What is a head tremor in a puppy?


Among the huge number of different diseases, there is one that causes a feeling of shame and frustration. This is a head tremor.

Shaking movements of the head are very noticeable to others; a person with such symptoms tries to avoid communication with other people.

Is there really nothing that can be done about this? To answer this question you need to understand the nature of this disease.

Attention! Tremor is most often just a symptom of some disease. Appears at any age. One of the main properties is the ability to progress over time. Intensifies due to fatigue, strong emotions, and pathology of the nervous system.

Shakes for various reasons...

Since the causes of this disease are different, it is divided into different types. Features of the main types of tremor:

  1. The occurrence of dystonic tremor mainly occurs in patients with generalized or focal dystonia and appears due to dystonic posture. May intensify with resistance to tonic hyperkinesis.
  2. The causes of essential head tremor are often hereditary. In 25% of cases, trembling is also accompanied by impairment in writing and a slight degree of curvature of the neck. Causing factors: stress, nervous disorders, worries.
  3. Cerebellar . One side of the brain is affected. Usually does not cause difficulties in treatment. Along with trembling, there is a lack of coordination of movements. Alcoholism and uncontrolled use of medications provoke the occurrence of this type. Diseases such as stroke, tumors, sclerosis can cause symptoms.
  4. Neuropathic tremor. Any disease of the nervous system can provoke the occurrence of this type. It responds well to treatment. Usually, sedatives are prescribed by a doctor; consultations with a psychologist will also not be superfluous.
  5. Rubral . A combination of several types. Includes all possible manifestations of head tremors associated with damage to the midbrain. A doctor can help get rid of the disease only after a serious medical examination. Treatment often raises the question of neurosurgical intervention in certain parts of the brain. Complex and requiring long and carefully selected treatment.
  6. Pathological tremor appears against the background of a hereditary disease associated with diseases of the nervous system or acquired as a result of traumatic brain injury, stroke.
  7. Benign is a condition when there is no visible reason why the head is shaking. Most often it can appear during the transition period. This phenomenon intensifies with nervous excitement with the use of alcohol.
  8. Intentional is caused by dysfunction of the cerebellum. Symptoms worsen when walking and running. For more effective treatment, surgery is required.
  9. Physiological tremor. Brief shaking of the head with excitement or fear. Head shaking is almost imperceptible and does not require serious treatment. After consultation with a doctor, sedatives and baths are usually prescribed.
  10. Parkinsonian appears in Parkinson's disease in older people. It intensifies during rest and disappears during sleep. Can't be cured. Doctors prescribe special medications to reduce the symptoms of the disease.

Tremor is a serious condition that requires immediate treatment. The disease causes musculoskeletal disorders, speech and writing disorders, neck curvature, and limits the range of movements. Perhaps the appearance of severe headaches and pain in the neck.

The disease signals that there are serious malfunctions in the body that threaten serious problems: loss of speech, inability to move independently, severe forms of disability, death.

When the head begins to tremble or shake due to excitement or severe psychological stress, there is no big reason for concern. By consulting a neurologist, you can quickly solve this problem. But when your head shakes constantly, you should sound the alarm. Serious medical treatment is required.

In addition to the causes of tremor listed above, the disease can be caused by changes in the functioning of the thyroid gland, liver and lung diseases, as well as all head injuries.

IMPORTANT! Any type of tremor will only intensify the strongest emotional experience.

Causes of trembling in dogs

If you have a dog that is not a decorative or indoor breed, but, say, a Labrador (it is included in the list) or a shepherd, then you should not ignore the fact that it shakes periodically. It is better to try to find out what caused this condition and eliminate this cause. Ah, the reason could be the following...

Cold and hypothermia

If the air temperature outside is low, and you are carried away talking on the phone and do not monitor the walking time (find out), then dogs, especially small and medium-sized ones, can simply freeze on the street without warm clothes. When they feel cold, their body begins to instinctively shake and tremble, thus trying to speed up the flow of blood through the body in order to avoid hypothermia. If you notice that your dog is literally shaking from the cold, you should not continue your walk. Your pet may get sick from hypothermia and you will have to treat it.

For the future, if it is cold outside and you are planning a long walk, take care of clothes in which she will feel comfortable and will not shiver from the cold. Another alternative solution to the need for walks in the cold season is to teach your dog to go to the litter box at home. You can read how to do this, and about the advantages and disadvantages of such a solution.

If the temperature in the room where your pet lives is not high, you can place a heater to slightly warm the air in the room. However, we do not recommend leaving an electrical appliance unattended alone with your dog.

You can also insulate the place where your pet sleeps and rests by placing a warm bedding or blanket there.

If you find yourself on the street, and there is no way to get home, and your dog is shaking from the cold, you can warm it up by holding it close to you, or simply taking it in your arms...

Excitement and fear

Who said that the feeling of fear is not characteristic of dogs? This is wrong. Dogs, like people, can experience fear, anxiety, fright and other related emotions. And, finding themselves in such a situation, many of them begin to literally tremble with fear. So, if you raise your voice at your pet and notice that he is trembling, stop, you are crossing the permitted line, and you risk losing the friendship of your four-legged friend and breaking his psyche. Such a dog will not be able to be faithful and devoted to you, since loyalty and devotion should not be based on a feeling of fear.

If you notice that the dog begins to tremble when meeting another, larger one, try to nullify their communication and take the pet in your arms. He was just scared...

By the way, the more temperamental your pet is, the more strongly it will react to fear factors. Therefore, if you know that your pet is a coward (perhaps this is just an instinct of self-preservation), try to avoid visiting too crowded places with him, participating in fights, traveling in cars (want to know?), visiting exhibitions (described here), and firecrackers exploding...

If your dog is seriously worried and you are concerned about its nervous system, you can give it a calming tea, however, we would first recommend that you consult your veterinarian about this.

Positive emotions

Not only fear, but also positive emotions can cause trembling in a dog’s body. At the sight of her owner, whom she has not seen for a long time, she can simply go crazy with happiness, tremble with nervous excitement, dance, etc. In principle, this is not a bad reason for trembling, but if you are worried that such manifestations are weakening the pet’s nervous system, you should immediately rein in the dog with the command “stand” or “lie down”...

Hormones

During periods of sexual activity, dogs of both sexes may tremble periodically. However, most often, in order for your dog to experience such great excitement, he needs to see the lady of his heart. If you do not plan to practice, and there are no random matings in your plans, in order to protect your pet from such hormonal shocks, it is better to castrate him and sterilize the bitch.

Pain syndrome

Many dogs, experiencing pain and painful sensations, can tremble throughout their entire body, and trembling can be observed at the location of the pain. If you notice that your friend has begun to tremble, carefully examine him for injuries, bites from other animals, or injuries. If you find them, the pet will need to be given first veterinary aid, and then be sure to show it to a specialist.

If trembling in the body is observed in an older dog, its cause may be rheumatic pain - you will not be able to remove it, but you can ask the veterinarian to prescribe a painkiller for your pet.

Often, with abdominal pain and severe intoxication of the body, dogs experience pain shock and trembling throughout the body. In this case, the pet should be given a painkiller, but if the vomiting and lethargy do not stop, and the trembling intensifies, it is worth showing it to the veterinarian.

Low blood sugar

With hypoglycemia or low blood sugar, especially for representatives of small and decorative breeds, they experience trembling throughout the body, attacks of lethargy and loss of strength. It is very important to make sure that the tremors in the body are not associated with low blood sugar, since otherwise the dog will need emergency help, without which it may become a victim of seizures and death.

Allergy

One of the symptoms of an allergic reaction is trembling in the body. At the same time, if you fed the dog before, or changed its diet, trembling began after taking medication - most likely, you are dealing with an allergy. It is very important to identify the allergen and identify the cause of this condition, since very often the allergen tends to accumulate in the body to a critical point, and this becomes a serious test for the health of the animal. As first aid for allergies, and to reduce the severity of the attack, the dog can be given antihistamines. Find out about the things that can cause an allergic reaction.

It is the owner’s duty to notice possible health problems in a pet. Of course, when a dog is constantly shaking, this is an alarming symptom. Perhaps the phenomenon with the medical name “tremor” began to occur recently and is causing confusion. However, it also happens that you suspect the cause based on the symptoms - just to clarify it before contacting the veterinarian. So, why does a dog tremble and shake and how to deal with it?

Difficulties, goals and methods of therapy

The treatment is going to be long, you need to get ready for it. First of all, you should make an appointment with a neurologist.

The key to successful treatment will be a complete and truthful description of the symptoms of the disease.

The doctor may ask several questions, you need to answer them as completely as possible:

  • In what situations does your head begin to shake or tremble?
  • When did this appear?
  • Were there any illnesses caused by head trauma?
  • Is your neck bothering you?
  • What health problems do you have?

Think through your answers to the questions in advance. Depending on the situation and the reason why the head is shaking, the doctor prescribes treatment.

What does medicine offer?

Traditional therapy methods:

  1. With the help of medications prescribed by a doctor. First of all, medications are prescribed that have a calming effect on the general emotional state of a person.
  2. If the tremor is caused by problems with the neck, then the help of a chiropractor will be helpful.
  3. You may need to make an appointment with a good psychologist who can stabilize your emotional state, reduce nervousness, and have a calming effect on the entire body.
  4. You can search the Internet for relaxation and meditation techniques . A state of peace and tranquility will promote healing.
  5. Any treatment methods to enhance the positive effect should be combined with medications .
  6. Take up physical exercise. This could be fitness or dance sports .
  7. Sign up for a yoga class.
  8. Surgery . For some types of tremors, electrodes are implanted into the brain organs.

Grandmothers' experience

Traditional medicine plays an important role in the treatment of tremor. Some useful recipes:

  1. Take 4.5 tbsp. oats, pour 1.5 liters. boiling water Place over moderate heat and simmer for one hour. Then close the lid and let it brew until the next day. The next day, strain and drink. Has a calming effect.
  2. Dried tansy flowers , preferably the flowers rather than the stem and leaves, chew for 10-15 minutes without swallowing.
  3. Warm baths with chamomile, St. John's wort, wormwood, linden, and valerian will have a beneficial effect. In order to prepare a bath you need to take 10 tbsp. one of the listed herbs, or several different ones. Take the grass dry, pour in boiling water, about half a liter, let it brew under the lid for about 30 minutes. Then filter the mixture and pour it into the bath. The bath can be taken for 15-20 minutes, preferably before bed.

Why does your head shake and how to treat it:

Signs of illness that indicate your dog has ear disease

If your dog is shaking his head and scratching his ears, check for these signs of illness:

  1. If your dog scratches its ears very often and also shakes its head violently, this is the very first and most common sign of an ear disease in your pet.
  2. If you notice that your pet is lowering the side of its head from which it constantly scratches its ears, this is also a reason to visit the veterinarian.
  3. Take a good look at your pet's ear. If you see dark red-brown wax deposits in your dog's ear, then your pet most likely suffers from an ear disease.
  4. One of the signs of ear disease is an unpleasant odor from this organ.
  5. The presence of swelling and elevated temperature in the ear canal and drooping part of the ear is also a cause for concern.

If your dog frequently shakes its head and scratches its ears, and after checking it you find one of the signs of ear disease, then contact your veterinarian as soon as possible!

Avoid risks

First of all, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle. No alcohol, drugs, or smoking. Follow a daily routine, try to sleep at least 9 hours.

Try to get as many pleasant emotions as possible. Contact a specialist at the slightest suspicion of illness.

There is no need to be ashamed of head tremors and try to hide this condition, it won’t work anyway. Don't hide from the problem, thinking that everything will go away on its own, it won't happen.

Sound the alarm at the slightest symptoms, consult a doctor and everything can still be improved for the better. Take care of yourself and be healthy!

Why does a dog shake its head and ears?

What to do when your pet gets sick? Many pet owners experience their dog shaking its head and scratching its ears. Of course, every owner worries about this, so it’s worth figuring out what causes this phenomenon and whether it’s possible to somehow cure your dog.

It must be said that almost all dogs shake their heads and ears after sleep, but every owner should know when this phenomenon may be a reason to go to the veterinarian. So, every dog ​​has a small amount of wax discharge in its ears, but the appearance is a deviation from a normal pet.

If you notice that your pet is shaking its head and ears very violently and frequently, you need to check for signs of dog ear disease.

Possible causes of ear diseases

Every pet owner should know why they may be restless. In the case of dogs, things are exactly the same. Let's look at the possible reasons why animals may constantly scratch their ears and shake their heads.

1. Yeast or fungal infection. With these diseases, dark red-brown discharge appears in the ears and an unpleasant odor emanates from it.

2. Bacterial infections, various skin diseases and allergies also cause constant head shaking in dogs. However, these reasons can be refuted or confirmed by a veterinarian if you pass all the necessary tests.

4. Presence of foreign objects in the ears. Very often, after an active walk, grass stems, plant seeds and other parts of greenery may remain in them. If they are not removed in time, they will cause ear irritation and the dog will shake his head.

5. Special mention should be made of the characteristics of the breed, which have drooping and long ears. They do not have good ventilation, so the pet may whine and shake its head. These dogs also have too much fur on their ears. This can lead to retention of sulfur secretions, and subsequently to inflammation.

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