My dog had head tremors at night. Why is she acting nervous?

If you can call Piper's name and she stops, and if she seems to be her normal self otherwise it's possible that she is having an idiopathic head tremor. The cause of the tremors is unknown but they occur in many breeds and usually are not harmful. If she has had any seizures, if she seems disoriented, or if she seems painful I'd recommend seeing your veterinarian.

If the episodes occur when Dawn is awake, then I would recommend having a veterinarian evaluate her. If she is having head tremors, it is important to determine if they are benign or seizure based (which can occur even if the rest of her body is not involved). I would also recommend taking a video of them for your veterinarian to be able to evaluate in case she does not have an episode during her appointment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

At 10 years old I would be very concerned that this tremor represents a possible lesion inside the skull, such as a tumor or infection, or perhaps an inflammatory process. A full exam, to include a neurologic exam, will provide a lot of information that can help to zero in on the problem and localize the lesion. Other possible causes could be exposure to a toxin, but an exam is needed and possibly labwork to really figure out what is going on.

Idiopathic head tremors (head tremors of unknown cause) can occur in dogs of any age. These episodes are usually self limiting and can often be interrupted by distracting your dog with treats. However, head tremors can also be secondary to underlying metabolic diseases or electrolyte imbalances. They can also progress to full blown seizures. Because of this, I would recommend you get Patch checked out by your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Head tremors can be observed with neurologic conditions or even electrolyte imbalances. I recommend that you have Buddy evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They are likely going to perform and examination to be followed by bloodwork which should help start sorting this out. A referral to a veterinary neurologist may be recommended. Good luck!

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Gracie. Since the episode has happened more than once, I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She could be having a partial seizure or she may be experiencing pain somewhere. For example, an ear infection deep within the ear canal will be painful. Neck pain could also make her act how you have described. The veterinarian will thoroughly examine her and will decide if treatment is needed. I hope this information helps!