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Dubovitsky Yuri Igorevich
Veterinarian
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Every owner has at least once seen his dog trembling on the street or at home. Sometimes trembling occurs for completely natural reasons, for example, if the animal is simply frozen, but in some situations it is one of the alarming signs of a serious illness. In this article we will try to find out why the dog is trembling and how you can help your pet friend.
Causes of muscle tremors and cramps
Most often, the dog trembles and jerks its limbs when the brain is damaged. But the etiological factors are varied - injuries, infections, parasites, congenital anomalies and metabolic disorders. There are several types of muscle hyperactivity in dogs:
- cramps - a sudden sharp contraction of a certain muscle group;
- tremor - mild trembling, usually of the subcutaneous muscles;
- epilepsy is a brain pathology that leads to periodic seizures and impaired consciousness.
Convulsive activity is associated with damage to the nerve fibers connecting the hypothalamus and the cortex. Strong pathological signals spread through neurons to certain areas of the brain, causing spontaneous disorganization of a number of brain functions. Such changes more often occur with brain damage; they are less often observed due to damage to other organs.
Seizure attacks cause repeated damage to nerve pathways, which makes subsequent seizures worse.
Any brain disease is a predisposing factor. Seizures often develop when using a number of medications. Excessive muscle activity has been reported in healthy dogs following the use of ketamine and acepromazine.
Muscle tremors are more often observed with lesions of the cerebellum and medulla oblongata of dogs. The pathology manifests itself as involuntary small vibrations and tremors of the whole body or its parts. A predisposition has been noted in white breeds, especially among small and middle-aged dogs.
Tremor also appears in diseases not associated with brain damage. Muscle tremors are a compensatory reaction to hypothermia. Feverish processes are accompanied by tremor. Trembling may indicate a stressful state or fear of the animal.
The reasons why a dog may shake can be divided into two categories - primary and secondary. Primary ones are also called idiopathic, they are associated with genetic abnormalities and are observed in dogs of early and middle age (up to 6 years). Secondary seizures are associated with brain diseases, infectious and other processes in the body.
Common causes of non-neurological seizures:
- cardiovascular failure;
- metabolic disorders;
- intoxication.
Extracranial causes of seizures in dogs are determined by metabolic disorders. The dog's hind legs shake with low blood sugar, hypocalcemia, kidney and liver failure, and various poisonings. Tremor caused by brain pathology is associated with degenerative processes, vascular insufficiency, hydrocephalus and other developmental disorders and neoplasms. Various infectious processes that cause inflammation of the brain or general deterioration of the condition are accompanied by seizures.
What should the owner do?
Most of the pathological causes mentioned require urgent veterinary intervention. If you have the opportunity to visit a veterinary clinic in the near future, play it safe and check your pet.
Contacting a veterinarian
Detection of pathology in the early stages helps to avoid chronicity of the process and death of the animal. The most alarming signs include:
- repeated vomiting or diarrhea, especially with blood;
- remaining still and refusing to walk;
- the appearance of trembling not only in the hind legs, but also in other parts of the body;
- change in urine color;
- increased frequency and difficulty breathing.
After studying the tests, ultrasound, x-rays and other studies, the veterinarian will be able to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe medication treatment. Depending on the severity of the situation, the animal may be left in the hospital or sent home.
Differential diagnosis and special methods
Muscle tremors and cramps accompany various conditions in animals. It is necessary to differentiate nervous conditions (damage to the membranes of the brain) from fear, hypothermia, and a number of infectious diseases. The diagnosis is established on the basis of additional laboratory and instrumental studies.
An important point in making a diagnosis and choosing treatment is to establish the etiological factor that led to epileptic seizures:
- congenital primary pathologies;
- brain diseases;
- compensatory function of the brain when other organs are damaged.
The clinical picture of seizures in a dog depends on the location and extent of the area of increased activity. A generalized epileptic seizure is characterized by bilateral inflammation of the muscles. All muscles of the body are affected. The dog is trembling and lethargic, breathing frequently, and may lie down for a long time. The dog tucks its tail to its body and is in a faint state.
Idiopathic inflammation of the cerebellum in dogs is practically not detected by laboratory tests. Blood biochemistry indicators and urine tests are within the physiological norm. Minor changes are detected when taking a cerebrospinal fluid puncture - a moderate increase in lymphocytes and monocytes.
The nature of seizures in various pathologies:
- diseases of the nervous system are characterized by the periodic occurrence of attacks;
- in case of poisoning, tremor is gradually replaced by strong clonic convulsions (convulsions);
- with catalepsy, constant cramps of one or two legs appear;
- Myoplegia is characterized by repeated relaxation of the muscle tone of the limbs;
- a nervous tic is accompanied by rhythmic twitching of the paws.
Epilepsy in dogs should be distinguished from fainting. An epileptic seizure is preceded by an attack of strong involuntary muscle contractions. Involuntary urination and defecation are noted, and epilepsy is often accompanied by the release of foamy saliva. Fainting is characterized by loss of consciousness and muscle relaxation, and general lethargy. After fainting, the dog quickly recovers, but with epilepsy, pathological signs persist for a long time - increased thirst and appetite, disorientation, tremor, anxiety.
In shepherd dogs and Dobermans, eosinophilic myositis is observed, in which an increasing contraction of the masticatory muscles occurs. The dog cannot open its mouth on its own due to its tightly clenched jaws. Laboratory analysis reveals a decrease (disappearance) of eosinophils in the blood.
An epileptic attack is a nonspecific and sudden event. Usually it is not preceded by any change (external influence), but a seizure occurs due to increased excitability of nerve fibers. It is important to correctly differentiate diseases in order to provide the necessary assistance to the dog.
Physiological phenomena
Trembling in dogs, especially small breeds, is a normal physiological phenomenon. The animal stops trembling as soon as the source that provoked this condition disappears. Let's look at the causes of natural tremors in dogs.
Sexual interest
During the mating period, males' sexual interest increases. Under the influence of hormones, the dog begins to shake when he sees a female. A hormonal surge in bitches, in turn, occurs during estrus.
Trembling due to a hormonal surge is not dangerous for animals. You need to wait until the period of attraction to the opposite sex passes. Please note that this phenomenon (we are talking about tremor) is not typical for castrated and sterilized animals.
Cold
One of the most common causes of chills in a dog is hypothermia. If you notice that the dog begins to tuck its tail and tremble, it’s time to end the walk and rush home.
Shivering as a result of hypothermia is possible not only during long walks in winter, but also after swimming. Tremors are most often observed in small or short-haired breeds.
Excitement or delight
According to experienced dog breeders, the dog may begin to tremble and whine in anticipation of something pleasant and exciting. So, seeing the owner after a long separation, the animal will squeal and shake joyfully.
Fear
Dogs, like people, can experience not only positive, but also negative emotions. Fear, nervous overexcitation and stress negatively affect the emotional state of a pet and manifest themselves in the form of chills, whining and a desire to hide.
There are dogs that are afraid of thunder during a thunderstorm, fireworks, sharp bangs and loud noises. Some breeders recommend doing nothing in such a situation and leaving the dog alone, others advise helping the pet overcome its fear.
Today, there are many different methods of raising and training animals that live at home and are not accustomed to the realities of the environment.
Emergency care and treatment
For epilepsy, special drugs are used. The earlier the course of treatment begins, the better the effectiveness of therapy. But to use phenobarbital, there must be indications (clinical picture in the dog):
- more than one seizure attack in 2 months;
- attack within 1-2 weeks from the moment of head injury;
- prolonged shaking in dogs;
- difficult periods between attacks;
- detection of structural violations.
Treatment of seizures should be carried out as quickly as possible. It is necessary to choose the right drugs against epileptic seizures. Non-sedating products should not be used for dogs, as they have a hepatotoxic effect. But other means also have a number of negative effects.
The inexpensive drug phenobarbital is well suited at an early stage of the disease. Potassium bromide has a similar effect. But this substance accumulates slowly in the brain - the therapeutic dose is reached over several months, so relapses of seizures are possible at the onset of the disease.
If brain inflammation is caused by non-infectious causes, then glucocorticoids are used. In most dogs, improvement in condition with moderate levels of encephalitis is observed within 3-5 days from the start of treatment. Infectious encephalitis precludes the use of this type of anti-inflammatory drugs. Treatment course:
- prednisolone at a dosage of 1 mg/kg once a day for 7-10 days;
- if clinical signs improve, the dose is reduced to 0.5 mg/kg;
- subsequently, the dosage is gradually reduced as symptoms improve;
- in case of relapse (sharp dose reduction), a return to the initial course is necessary;
- treatment is continued until the clinic disappears - 4-6 weeks;
- Lifelong use of low dosage glucocorticoids is possible for some highly sensitive dogs.
Muscle shaking in a dog, associated with secondary brain diseases and reactive causes, is a pathological symptom. To remove and eliminate it, it is necessary to treat the main etiological factor. In this case, special drugs against epilepsy are not required. Thus, in case of liver failure, it is necessary to maintain liver function, and in case of vascular lesions of the brain, inflammatory edema is relieved and the heart function returns to normal.
There is no universal reflex for treating seizures in dogs. In case of brain damage, constant monitoring of therapy and its correction is required. The concentration of drugs in the blood serum is monitored:
- selection of individual treatment;
- determination of toxic effect;
- determination of therapeutic concentration.
Treatment is changed if therapy does not produce the desired results. The first stage is to increase the concentration of the active substance, but this leads to increased toxicity. Then it is necessary to change the medicine or supplement it. A common combination is a mixture of potassium bromide and phenobarbital.
When your dog needs emergency help:
- the duration of the seizure attack is more than 5 minutes;
- status epilepticus – shaking in the dog is followed by loss of consciousness for 30 minutes;
- at least 3 attacks in three hours.
In an emergency situation, it is necessary to maintain the normal functioning of the animal’s body and stop the attack. To prevent the dog's muscles from shaking, diazepam and a loading dose of phenobarbital are prescribed. Then the drugs are administered in a minimal dosage.
The use of various antispasmodic drugs is effective. The dog is injected intravenously with a 25% solution of magnesium sulfate every 10-12 hours, 5-10 ml. Treatment with diazepam and elenium lasts for two months.
The effectiveness of intravenous injection of glucose solution is noted (40%). It is also recommended for animals to be prescribed antiallergic drugs - diphenhydramine, suprastin, prednisolone. Be sure to use complex vitamin and mineral products. If symptoms of dehydration are severe, fluid therapy should be administered.
Viruses, parasites, diseases
If you notice, along with trembling, loss of appetite, fever and lethargy, the cause may be rooted in a viral disease - for example, panleukopenia, influenza, adenovirus, parvovirus enteritis. Such cases are often associated with vomiting, diarrhea, and unusually colored urine.
In the same section we include helminthic infestation, tick bites, dirofilariasis - problems with parasitic organisms. Tremors can be caused by problems with the central nervous or cardiovascular system, or pneumonia. With pneumonia, a wet cough appears, with heart problems - a compressed and dry cough.
What to do? Call the veterinarian at home or go to the clinic.
Pathology prevention measures
It is possible to avoid the occurrence of seizures in a dog only if they are of secondary origin. If a dog shakes with small tremors due to hereditary causes, then the owner will face lifelong treatment. Anti-epilepsy drugs are used - the dosage is constantly changing, if the seizures stop, then the dosage of phenobarbital or its analogues is reduced. The animal's condition is constantly monitored, blood is given for tests, and the optimal level of medications is determined.
Shaking is common in pets due to liver and kidney failure. Therefore, it is necessary to approach feeding wisely, and use medicinal substances only on the instructions of a veterinarian.
When diagnosed with epilepsy, the dog should be provided with the best living conditions. It is necessary to exclude strong irritations that could provoke another attack. Feeding should be enriched with minerals and vitamins, since their deficiency leads to a deterioration in the animal’s condition.
How to help your pet
It is necessary to analyze the situation, identify the cause of muscle tremors, and, if possible, prevent its onset. Trembling is considered harmless if it is not accompanied by additional symptoms, but appears from time to time when provoking situations are repeated.
How to eliminate harmless tremors
Animals of decorative breeds are not walked in bad weather, but are dressed in frosty and damp weather.
To calm tremors caused by an emotional state, the pet is distracted from the stimulus with a treat or offered to play. When stressful situations are often repeated and occur without additional symptoms, sedatives such as Stop Stress help. The dog owner should know when a stressful event will occur and use a sedative several days before the alarming event.
To prevent hypothermia, dogs living in the yard should have their kennels insulated and ensure that the feeder is not left empty. Animals of decorative breeds are not walked in bad weather, but are dressed in frosty and damp weather. You can use a store-bought jumpsuit or make your own sweater. The dog does not freeze, and its funny appearance improves the mood of the owner.
To weaken the male's sexual desire, medications are used or increased physical activity. An overly aggressive dog will be neutered.
Animals that experience prolonged physical overload are provided with special ready-made food.
