Why does my puppy shiver and shake when I pick him up? Is he scared?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Molly is adorable! I don't think there is anything medically wrong with her. She may not like being picked up. I would slowly start to regain her confidence but having her fist not run from you. Sit on the floor with treats and toys and have her play with you, giving her treats often. Keep doing that until she stops running from you. Then you can gradually start to pick her up but keep the sessions brief and don't "love" on her until she is good with being picked up. Every dog has a different personality but something may have scared her from enjoying this time with you. I hope this helps and I wish you and Molly the best!

It is quite odd that your puppy doesn't want to walk on the floor. However you can try laying down blankets or towels on the floor. It may be a texture thing and he likes to feel something soft and comfortable. You can also try placing his favorite toy or treat on the floor to ease him into getting used to the texture. He will eventually get over this the more you expose him and the more he matures. Also if he shivering in his sleep could very well be his body reacting to a dream he is having. Puppy dreams tend to be quite vivid causing what appears to be violent movements of the body and sometimes heavy panting. As long as this is only occurring while he is sleeping then chances are he's completely fine. Puppies usually will grow out of these vivid dreams as they get older. However if you feel that he is having breathing issues while awake then definitely take him in to your veterinarian for a thorough examination.

Poor Joey. The two possibilities here are that it hurts or that he scares him when you pick him up. I'd lean towards pain from your description, but keep fear in mind since your vet didn't find any pain. One area pain can "hide" during a physical exam is in the spine or neck - vet's don't always check this area carefully. I would recommend a recheck visit, since it's still going on with no changes to see if anything is different on physical exam this time, and ask if doing a trial of pain meds for around 5 days would be appropriate. If pain meds don't help, experiment with never picking him up to see if that makes him happier. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Shaking is a general sign and can be seen with several things that go from just being cold or nervous to being an indication of pain or discomfort. If he is otherwise fine, then it would be ok to monitor him for now. However, if at any point he appears to be in discomfort or stops eating or showing any other concerning symptoms, it may be best to have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Hopefully it is not anything serious. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there! Congratulations on adopting your new friend a few months ago. Shivering in dog can be for a variety of reasons. Some common, but benign reasons would be from nervousness/excitement, dreaming while sleeping, or being cold or frightened. Some other, more serious reasons for shivering, can include ingestion of toxins, low blood sugar, low calcium, or even seizure activity. In some cases, dogs exposed to the canine distemper virus can have muscle tremors as a residual side effect from the virus. Based on Chance's history of being adopted, with a likely unknown history, it may be a good idea to bring him in for an examination by his veterinarian. This way, they can make sure no serious illnesses are suspected. What can be helpful for your veterinarian, since you don't know much about Chance's history, would be to log when these episodes occur, how long they last, and even get a video recording of a few of them. Again, as I mentioned above, shivering can just be for some very unexciting and logical reasons, such as excitement or being cold, but if it is concerning you, and becoming more and more frequent, an examination by his veterinarian would be a great idea! I hope you find this answer helpful! Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Besides this being behavioral, this could also be due to a medical issue such as a display of pain of some sort. I recommend that if this persists, you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to check for this possibility and treat him accordingly. This may require taking x-rays. Good luck and have a great day!

There could be a couple of reasons why Rosie is shivering. Shivering could be caused by pain, fever, anxiety, or nervousness. Given she recently saw the vet and had had no problems, I would suspect nervousness might be the cause. She's new to your home, and that is a stressful adjustment. As long as she is eating and drinking normally, going to the bathroom normally, and otherwise acting normal, I would not be too concerned about it. I hope this helps!