Shaking when excited is completely normal and healthy for dogs — it just a way of lowering that excess energy. Solution: There’s not necessarily a solution required, but sometimes physical displays like this can increase a dog’s energy instead, and cause her to get too hyper.

Shivering and trembling may be symptoms of something serious — like poisoning, kidney disease, or injury. So, if your dog suddenly starts trembling or shivering, it’s important to take note of other symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or limping. Then talk to your vet right away.

Keeping your dog warm, relaxed, up-to-date on preventative care, well-exercised, and away from toxic “snacks” can all help keep her from shaking. That said, certain breeds or individuals might be more prone to the mysterious “Generalized Tremor Syndrome,” which has no known way to treat or prevent.

In these cases, shaking is a harmless behavior. Shaking may indicate more serious issues in your dog, like exhaustion. A dog who is truly exhausted may start to shake because of muscle fatigue. If you ever notice your dog trembling at the end of a long walk, you should immediately have him lie down and rest.

During the deep REM phase of sleep many dogs—and even people—may twitch, shake, paddle or even bark a bit. These involuntary movements are usually brief. In addition, your dog will be sleeping peacefully, their eyes will be partially or completely closed, and their body supple and relaxed.

Puppy trembling is caused by many different situations and conditions – excitement, pain, and nausea are among the most common causes. Shivering can be a sign of something more serious, however. Poisoning, kidney disease, and even neurological problems frequently cause puppies to shake.

When your puppy sleeps, he goes through periods of slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement; dreaming occurs most frequently during REM sleep. It’s during these times that you’ll probably notice your little pup shivering or performing other involuntary movements in response to an exciting dream.

After your dog is alert and awake again, he may be very tired. Let him sleep; you may check up on him periodically, but it’s best to let him rest.

You may find it helpful to give your dog a small dose of rescue remedy and/or a small amount of vanilla ice cream immediately following a seizure.

What to do if Your Dog has a Seizure (And Related FAQs)

1. Stay safe and try to keep calm – and let your pet handle the seizure. Your pet will likely be completely unaware of surroundings or even his or her behavior during and immediately after a seizure.
2. Clear space.
3. Take a video.

The most effective way of preventing your dog from suffering seizures is to minimise the likelihood of those triggers. You can also help their general health by feeding them a healthy diet, keeping an eye on their blood sugar and getting them checked regularly by your daytime vet.

Seizures typically last approximately one to two minutes, although prolonged seizures can occur and require treatment. Once the seizure has ended, dogs will have a prolonged post-ictal recovery period. This period may last up to 24 hours, depending on the individual dog.

Despite the dramatic and violent appearance of a seizure, seizures are not painful, although the dog may feel confusion and perhaps panic. Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not swallow their tongues during a seizure.

Your dog is most likely to suffer from seizures if he or she is a Belgian Tervuren, Shetland sheepdog, beagle, Labrador retriever, golden retriever, keeshond, or vizsla. Other breeds more prone to seizures include the Finnish spitz, Bernese mountain dog, Irish wolfhound, and English springer spaniel.

Symptoms can include collapsing, jerking, stiffening, muscle twitching, loss of consciousness, drooling, chomping, tongue chewing, or foaming at the mouth. Dogs can fall to the side and make paddling motions with their legs. They sometimes poop or pee during the seizure.

Nutmeg, a spice often found in desserts, can cause tremors and seizures in your pet. The sugar substitute xylitol can cause your pet’s insulin to spike, so keep sugarless chewing gum, candy, medicines, vitamins, condiments, some peanut butters and even mouthwashes locked away.

The 8 Best Dog Foods for Seizures

The brain swells, causing seizures, lack of blood supply to the GI tract causes ulcers. Dehydration leads to irreversible kidney damage. All these catastrophic events take place within a matter of minutes. Especially susceptible are brachycephalic breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs or Pekingese.