Getting a puppy is a very exciting time, however, it’s not without its challenges. You probably expect teething problems like chewing or accidents in the house, but concerns about your puppy’s health might take you by surprise. It’s completely normal to worry about a new puppy, we understand the excitement about your adorable new addition, and we know that you want the best for him. There are many things that can cause concern, including shaking.

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So, what is defined as ‘shaking’

Involuntary, usually gentle, muscular contractions that can cause the puppy’s body to move a little if the shaking is present in several body parts. Often it’s a whole-body thing and you’ll notice the puppy gently trembling. They should be completely aware and responsive, and still able to walk, change position, eat and pass motions unhindered.  

What causes shaking?

Shaking can have many and varied causes, and sometimes it can be hard to get to the bottom of. Let’s have a look at a few common culprits for shaking in puppies:

Being cold

Puppies can’t regulate their body temperatures as well as adult dogs. They have a big surface area from which to lose heat, compared to the size of their bodies. This means they are at risk of hypothermia (getting too cold). If you notice your puppy shaking, the first thing to do is make sure his environment is warm enough, if not, you’ll need to gently warm him up using blankets.

Be careful if you use any form of microwavable heat source. These can be far too warm for the puppy and should be wrapped in towels to prevent him from getting burned. A puppy shaking from being cold should soon stop as he warms up, and should seem otherwise normal.

Behaviour

Shaking can be a behavioural response, caused by fear or stress, in such cases it’s more common in older puppies and adult dogs. Here, it can result from the animal making psychological associations with past experiences. Perhaps with people, other animals and certain uncomfortable or unpleasant situations. Make sure that there’s nothing going on that’s worrying your puppy, this includes actions from other pets or people, as well as occurrences such as loud noises (from fireworks, etc).  

Pain

Discomfort or pain can cause a puppy to shake or tremble involuntarily

Toxicity or poisoning

It can be the result of ingesting a toxic substance, here the puppy might have other signs like drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, inappetence or even seizures, and may get worse over time. 

Neurological problems

There are conditions that can cause shaking in puppies, among them is hypomyelination – otherwise known as shaking puppy syndrome. Here, puppies often seem normal whilst sleeping, but when awake their whole-body shakes and they can be wobbly (ataxic) when moving around. If the puppy isn’t severely affected, he might recover with time. There is no treatment for hypomyelination; the cause is unknown, but, it might result from a genetic mutation. 

Energy and mineral problems

Very low blood glucose or calcium levels can cause shaking and may progress to seizures. These signs tend to occur when a puppy is severely affected, so they are often accompanied by others that indicate there is something wrong before the shaking starts – for example, lethargy, collapse, disorientation, not wanting to eat and vomiting.

When is shaking not just shaking?

Shaking can be confused with other concerning problems such as seizures. There are many forms of seizures, ranging from very mild outward presentations such as twitching or changes in behaviour, to dramatic grand mal seizures that cause convulsions, unconsciousness and loss of bowel control. Since there are many variations of seizure that exist between the two extremes (including tremors and shaking), it can be difficult for owners to distinguish between their puppy having a seizure or if it is just shaking. 

It can be hard to know when not to worry about a new puppy. You’re still getting used to their little quirks and individualities, and they’re so little that they have us concerned about every slight cough or cry. Whilst your puppy’s shaking might just be something trivial, it could be more serious. So, if it continues, especially despite him being warm enough, then it’s a good idea to get him checked out by your vet just to be safe. 

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