Why is my dog shaking on walks? Could it be a bite or heartworm?

Heart worm disease is transmitted by mosquitos. This is by far the biggest concern for diseases spread by mosquitos that we see in dogs. Dogs are quite resistant to developing disease from west nile virus, so while they can technically become infected, they don't get sick. Dogs do not get malaria from mosquitos. There is another form of malaria that affects dogs that is spread by ticks. Ticks can also transmit a number of other diseases to dogs, including lyme disease, and many other diseases. Here is a website with a lot of great information on what diseases your pets can get from mosquitos and ticks: http://www.cvbd.org/en/mosquito-borne-diseases/ Talk to your veterinarian about a monthly heart worm prevention, as well as flea/tick control measures. These are important parts of your pet's healthcare! I hope that helps you! thanks for asking PetCoach!

The injection can be very painful. This could be why she is shivering. If it persists, contact your veterinarian and ask about pain management. If she becomes extremely lethargic or extremely painful, have her rechecked by your veterinarian or at the nearest veterinary ER.

Depending on the type of heart worm preventative you gave, it can cause upset tummy like vomiting and even diarrhea. Next time I would recommend to make sure she has had a full meal prior to giving the medicine or you can change to a different medicine all together. Finally, if she isn't improved by tomorrow I would contact your vet for an exam and make sure she doesn't need any fluids or anti-nausea medicine. I hope this helps.

If the episodes occur in close proximity to administration of one of these products (24-48 hours) then it could be related to the medication. In these cases the product should be stopped and the pet should be transitioned to a different one. Another potential cause could be a type of seizure. You did not mention an age for Max, but seizures in dogs can be due to epilepsy (typically diagnosed at a young age but can be diagnosed later in life), metabolic cause (hypoglycemia, Addison's disease), central nervous system infections/inflammation, or an intracranial mass (typically more of a concern in older patients). If he has not had a full physical exam performed recently by his veterinarian I would recommend having it done, along with routine wellness blood work (serum chemistry, complete blood count) to rule-out organ dysfunction/metabolic cause.

Heartworm parasites live in the blood vessels adjacent to the heart. Most of the time we thankfully diagnose heartworm disease before symptoms develop, by doing a simple blood test. However, symptoms of heartworm infection are similar to symptoms of heart disease, since heartworm parasites put a strain on the heart by obstructing blood flow. We can see shortness of breath, increased respiratory rate, increased heart rate, weight loss, and lethargy. Scratching is not a typical sign of heartworm but could indicate topical parasites such as fleas or skin mites. Since Mason is having issues with his itching and sounds like he hasn't had a good wellness exam from a vet (if the previous family didn't care for him very well), I recommend bringing him in to the vet. They'll be able to do a thorough exam and make sure he doesn't have any health concerns that should be addressed, and they can run a heartworm test and a fecal test to make sure he is not infected with parasites. Then you can get him started on a heartworm preventative medication to make sure he stays heartworm free. Hope this helps!

It is possible that the effect is a bit delayed, so if you applied the medication only within the past 24 hours, there is a chance that it has not fully spread through the skin. If it has been longer than that it is possible that it is not working. If you are sure that the cause of the bites is mosquitoes and not mites then you may want to consider getting another repellent medicine. Your vet should be able to provide you with the name of the one that works best in your area. If you are not sure that the bites are caused by mosquitoes and think this may be also caused by mites, you will need to see your vet with your dogs for an exam and mite treatment.

Shaking could be caused by stress, pain, or anxiety. I'd recommend having her seen by a veterinarian for a physical exam. They may have diagnostic recommendations like blood work or xrays to investigate a medical cause.