular procedures, animals live a full life.

Shivering that requires emergency care

1. Condition caused by rheumatic pains. Pain is more common in older dogs. The animal should be given an anesthetic.
2. If the dog is in pain, does not eat anything, is depressed, wants to be at rest - you need to take it to the veterinarian. A similar pathology is caused by a tick bite. The disease progresses quickly. 15 minutes after the bite, the animal begins to shake, breathing quickens, the dog loses balance, and may not get up at all. Urine has a brownish color. When the diagnosis is confirmed, an immediate antiviral injection is required.

In the presence of worms, trembling appears before the toilet.

It is impossible to consider trembling as an individual symptom of any disease; it must be considered as part of the anamnesis. If you notice a phenomenon in a dog, first of all you need to make sure that this is not associated with physiological reactions. These diseases are recognized as unsafe, can lead to a sad result.