Expert: Charlotte Sherrell, DVM - 9/1/2008

Question
Last night I saw my dog (Poodle crossed Jack Russell) trembling a lot for not apparent reason so I picked him up and sat on the couch to comfort him. He'll be around 9 years old, we're not sure since he was abandoned. My husband then said he's going to get his food ready and I went back to the kitchen with our baby. We both sat on the floor and Patchy ate half of his food; the trembling stopped and he was fine after. In the afternoon, we went walking and it started raining a bit but it was very windy. His fur was slightly wet, do you think it's because of this? It wasn't a seizure, he didn't lose consciousness. He has a heart murmur but our vet said as long as he's in front of me during our walks, he's all right. When the weather's nice, I take him for sometimes over an hour but I guess now I'll do shorter walks twice a day. He's shivering when we go to the vet but I've never seen him doing this before. Do you know what could have trigger this? Thanking you.


Answer
Myriane -

It is difficult to tell what is wrong with your dog without a physical exam.  However, you might want to consider that some dogs will shiver if they are cold or in pain.  If the temperature  is comfortable, then there is a  possibility that your pet may be in pain or very uncomfortable.  

If he has a heart  murmur, a cardiac ultrasound would be beneficial to determine if he needs medication to help him feel better. Heart murmurs can be benign, but if your pup  tires when walking, he may need heart medication.  He may also be tired if he has arthritis of the knee or hip joints.  Radiographs of the knees and hips can  determine if he has arthritis. Antiinflammtory medication is very useful in reliving the pain of osteoarthritis in dogs and cats.  

A visit to your vet will help you determine what is ailing your dog.

Good Luck -

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM