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Why is my dog's head shaking uncontrollably and preventing sleep?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | neutered | 13 years and 2 months old | 70 lbs

Our Shepherd..KyCzar has had a involuntary, constant jerking, tick motion of his head. Today it has gotten where he can not get comfortable / jerking won't stop so he can rest/sleep. I have a video.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 27th, 2019

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.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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