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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:02 PM
MarleneW MarleneW is offline
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My dog started shaking

It was like he was cold. It was all of a sudden, he was lying down, and then he got up, it was like he was trying to paw at his ears. I tried to calm him down, and his neck was very very tensed up. He does have sore ears, that we are treating with vet recommended epi-otic. It also seemed that he was tilting his head to the side, but I cannot be sure, as I was freaking out and crying by this time. This has happenned to him once before, a few months ago. It did not appear to be a seizure, as he was moving around, trying to get close to me, and my fiance. it was like he was scared, but there was nothing that could have scared him?

Any advice would be great! We do have a vet in town, but he works only on certain days. The next nearest vet is about 2 and a half hours away.

Last edited by MarleneW; May 25th, 2008 at 08:05 PM. Reason: added more info
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:17 PM
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want4rain want4rain is offline
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most vets will do a consult over the phone as to whether you should bring him in now or if it can wait or if its not something to worry about.

i have no idea what it could be but i hope you guys figure it out soon!!!

-ash
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:26 PM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarleneW View Post
He does have sore ears, that we are treating with vet recommended epi-otic.
Does he have an ear infection or just debris? Epi-Otic is a great ear cleaner but if there was an infection, perhaps it has worsened? Ear infections may explain some of what you describe.

If you are worried about a localized seizure, then I would suggest videotape recording an 'episode' for your veterinarian. This can be helpful for them to decide if what you describe is neurologic or not.
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:28 PM
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Frenchy Frenchy is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarleneW View Post
It was like he was cold.
One of my goldens did that a few times , he had stomach upset. I read somewhere some dogs will shake when they have discomforts. So maybe your dog was doing this because of his ears but I would call a vet if I was you.
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:30 PM
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Hi Dr Lee , since you're here , I have a question , I did read somewhere about the shaking , dogs will do this to make themselves feel better when they have discomforts , it this true ? My Bailey did this a couple of times , and it was always from stomach upsets.
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:42 PM
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Dr Lee Dr Lee is offline
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Shaking often a result of sympathetic nervous system responding to a problem. It can be due to infection - a body's effort to raise the baseline temperature and thus inhibiting bacterial growth. It can be a reaction to peripheral vasoconstriction when the body is attempting to maximize internal blood flow and pressures. This situation can be from pain and discomfort which might lead to shaking. Does this make them feel better? I honestly don't know Frenchy. The causes and responses of generalized shaking are fairly consistent over the mammalian bodies so what makes us shake generally makes them shake. For example, fear stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and will lead to generalized shaking. It is important to note that smaller mammals tend to have more prominent shaking than large animals. Exact reasons unknown but may have something to do with the fact that the nervous tissue and interaction of two animals is similar while their overall body mass may be very different.
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Last edited by Dr Lee; May 25th, 2008 at 08:56 PM. Reason: grammar
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Old May 25th, 2008, 08:49 PM
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Frenchy Frenchy is offline
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Thank you for the clarifications Dr Lee , we read so much stuff sometimes , we never know if it's true.
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Old May 26th, 2008, 11:40 PM
MarleneW MarleneW is offline
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Thank you very much for the help. Max calmed down rather quickly, and has been fine since. I am still taking him to see the vet, however. In the meantime, is there anything I can give him for pain? He certainly has an ear infection. It is pink, and smells foul, in both of his ears. He is a floppy eared dog. I do have another dog, with short ears, and he rarely has problems. His name is Chance. Chance is always trying to lick the inside of Max's ears as well. I should also add that Max scares very easily. Maybe a pain would make him shake. My fiancee thought he might have had a leg cramp, or his paw had gone to sleep, because he was lying down on the couch in an awkward position. He just turned 7.
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Old May 27th, 2008, 12:08 AM
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Please don't give him anything like asprin or tylenol. Tylenol is toxic for dogs (if I remember rightly) and asprin is too hard on their stomachs. If his inner or middle ear is infected, it might lead to problems with balance, maybe that's what you are seeing. In any case, the sooner he is treated the better.
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Old May 27th, 2008, 02:30 AM
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Shaykeija Shaykeija is offline
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When HRH Missie the Poo is hurting she shakes like she is freezing. After I take her temp to rule out fever, I usually wrap her in a warmed blanket and massage her to calm her down. This usually works and in a few hours she is back to normal. She has colitis so I know when she is hurting and can start her treatment quickly.
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Old May 27th, 2008, 09:37 AM
Longblades Longblades is offline
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It sounds like he is better and there could be many reasons for his behaviour, that only a Vet. can determine. But those symptoms sound exactly like my sister's dog when he had Geriatric Vestibular Disease. Especially the head tilt part. Maybe something to ask your Vet about? It is misnamed because it is not always old dogs that get it. And it is apparently often confused with epilepsy or infected ears.

http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/vestibular.html
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Old May 27th, 2008, 03:20 PM
MarleneW MarleneW is offline
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Don't worry all, I would never ever give him anything, unless a vet said, I was hoping Dr. Lee would have a suggestion. There is only one vet around here, and I have to wait for the appointment. In any case, Max was fine mere minutes after it happened. He means the world to me, which is why I was/am so panicked. I am not worried about the money. I would sell the shirt off my back to make sure I had money to get him treated. I want him to be happy, not just comfortable, or healthy. I want it all. lol. Of course, the same goes for my other dog, Chance. The only thing that's ever happened to him, was he ate a chicken bone...(SORRY!), and I had to take him to the vet, as he was bleeding out of his bum, and vomiting. That was two years ago. No bone of any sort now, other than rawhide, and milkbones. lol. I give them thier doggy vitamins too. Are they any good at all? Oh, the reason I know Max was fine a few minutes after, was he wanted to play. He ran and got his toy, and was very eager for a dog cookie. lol. He also likes to chase his brother, Chance, around the house, barking, and all of that, then they run back in the opposite direction, with Chance chasing Max. They did that not a half hour after, I believe. I will make sure to let you know what the vet says.
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