Shaking and Trembling.....any ideas? HELP!

[PattyInAK]

Eileen in CO wrote to me with this concern --

Hi Patty.  I was wondering if you could make a posting on the Dachshund website to see if anyone has ever encountered a "shaking" or "trembling" thing with their Doxie.   Our vet has tried everything with Schnitzel - muscle relaxants, pain meds, etc. and little old Schnitzel still constantly "shakes" and "trembles".  Her bloodwork shows nothing wrong.  I can't stand to see her like this.  The vet thinks she is in some kind of pain (and notices a sensitivity with her back), but doesn't know exactly what.  As a last resort, we are trying a new pain med for the spine called Gabopentin (sp?) - she will start that shortly.  But Methocarbonal (muscle relaxant) and Tramadol (pain) hasn't worked.  She very rarely stops shaking.   Schnitzel does have a grade 4 heart murmur that she is on Benazapril (heart med) for, but Vet doesn't think the shaking is related to that.  She doesn't ACT like she is in pain - still wants food, food, food and wags her tail, barks, runs around, etc.  She also has developed licking her front paws but likewise, we have tried everything with that, too.   The next step will be to take her to Denver for another opinion with a specialist ($$$ that we don't have).  Any ideas?

Hope you are doing well.  Happy New Year.

--
Eileen

[David C.]

How old is she?  Could it be doggie version of Parkinson's or some other neurological tick?   

Rudy-angel was a trembler.   We found that it was due to his hypothyroidism.    Zeke has trembles, but a lot of time that is because he is cold, as his coat is very, very thin.

My dachshunds have trembled out of fear.  Sometimes the fear trembling was to cover up a physical malady.  Dachshunds are very stoic and tend not to show their pains.  I've seen my guys limping or favoring a paw, only to show a perfect gait and no sign of any problems in the vet office.

If she is otherwise acting normal except for the trembling, I probably wouldn't pursue it any further unless the symptoms got worse.

[Barb]

Ditto to all David said as far as reasons go... - that is scary that her vet has no clue....  Let her know we are thinking of her - please keep us posted !

[Kathleen]

Poor baby.  Mine sometimes tremble a bit with low blood sugar, but that is taken care of quickly and easily by feeding them.  And it's definitely a sign of pain, but the Tramadol should have taken care of that.  I sure hope they figure it out-I'd be going crazy by now, I think.   

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

My first thought would be pain too. I've heard that a back issue can cause licking of the front feet and legs as they may be feeling tingling there from an inpinged nerve. They can be good at hiding pain but I don't know that she could look that well (running around, eating, etc) and still be in enough pain to tremble constantly. That is a mystery I hope they find an answer soon that has to be miserable for both Schnitzel and Eileen.

[BonniesMom]

Bonnie trembles out of fear and she is very afraid of the toaster oven, the regular oven and just plain THINGS. 

[VBDoxieMom]

My 2 cents -
Kirby had trembling issues when he was a puppy, and the vet had no clue.  Turned out it was SMELLS that freaked him out.  Was by sheer luck we figure it out, but anything on the grill or if the oven was dirty, or a "hot" smell would make him shake uncontrollably.  Who knows what happened before he came to live with us.  I have to wonder if maybe it isn't something like that - causing it?

Another thought - roundabout - a few days after we got King Sol, as a cute little puppy - one of our boys let go of him when he was squirming in their lap.  Sol hit the floor and immediately started whining and wouldn't walk.  He was our first dog and I was FREAKED out.  I called the breeder where we got Sol and he said that sometimes they will "fake it" if we over react.  So, as hard as it was I put Sol down on his bed and ignored him.  Took about 15 minutes, but he eventually got up and went to look for treats.  I am sure you are bursting with love for your dog, but maybe just consider that?

Please keep us posted, we've all been in the same basic boat at one time or another!

[auntydoxzz]

Sister's Z's have been known to run for the bathroom and Wacky Zack would leap into the round tub  when she was broiling something.  The smoke alarms freak them out AND their house has the smoke alarm right around the corner probably less than 8 feet away!!  He remembers it and usually then we realize someone is whining in the back of the house... Gee maybe Wacky is stuck in the tub again!!

My Twinkie used to shake when she was older and when we first moved here and were home alone that also would have her shaking.  BUT remember too if it is cold weather, our doxies are very low to the ground and heat rises so maybe he is just plain cold.  I know to just like people as they get older some of them just feel the cold more. Also sometimes there are "breezes"  or drafts that can be a problem.  When its being cold then often tossing a piece of fleece over them really can help. 

[papbouv]

Patches shkes sometimes but acts normal other wise out heat is in the ceiling I think she shakes because she is cold she likes getting up on the ottoman,chairs,& couch. Wanted to get her some T-shirts to wear in the house but i had to send them back ordered a medium but they were too little plus the material was tissue paper thin. Still looking for T-shirt type material T-Shirts for Dachshunds.?
Chomps a Ameriacan Staffordshire Terrier had 4+ hip dysplasia she would shake due to pain, this was back about 26 years ago.

[dachsville]

Good call - her thyroid was tested and is normal.  They just think it is some kind of pain perhaps stemming from her spine, although she is walking fine.

[dachsville]

Thanks, Barb.

[dachsville]

I know,Dee Dee - how can she be so spunky and be in so much pain to shake that much??  Thanks for the input about the licking of the paws ...that is driving me crazy, too.

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

GREAT to hear from you only wish it was under better circumstances!

So you don't see her doing anything different at all, no hesitation to go up or down a step, no hunching, no limping, nothing? How long has this been going on? I have been wracking my brain and I do remember my Jessie when a back episode was coming on, I did not see her shake but at times she'd do some little thing that put red flags up for me (a small yelp, or hesitation, seemed to be guarding her body a bit when shaking herself (not trembling shaking, whole body shake to air the dust balls out type of shake) but she'd look totally normal otherwise. But sure enough a few days later she'd come down with a full blown episode.

I wonder if it would be worth crating her for a while, if it's a back problem brewing it could heal up instead of going to a full blown episode (if that is what it even is). How old is she now, wonder if it could be some arthritis or ??

So sorry you are both going through this, I hope it stops soon and she's fine again!

[dachsville]

DeeDee, I only noticed her hunching her back once, thank goodness, and it went away.  But the vet does think there is sensitivity in her back upon examination.  But absolutely nothing else now - she runs, barks, goes up on her hind legs (which I discourage with all my Doxies) - my dogs absolutely do not do stairs - we have them gated off and we carry all 5 of them up at night and down in the morning (next  house will have a ground floor master!!).  Thanks for keeping thinking on this subject.  I do feel somehow that the shaking and licking her front paws is related.

[Dee Dee and Hallie]

Isn't that odd! You'd think if something hurt enough to make you shake you'd sure see other signs of it. I was remembering my Jessie had a shaking spell one night in bed, I never figured it out. She was shaking like a leaf and she wasn't one to ever shake. Thank goodness Schnitzel is feeling good otherwise. Hopefully the gabapentin will help too. I know what you mean about them going up on their hind legs, I don't allow that either but sometimes one gets slipped in and you are torn between "ACK no don't do that!" and "Whew...at least she CAN do that". 

[Guinness]

- my dogs absolutely do not do stairs - we have them gated off and we carry all 5 of them up at night and down in the morning (next house will have a ground floor master!!). 

Auntie Keren sayz you need an escalator!!

Guinness

[dachsville]

Tell me about it.  Carrying 5 Doxies up stairs living at 10,000 feet!!