Dog's head jerking when relaxed: Is it allergies or a vet emergency?

I'm sorry to hear Joe is having an issue! Certainly must have been scary for you and him! It's impossible to say what caused this in Joe, but I'm concerned that this could have been a seizure. I'd strongly recommend taking Joe to see a veterinarian right away as seizures can be caused by a number of things including toxin exposure. It could have also been due to a respiratory or heart issue. Either cause is serious and requires emergency veterinary attention. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Joe recovers quickly!

Hello, I am sorry to hear about Jill. Some of the behaviors you are describing do sound similar to a seizure. Seizures can have a spectrum of severity, meaning that not all pets will have paddling like motions of their limbs or other typical signs of a seizure. More subtle jerking and shaking can be consistent with a seizure. Additionally, pets who are having a seizure are not mentally appropriate, meaning that they do not respond to stimuli (name calling, clapping, etc) like normal dogs. Seizures can have many causes. In a younger dog like Jill one possible cause is low blood sugar. I would recommend having Jill evaluated by a veterinarian so that she can be examined and further diagnostics (such as bloodwork) can be considered. If you are able to I would recommend trying to take a video of one of Jill's episodes. Additionally, until she is evaluated by a veterinarian I would recommend keeping a log of when these events occur and how long they last. Jill should be seen by a veterinarian immediately if these events last longer than 5 minutes, she has multiple events within 24 hours, or she does not normalize between events. Hope this helps, good luck!

This sounds like possible partial/focal seizures. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. Show them the video since she isn't likely to be doing the behavior during the exam. veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951440

It sounds like she is in pain. She could have a problem with her neck or back causing the pain. Since she is otherwise acting normal, it might not be an emergency but taking her to the emergency clinic tonight would give her some relief and make her feel a lot better. She may need an anti-inflammatory, pain medications, and a muscle relaxer. Hope she feels better soon!

Oh my. Poor guy. This sounds like muscle tremors and is a sign of a severe neurological abnormality that can be caused by a toxin ingestion, underlying brain/spinal cord tumor, or even an underlying metabolic imbalance (not as common). I would highly recommend taking KyCzar in to your vet to have him evaluated. Baseline bloodwork will likely be recommended and perhaps even a referral to a neurologist, if you wish to pursue further treatment and work-up. Unfortuantely there is not a good way to share videos using the free posting to the forum service. You will likely need to open up a private chat with an expert in order to share a video of your pet. But from the description, this sounds like potential muscle tremors or a neurological disorder for sure. I do hope that your fur baby is able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

Oh my. Poor guy. It sounds like JJ is having possible seizures. You will need to get him seen by your vet for baseline bloodwork to look for some possible causes for the seizures. If none are found with this first test, then an MRI or CT scan may be recommended. However, he likely will go on anti-seizure medication right away since he had multiple seizures within a 30 day time frame. Hopefully we can manage his seizures well with medication, but due to his age, there is unfortunately a higher risk for an underlying brain or spinal cord lesion as the cause. If he has another it is best to take him to your ER vet right away. However, if they don't reoccur, he may be able to wait until morning to be seen by your regular vet. I do hope that JJ feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Princess. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian today. It could be something as simple as an ear infection that is causing her to shake her head. However, I worry about the eye movements you have described. This can indicate a neurologic condition. Her veterinarian will examine her and determine how best to treat her. I hope this information helps!