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dog shaking/trembling after eating??

Posted : 3/12/2008 7:14:56 PM

i have noticed that my dog trembles or shakes after he eats. its not severe, just a slight trembling for a few seconds, then it stops, then starts again. this happens for 15-30 minutes after he eats, and i was wondering if anyone has seen this before or knows why it would be happening??

calliecritturs

Posted : 3/12/2008 7:22:19 PM

Sorry I need more specifics. Shaking where? Limbs? the whole body? jaw/head?

I've known lots of dogs who got so excited about food that their head/jaw would tremble (I had one girl whose teeth would chatter!)

How old is the dog? Is it when the dog is standing? Lying down? Does massage alleviate it?

corgipower

Posted : 3/12/2008 7:24:55 PM

My first thought is diabetes?? But there could be other reasons. I would call the vet.

DiegosMom

Posted : 3/12/2008 9:21:34 PM

his whole body trembles, but its very subtle, and its after he eats, so i dont think its being excited about food.. he is 4 years old, and it happens when he is sitting or lying down.. if i put my hand on him and rub him it usually stops.. and only happens after eating.. i will call the vet tommorow and ask but i wanted to see if anyone here had advice..

calliecritturs

Posted : 3/12/2008 10:11:37 PM

I've seen dogs tremble with the effort of standing too long .. but if he's doing it lying down as well ... altho I'd wonder how scared he is of being attacked for his food (altho you'd think that would manifest WHILE eating not after).

Kris L. Christine

Posted : 3/13/2008 7:37:36 AM

Are you feeding your dog a raw diet or homecooked diet? If so, you might need to adjust his calcium/phosphorous or calcium/oxalate ratio. Phosphorous and oxalates bind with calcium in the bloodstream, if your dog's diet is imbalanced and not high enough in calcium to balance out the phosphorous and oxalates, it could cause trembling (muscle tremors) -- the information below may give you more insight into this.

Significant calcium deficiency can cause seizure-like episodes, have you had a blood test to check calcium and phosphorous levels? High phosphorous foods (meat, eggs, nuts) bind with calcium, as do high oxalate foods (oatmeal) and may deplete your dog's levels to a point where it will cause problems. Poison will also cause seizures.

You might want to do an online search for "canine hypocalcemia" or just "hypocalcemia". This link http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/breeding/eclampsia.htm will take you to an article on this subject in which it states that the signs of low calcium levels (hyocalcemia) are: "Muscle tremors, restlessness, panting, incoordination, grand mal seizures and fever as high as 106."

Further, the above articles thats a one of the possible causes: Poor Nutrition - "Home brewed" diets usually are at fault. The owner innocently may be adding too much unbalanced meat to the bitch's diet, thinking the extra protein is beneficial. What's really happening is the calcium to phosphorus ratio is out of balance because the amount of useful calcium in the food is actually reduced! The ideal contains a ratio of calcium to phosphorus of 1.2 to 1. (Many organ meats such as liver have a ratio of calcium to phosphorus of 1 to 15!! Liver is great for dogs but if it comprises a large part of the diet, the calcium/phosphorus ratio of the diet will be improper.)

Check this link HPA | Phosphorous | FAQs on phosphorous from the Health Protection Agency, especially this quote: "It has been used as a rat and rodent poison.."

Check this site Eclampsia (Puerperal Tetany, Milk Fever, Hypocalcemia) in Dogs "Eclampsia, also called milk fever or puerperal tetany, is an acute, life-threatening disease caused by low blood calcium levels (hypocalcemia) in dogs ...."

One of our dogs developed severe seizures after the second of his puppy rabies shots -- his head shook so hard we thought his eyes would pop out, it was terrifying. After this seizure activity triggered by the vaccine, he became prone to them from other triggers. Whenever he ate too many high phosphorous foods (or chicken droppings), he would seize. Giving him 1/2 a quart of plain organic yogurt would calm his seizures within 15 minutes, when they were food-related.

Personally, I would have a complete blood count done to check for mineral levels if you don't think vaccines or something your dog is eating is causing the seizures. PLUS, I would consult a Homeopathic/Holistic veterinarian for an alternative treatment, you can do an online search for one near you at American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association http://www.holisticvetlist.com/, Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy http://www.theavh.org/referral/index.php.

Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND

PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE.

Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm

World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm .

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf .

Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/

DiegosMom

Posted : 3/13/2008 6:30:06 PM

nope- not a raw or homecooked diet- he gets Canidae ALS with some Wellness wet food (95% salmon/chicken/turkey)

janet_rose

Posted : 3/14/2008 5:33:38 PM

This could be some type of digestive pain (gas, ulcer, etc.). Have you tried a digestive aid like Bertes Digestion Blend(link)? Smaller more frequent meals might help.

L-Glutamine(link) helps to heal the digestive tract. 500 mg per 30 pounds of body weight

Slippery Elm is a good herb to use to soothe the digestive tract.

http://eatmoreherbs.com/zine/slippery_elm.html

I mentioned that Ginger is a good herb to mix with Slippery Elm to insure against an unusual overcoating of the intestines. In fact, Ginger is a good addition anytime because it significantly increases the focus and action of Slippery Elm in every way. I would mix 1/4 to 1/2 part Ginger for each one part Slippery Elm. Most often the powdered form works best for these mixtures, yet chunks of each herb, simmered together, make a potent tea or decoction.

Please be sure not to pet or cuddle the dog when he is trembling!! That will teach him to tremble to get attention. You would never know when he is well.

nataliem

Posted : 4/5/2008 6:21:34 AM

There is a post on this board about Canidae ALS and dogs getting ill from it. I don't know if there is any truth to that but I would check this link http://forum.dog.com/forums/t/77476.aspx