Every dog trembles now and then. Especially when they are very excited – for example when they greet someone – these muscle twitches are completely normal and are a sign of the four-legged friend's joy and urge to move.
But what if the furry friend is actually completely calm – i.e. sitting or lying down supposedly relaxed – and is still shaking? Then there are usually special reasons behind it that need to be investigated.
You can find it in the following article the 12 most common reasons cause a dog to tremble despite being at rest. I will also tell you 6 possible solutions, which can help with many causes.
12 reasons for why a calm dog trembles
1. More chronic stress
If a dog should be calm but is still shaking, it is often a problem chronic stress behind it.
These can be environmental influences such as constant noise, but separation anxiety, persistent restlessness in the house or another four-legged friend with whom the animal does not get along are sometimes behind it.
Trembling when dreaming
Some dogs also shake briefly while sleeping and make other noises or movements. Most of the time this is about dreams, with which the day is processed. This is usually harmless and even healthy, because your four-legged friends can have a healthy, deep sleep Reduce stress.
Usually, a dog only shows signs of fear or stress when directly exposed to the factors – they then flinch and also shake. If the dog shakes constantly without any further reason, this often means that there is deeper trauma.
Stress in four-legged friends from the perspective of a dog trainer. Source: Dog trainer Steve Kaye / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH51Cm6C0cE .
2. The dog freezes
Especially at short-haired dogs and smaller breeds But the trembling is often because they simply too cold is. Without a lot of body mass and little fur, it is particularly difficult for the four-legged friends to store enough heat and regulate their body temperature.
Breeds particularly susceptible to cold
- boxer
- Dobermans
- Greyhounds/Sighthounds
- Toy dogs
Source: Zooplus.de
The trembling then stops natural self-protection reflex: When the muscles are constantly moving, heat is created, which then benefits the body.
Many dogs naturally shiver when they are outdoors on cold days. But hypothermia is also possible indoors – for example, if the room is not sufficiently heated or the dog is lying on a poorly insulated surface such as a tiled floor.
3. Strong Pains
If your dog is under severe pain suffers, experts also speak of one physiological tremor. The increased release of stress hormones then sets the four-legged friend's muscles in motion, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
The dog is often in a protective position at the same time, for example lying down. To us it seems as if he is actually calm, the only thing we notice is the trembling.
Dogs always try not to show when they are suffering. A tremor therefore indicates very severe pain. If you try to touch the animal, it will probably react by whining or whining, and aggressive defensive behavior is also possible.
4. Dehydration
If the dog too little liquid If he consumes it, he is in danger of dehydrating himself. This condition can be life-threatening; muscle twitching and tremors often occur due to the disturbed electrolyte balance.
Dogs often become dry hot days out of. But there are also other reasons that can upset your four-legged friend's fluid balance – for example, excess fluids Diarrhea or chronic Pains, which prevent the animal from going to the water bowl.
Other signs that indicate dehydration include inelastic neck skin, dry gums, little urine with a strong yellow color or restless or anxious behavior.
5. Malnutrition
Furthermore, one can also Nutrient deficiency be responsible for tremors. With an unbalanced diet, the transmission of stimuli between nerves and muscles is disrupted, so that the dog begins to twitch unintentionally.
One is very common in dogs calcium deficiency, which can also disrupt blood clotting and make bones brittle. Also too little sodium or Vitamin B1 occasionally becomes noticeable through tremors.
6. Strong Overexertion
Does your dog travel a lot and likes to test his physical limits? If he has done too much, it can lead to tremors while at rest.
The Muscles are then over-tightened or tense, so that twitches occur. In extreme cases, the dog can hardly stand on its feet and sometimes even falls down due to overexertion.
A dog that is so emaciated is often – but not always – dehydrated. Heavy panting and/or an increased pulse are other signs of this cause.
7. Muscle weakness & Signs of aging
Also weak muscles can be responsible for tremors. The dog can then no longer hold itself up and sometimes collapses under the weight of its skeleton. Experts then speak of atrophy, i.e. muscle loss or weak muscles.
Possible reasons for muscle atrophy in dogs
The Reasons for muscle loss in dogs are very diverse. Often it is
- Malnutrition
- Too little exercise, e.g. after an illness, a plaster cast or surgery
- Polyneuropathies/nervous diseases or
- tumors.
Source: FG Stripeder Animal Orthopedics
Muscle mass also often decreases with increasing age. That's why there are quite a few Dogs seniors affected by tremors at rest.
8. Digestive problems
In some cases also lead Problems with digestion to tremors. When your stomach grumbles, pain is often the result. The nervous system reacts with twitches, and since every movement hurts the dog, it also adopts a protective posture.
To untrained human eyes, this initially appears as if the dog was voluntarily calm while shaking. Other symptoms that occur include a bloated stomach, vomiting and diarrhea.
The exact cause is often one upset stomach, e.g. if the four-legged friend has eaten something spoiled. Chronic digestive problems, on the other hand, usually arise due to one Feed intolerance. The body then reacts allergically to certain components of the food.
Emergency gastric torsion
Even with one Gastric torsion Dogs often start shaking. Other typical symptoms include apathetic (i.e. apparently calm) behavior, severe retching, vomiting and pale mucous membranes.
This is a life-threatening emergency, you must go to the vet immediately!
9. Neurological problems & Nervous diseases
Neurological diseases are comparatively common in dogs. When a four-legged friend is impaired in this way, the coordination between the brain and nerves is often no longer correct. The muscles are then exposed to uncontrolled impulses – the dog trembles even though he doesn't actually want to.
Some nerve diseases are congenital or genetic. These include, for example: epilepsy or that Cushing's syndrome, which causes an excess of cortisone in the animal.
But there are also neurological diseases that are acquired. This is how one can transmitted viral infection affect the nerves, including one caused, for example, by ticks Meningitis or injuries like Concussions and herniated discs cause nerve problems.
10. Too low blood sugar
Some dogs also have one too low blood sugar levels. Sometimes it's about animal diabetics, This can be congenital or caused, for example, by chronic obesity. Other four-legged friends have an event-related sugar shock, for example because they haven't eaten enough despite exerting themselves.
A typical symptom of hypoglycemia in dogs is severe trembling combined with apathetic behavior – sometimes the four-legged friend even “blacks out” and collapses. A US study, for example, found that diabetic dogs suffer from polyneuropathies more often than their healthy counterparts.
An affected animal will also strong thirst or even sudden big appetite have.
11. Hormonal disorders
Diseases of the hormonal balance can also cause the dog to shake uncontrollably. These diseases include, for example:
- Cushing's syndrome
- Hypothyroidism, i.e. an underactive thyroid and
- Addinson's disease, in which the adrenal cortex is disrupted.
Trembling is not the only warning sign. Affected dogs often suffer from this Skin and coat problems, loss of appetite or Weight gain and Indigestion such as frequent vomiting and diarrhea.
12. Symptoms of poisoning
Attention: If your four-legged friend suddenly shakes violently, it can also be a problem poisoning behind it!
Unfortunately, there are many products used to control pests that can also be eaten by dogs. These include, for example, rat poison, which has a time-delayed effect, or slug pellets. But even seemingly harmless things such as chocolate, certain types of fruit and vegetables and some plants can have a toxic effect on dogs. Insect bites or – especially on vacation – snake bites also lead to symptoms of poisoning.
If your dog suffers from poisoning, he will still other symptoms in addition to trembling: the affected animals often pant heavily, have a sudden fever, behave apatheticly or show severe digestive problems such as vomiting and diarrhea, which can also excrete blood.
Further information on the topic
If your dog has been poisoned, it is actually always a real emergency: You need to go to the vet immediately to save your loved one's life. You can also find more information in our article on “Poisoning in dogs”.
The dog is shaking even though he is calm: What can you do?
As you can see from the most common reasons, the reasons why a dog is actually calm but still trembles are very diverse. There are triggers that are very harmless, but there can also be serious illnesses behind them.
There are many cases that lead to the phenomenon good and proven solutions. However, it is necessary to know the cause, because depending on the reason for the tremors, different strategies can be considered.
To do this, you have to keep a close eye on your four-legged friend: Is he perhaps showing other symptoms? These can be indications of a specific cause.
1. vet visit
One thing first: If you are in doubt as to what could be responsible for the shaking, there is one Go to the vet always the best solution. A visit is absolutely mandatory if the symptoms indicate that…