My Dog Is Shaking and Can't Stand Up

Dogs can experience various types of tremors which cause their body to shake. Not all of them are something to cause concern in a guardian. For example, a dog shivering due to a sudden draft of cold air is not the same as prolonged shaking. Tremors are involuntary and pathological movements that occur throughout the body or in one specific localized area.

A dog usually experiences trembling and an inability to walk when muscle weakness occurs. It is this weakness which causes a lack of co-ordination and means the dog can't walk properly or even stand. When the dog cannot get up, it means they are suffering from paralysis. Both incoordination and paralysis can be either temporary or permanent, depending on the cause.

Trembling in dogs can be grouped into two important categories:

• Generalized tremors: occurs when the whole body is trembling. It is often due to a systemic problem such as a pathology or a neurological issue.
• Localized tremors: occurs when only a part of the body is trembling. If the tremors are affecting the limbs, it is possible they impair the dog's ability to stand up without losing balance.

We need to look at the context of these shaking symptoms. In addition to not being able to stand or walk, it is possible the dog is shaking and acting weird, being lethargic, hiding or carrying out various odd behaviors. When a dog is hiding and acting strange, it can be a very serious sign. This is because dogs in advanced stages of disease often hide out of fear or to rest somewhere when they are very weak.

As stated above, there are various reasons for shaking in dogs. While they will mostly be due to physiological issues, psychological or emotional trauma can result in trembling. Emotional trauma doesn't usually prevent the dog from standing, so paralysis and incoordination is usually due to a physical issue.

The reasons why your dog is shaking and can't stand up include:

• Encephalitis or brain inflammation: brain swelling can originate from several sources, although the most well known is likely canine distemper. This is a highly contagious viral infection which results in a dog convulsing, walking in an uncoordinated way, suffering from behavioral changes e.g. increased aggression) and fever. If not treated quickly, a dog suffering from this disease can end up in a comatose state. Dogs that do recover from this disease may be left with permanent neurological sequelae and may suffer from epilepsy. In some cases, it can be fatal.
• Poisoning: there are many toxins that can poison your dog. They include natural toxic material such as those found in plants toxic to dogs, as well as manufactured chemicals and compounds found in products such as cleaning materials. They result in various symptoms, including tremors, difficulty moving and become lethargic. The clinical picture will depend on the ingested substance. Some of the symptoms that can occur include vomiting, weakness, spasms, convulsions, uncoordinated gait, nervousness, hypersalivation, agitated breathing, diarrhea, abdominal pain, paralysis or coma. The prognosis will depend on the toxin, health of the dog and the amount ingested, as well as other factors.
• Congenital disorders: many puppies are born with physical and mental abnormalities due to their genetic inheritance. They can affect the fetus during gestation and cause various disorders which have a wide range of symptoms. When they affect neurological development, they can often result in trembling and an affected walk. This is seen with wobbler syndrome in dogs where the dog often can't even stand up properly.

• Metabolic diseases: dogs may have issues with the hormones they produce. Since these hormones are used in transmitting information and commands throughout the body, they can result in trembling and an inability to stand up easily since the signals are confused. This can be due to either overproduction or underproduction of certain hormones. Metabolic diseases in dogs include Addison's disease, Cushing's disease, hyperthyroidism and diabetes.
• Epilepsy: one of the most common nervous system disorders in dogs that results in trembling is epilepsy. Rather than a disease in itself, it is a range of disorders which result in a dog having seizures. These cause various parts of the dog to tremble and they often can't walk during an episode. These seizures are temporary, but they can return with greater frequency depending on the cause.
• Trauma: a dog can suffer various types of trauma. These can include road collisions, falls from height, attacks from other animals and many more. If the dog's brain has been damaged, it can result in generalized tremors and the whole body is trembling. If the trauma affects their extremities or other body parts, it can result in spinal damage, broken bones or other issues which mean the dog is shaking and can't walk.
• Cold: if you see a dog shivering and the ambient temperature is very low, their trembling is likely due to cold. If the dog isn't walking, they may be developing hypothermia and their body is shutting down. Learn about what to do in these situations with our article on hypothermia in dogs.
• Fear: there are also psychological issues which can cause your dog to shake. If we discover a dog shivering alone, it is possible they have been abandoned and/or abused. In these cases, the dog trembles and doesn't walk because they are paralyzed with fear. There are also other circumstances where a dog will shake with fear, but dogs with poor socialization and which have experienced trauma are particularly prone.

If your dog trembles and falls, it is most likely due to one of the above problems. It is essential you go to the veterinarian as soon as possible. A vet will be able to determine the cause of the problem and treat it accordingly. In many cases, an early diagnosis means the difference between life and death.

As you can see, the causes as to why a dog is trembling and can't walk can affect a dog of any age. However, there are mitigating factors in the development of these symptoms. Generally speaking, trembling occurs more often in older dogs. This is due to the deterioration of a dog's body over time, but may also be related to specific experiences and traumas.

Although trembling in dogs can occur on any part of the body, they are particularly associated with the hind legs. This is because degeneration or trauma can affect various parts of the spine, but the sections furthest away from the skull have more opportunity to be affected. This localization hinders mobility and will explain why your dog is trembling, falling and cannot stand up normally.

The degeneration of a dog's body due to age not only affects their musculoskeletal system. It can also affect neurological function, resulting in systemic problems. Physical degeneration of bones and joints can affect gait and posture, but neurological degeneration can affect any number of bodily systems.

An example of this is cognitive dysfunction syndrome in dogs, a syndrome similar to Alzheimer's disease in humans. This syndrome can affect dogs over 10 years of age and includes the deterioration of their mental faculties. Dogs that suffer from this may present:

• Disorientation
• Confusion
• Unresponsiveness
• Sleeping a lot during the day and not much at night
• Lethargy
• Walking in circles
• Tremors
• Stiffness or weakness
• Uncontrollable sphincter

When these clinical symptoms are observed, we suggest visiting a veterinarian who can arrive at a diagnosis and treat the animal accordingly.

It is important to remember the risk of osteoarthritis in dogs increases with age. This is disorder caused by joint inflammation which results in trembling and lack of walking. The exhausted muscle will naturally tremble as it fights the urge to move.

There are different types of arthritis in dogs. They are not usually curable, but there are medications that can relieve pain and manage other symptoms. It is also advisable that a dog with this disease exercises moderately, maintains a controlled diet and is offered an adequate, comfortable and warm resting place.

A dog can also tremble and not want to move due to trauma caused by a traumatic incident. As with the previous cases, it is pain that prevents the animal from making any movement, sometimes not even being able to stand up. It is very important to try and locate the damaged limb or body part and visit a veterinarian.

Since the causes that justify these tremors and moving difficulty are varied, the best thing is to go to the veterinarian as soon as possible. In addition, it is advisable to try and examine your animal to check if these tremors are general or localized. In case of repeated occurrence, they will need to check for any existence of a wound, inflammation or any anomaly that might help inform the specialist's diagnosis.

Prevention is not always possible, but it is important to ensure their individual needs are met. For example, if a senior dog is trembling and suffering from mobility issues, we need to asses their needs. We will need to ensure their diet is suitable for their age range, we need to change their walking schedule and we may even want to consider treatments such as physical therapy for older dogs.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

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