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My dog is shaking and panting excessively. When she''s in this state she is always under our feet or tries to climb in our laps. It''s happened several times over the past week but then it goes away in about 10 or 15 minutes. I''m planning on taking her to the vet soo but what could be going on?
Optional Information: Age: 2; Female; Breed: Dog XXXX XXXXXXX MixAlready Tried: There's not much I can do. I give her a benadryl (25mg) and she usually calms down. I'll take her for a walk to see if maybe her stomach hurts and she has to use the bathroom but she either doesn't go or if she does she still shakes and pants.
Hi Opheliaweeps, Many different things can cause constant panting. Heavy panting can be caused by heart problems, lung problems, fever, or bronchitis. You can read about this here: http://www.petplace.com/dogs/panting-in-dogs/page1.aspx Dogs pant for various reasons. They pant to cool down, but they also pant when they are under stress, in pain, or afraid. Shaking or trembling in toy breeds at a young age could be due to hypoglycemia, liver shunt, or a neurologic response such as a seizure. Trembling can also be a sign of pain, stress and cold. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar and frequently causing trembling in small breeds. Feeding your dog smaller meals more frequently can help. If you suspect your dog is having low blood sugar you can put a drop of pancake syrup on your dog's tongue which should raise the level. http://www.petplace.com/dogs/hypoglycemia-in-dogs/page1.aspx A liver shunt is usually a genetic condition. It is a condition where instead of the blood going through the liver and being cleansed, part of the blood is diverted around the liver resulting in a toxic buildup in the blood. You can read about these here: http://www.malteseonly.com/shunt2.html Seizures can manifest as trembling and a dog may not lose conscienceness. You can read more about seizures here: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_seizure_disorder.html Given that your dog is exhibiting multiple symptoms of pain and stress, I would have her seen by your vet so the cause can be determined. Buffered aspirin can be given to a dog with a dosage of up to 5 mg per pound every 12 hours for pain until your dog can be seen by your Vet. Keep in mind that a dog's body does not metabolize aspirin in the same way as a human and thus should not be given more than a day or two without contacting your Vet. Hope this helps.
Experience: 15 years Breeding Experience, Former vol. Vet Assistant, Dog Behaviorist
Thank you very much. She seems to be calming down now. I did take her for a walk and she eliminated. When we got upstairs she seemed to be a bit better. So, maybe it was her stomach this time. Then I fed her and she was well enough to eat. If she's having one of her "spells" she usually rejects food. I am still taking her to the vet soon because she needs a check up anyway. Hopefully it's nothing serious. Once again, I appreciate your help.