Sickness or Pain
Often, dogs will shake or shiver if they are in pain or suffering from some kind of sickness — just like we might tremble due to a cold or fever. Canine illnesses associated with trembling include distemper, generalized tremor syndrome (GTS), kidney disease, Addison’s disease, poisoning, nausea, seizures, and inflammatory brain diseases.
Solution: If you suspect that your dog is sick or in pain, your first course of action should be to contact your vet.
Is Shaking A Sign Of Pain In Dogs?
Shaking can be a sign of pain among other reasons. Pain is often exhibited through shaking in the hind legs, common in older dogs who have developed joint pain. Arthritis is one reason for shaking from pain in dogs.
While shaking due to pain isn’t necessarily an emergency situation, it should still be addressed by a veterinarian. Your veterinarian can address your pet’s pain and help you find a solution through therapies of medication.
While pain can be indicated by shaking or trembling, it doesn’t eliminate the possibility your dog could be shaking for another more or less severe reason.
Seizure Disorders and Epilepsy
Dogs can get epilepsy, a neurological disorder that causes episodes of seizures, which are temporary involuntary disturbances of normal brain function accompanied by uncontrollable muscle spasms.
According to VCA Hospitals, even though the seizure looks serious and will confuse or panic your dog, it is luckily not dangerous or painful. “The important thing is to keep the dog from falling or hurting itself by knocking objects onto itself,” he writes. “As long as it is on the floor or ground, there is little chance of harm occurring.”
Epilepsy and seizure disorders are treated with anticonvulsant medication, so make sure to consult your dog’s vet if your dog appears to have a seizure.