About Head Tremors in Dogs
It's normal for a dog to "shake" his head. Maybe his ears itch or he's been out in a rainstorm. But there's another type of head movement that's not normal, a head tremor. Head tremors are not uncommon in dogs, especially in English bulldogs and dobermans. Fortunately, the causes of most head tremors in dogs are treatable or require no treatment at all.
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Symptoms
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Watch for abnormal, involuntary bobbing motions or rhythmic movements of your dog's head that occur while she is awake. True tremors subside during sleep.
Causes
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Head tremors can be caused by many things, including brain abnormalities, vestibular disorders, inflammation, trauma, genetic illnesses, medications, toxins and immune-system disorders. They may also be idiopathic (having no known cause).
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Diagnosis
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Your veterinarian will recommend blood work, a biochemical profile and a urinalysis. He may also order a CT scan, MRI, EMG (electromyelography) and spinal tap.
Treatment
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Your veterinarian will treat the primary or underlying cause of your dog's head tremors. She may prescribe one or more medications.
What You Can Do
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Once your dog is home from the hospital, make sure he avoids excitement and too much exercise. Avoid exposing your dog to toxins and monitor his food intake, as dogs with tremors tend to lose weight.
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Resources
- Photo Credit office.microsoft.com
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Comments
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I have a basset that we think has this. He has had them twice. Do they come and go. His first was the 29th of august, the second last night and it was more severe. He is conscious and doesn't seem scared or anything and they went away the minute we got into the car to go to the vet.
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My 6 year old female black Lab started having these tremors. I began giving her a vitamin b complex tablet in her morning food (concealed in a piece of raw hamburger) and she hasn't had a tremor in over a month and a half.
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my dog is really sick now its better thanks.
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sunnystanfield
Jun 03, 2010
My English Bulldog had a head tremor this morning that lasted about 10 minutes. We took her to the vet and they only did a physical. They said to call if it happens, again. Should I insist on more testing now or wait to see if it happens, again?
