Why Is My Dog Shaking? Normal Shivers, Medical Tremors and Emergencies

A dog who is shaking is usually cold, excited, nervous or has just been wet, and the shaking stops once the cause goes. Shaking that carries on when your dog is warm, calm and comfortable, or comes with vomiting, wobbliness or confusion, is a reason to ring a vet.

The quickest way to sort one from the other is to remove the obvious causes and watch what happens.

The Quick Check

Veterinary Partner, written by vets for owners, puts the normal reasons for shivering as simply as this: the dog is cold, frightened, or asleep and dreaming. You can rule those out by warming the dog up, comforting them, or waking them.

So:

1. Warm them up. A towel, a coat, a warm room.
2. Take away the stress. Close the curtains on the fireworks, sit with them, move away from the other dog.
3. Watch for ten minutes. Are they bright, interested in you, and happy to take a treat?

If the shaking fades and your dog is their usual self, it was almost certainly normal. If it carries on, or anything else looks off, keep reading.

Normal Reasons Dogs Shake

Cold. Small, thin-coated and elderly dogs lose heat fastest. A coat on winter walks helps.

Excitement. Some dogs quiver when they are about to be fed, see their lead or greet someone they love.

Fear and anxiety. Vet visits, thunder and fireworks are the big ones. A shaking dog who is also panting, pacing, tucking their tail or trying to hide is scared. Our guide to keeping dogs calm during fireworks has practical steps.

Dreaming. Twitching legs and small shudders in sleep are normal. A dog who is dreaming wakes up easily and is fine.

The full-body shake-off. The shake from nose to tail that dogs do after a swim, a bath, or a tense encounter with another dog is not trembling. It is a reset.

Medical Reasons Dogs Shake

Pain and feeling sick

Vets Now warns against assuming trembling is just cold or old age: it can be a sign of pain, or of something more serious such as pancreatitis or kidney disease. A dog in pain may also be hunched, reluctant to move, or protective of one area. A nauseous dog often licks their lips, drools, swallows repeatedly and turns away from food, which PDSA lists as the usual signs of feeling sick. If your dog is also limping, our guide to why dogs limp may help.

Tired muscles in older dogs

Elderly dogs who have lost muscle often tremble in the back legs when they have been standing longer than they would like. Veterinary Partner notes that this usually stops once the dog lies down and rests. It is not an emergency, but it is worth mentioning at your next check-up, as it often goes hand in hand with arthritis.

Poisoning

Several common poisons cause trembling, and this is the cause you most need to catch early:

• Mouldy food and compost. Some moulds make toxins that cause tremors. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service says the main sources are mouldy bread and dairy products such as yoghurt and cream cheese, plus food waste on compost heaps and mouldy fallen fruit and nuts. Signs can start within 30 minutes and usually within 3 hours: whole-body tremors, vomiting, panting, a high temperature and a racing heart. Most dogs recover with prompt treatment.
• Xylitol, the sweetener in some sugar-free gum and baking. Vets Now lists tremors or seizures, vomiting, weakness and collapse, usually within 30 minutes but sometimes up to 12 hours later.
• Chocolate, slug pellets and some insecticides can also cause tremors.

If there is any chance your dog has eaten something like this, ring your vet now. Do not wait for symptoms and do not try to make them sick at home. If you cannot reach a vet, Animal PoisonLine is a 24-hour service on 01202 509000.

Low blood sugar in toy puppies

Tiny puppies of toy breeds can run out of blood sugar between meals, particularly if they are cold or not eating well. Veterinary Partner describes a puppy who becomes listless and uncoordinated, and in severe cases loses consciousness or has seizures. A trembling, floppy toy puppy is an emergency.

Generalised tremor syndrome

Sometimes called "little white shaker syndrome", because it was first noticed in small white dogs such as Maltese, West Highland white terriers and bichons. Any dog can get it. VCA describes whole-body or head tremors that usually start at one to two years old, get worse with excitement, and ease when the dog rests or sleeps. It is thought to be immune-mediated, other causes have to be ruled out first, and most dogs improve within one to two weeks of starting steroids.

Addison's disease

A hormone disorder where the adrenal glands stop making enough of the hormones the body needs to cope with stress. Signs are vague and come and go: tiredness, vomiting, diarrhoea, drinking more and weight loss, and VCA notes that shaking episodes are sometimes seen. PDSA says it is most common in middle-aged females and certain breeds, including standard poodles and West Highland white terriers. A sudden crisis with collapse is an emergency.

Low calcium after giving birth

A mother dog feeding a litter who starts trembling may have low blood calcium. Veterinary Partner lists it among the whole-body tremor causes. Ring your vet straight away.

Tremor or Seizure?

This is the question that decides how fast you need to move.

	Tremor	Generalised seizure
Awareness	Usually awake and responds to you	Usually unaware, does not respond
Body	Shaking, but often still standing or walking	Falls over, stiffens, paddles legs
Other signs	Usually none	Drooling, jaw champing, may wet or soil themselves
Afterwards	Back to normal quickly	Often disorientated for a while

Vets Now advises moving your dog somewhere safe and open, dimming the lights, keeping things quiet and timing the episode. Do not cover them with a blanket, as seizures raise body temperature. Call your vet after any first seizure or one lasting over two minutes. A seizure lasting more than five minutes, or two or more in 24 hours, is an emergency.

If you can, film it on your phone. A video helps your vet more than any description.

See a Vet Straight Away If

• Your dog may have eaten something toxic, even if they seem fine.
• The shaking comes with vomiting, drooling, wobbliness, weakness or collapse.
• Your dog seems confused, does not respond normally, or you think it is a seizure.
• A toy puppy is trembling and floppy or will not eat.
• A nursing mother starts trembling.
• The shaking is getting worse or does not stop once your dog is warm and calm.

Out of hours, find your nearest emergency clinic through Vets Now. Our dog first aid guide covers what to do while you get there.

Book a normal appointment if the shaking is new but mild, keeps coming back, or your dog trembles in particular situations for no obvious reason. Note when it happens, how long it lasts and what your dog was doing, and take a video.

Floofers is not a veterinary practice and nothing here is a diagnosis. If your dog is shaking and seems unwell, or could have eaten something toxic, ring your vet.