Why is my puppy shaking while sleeping?

You know this situation all too well – you look over at your dog, taking his usual afternoon nap, when you see him start to shiver and tremble. Like any good owner, your mind goes through a litany of possibilities- Oh, the dog’s fine, he’s just dreaming…or is there something wrong? Nah, he’s fine….OR IS HE?

Dog ownership can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially when your dog does things like shaking in his sleep, especially when you don’t know what causes it. There’s good news and bad news – your dog’s sleepytime shaking could mean any number of things. Luckily, we’re here to break some of those down for you so you can make the best decision for your dog.

Why is My Puppy Shaking While Sleeping?

A dog who shakes while he sleeps could be doing so for a variety of reasons. First, your dog might actually be in pain- this is common in older dogs, as canine arthritis could have set in, or in dogs that have been hurt or injured recently. In these cases, the pain is just the dog’s soreness or aching bones making them shake a bit.

However, your dog might also be ill – distemper can cause trembling in dogs when they’re both asleep and awake. Luckily, you’ll be able to see other symptoms in dogs with distemper, such as a detectable fever and leaky nose and eyes. If your dog doesn’t have these symptoms, distemper is likely out of the equation.

Even worse is the possibility of your dog suffering an epileptic seizure – while this may be a concern, they typically only happen when the dog is conscious.

Should I Take My Dog to the Vet if He`s Shaking While Sleeping?

Dogs can also tremble when they have nausea, which could come from their medication, overfeeding, or motion sickness in the car. Kidney and liver disease can also lead to nausea, however, so if the symptoms persist (such as smacking their lips, overswallowing, vomiting and more) you might want to take him to the vet.

As a general rule, be sure to consult your vet in any and all concerns with your pet – you never want to be too sure. However, you can gauge this in the case of shaking: look for other symptoms to make sure that your dog doesn’t have something else going on. Absolutely take your dog to the vet if your dog is also limping, vomiting or experiencing diarrhea.

Could Shaking Be Totally Fine?

Reading this article, the hypochondriac in you might just be scared stiff – what if my dog has ALL of these things? Well, it’s time for a little reassurance: many dogs just tremble for perfectly innocuous reasons. For instance, if your dog is cold, trembling and shaking is a totally normal way for your dog to keep his body warm.

• Dog Shivering and Trembling – WebMD

Video: Dog shaking, tremors?

• Why Is My Dog Trembling While Sleeping – The Nest

• PetWave – Advice on Dog Seizures

• Vetinfo’s Page on Dogs Shaking While Asleep