Why is My Dog Shaking and Drooling?

Pet parents should get all the appreciation in this world for taking good care of their furry buddies. From training your dog to playing fetch to observing minute changes like shaking and drooling. I am sure you have never considered them less than a family member. Fortunately, it might not be something grave unless your dog is shaking and drooling excessively. I understand that you care about your doggo. And owing to that, I will help you dive into all the possible reasons for their condition. Are you stressed about why the dog is shaking and drooling? Do not worry. We are going to find out the reason together. Let’s begin!

My Dog Shaking and Drooling

Calm down and gain more information on your Dog’s breed

Observing that your dog is shaking and drooling more than usual can worry you a little. But, it is not an emergency. So, remain calm and try to assess other signs and symptoms to find out the root cause. Nonetheless, always consider asking for help. The first rule is to calm down and work with brains than emotions.

Even though it is usual to approach your fellow parents on the WhatsApp group immediately, I would not suggest it because it could be a routine thing for some dogs depending upon their breed. Whereas, for some, it can be an issue. For example, German Shepherds are likely to develop shaking puppy syndrome. Thus, the second rule of thumb is to know what is commonly associated with your breed.

So, that is certainly not the right thing to do. But, wait, what is then? Well, you should call your vet and make an appointment or visit him directly. He will examine your dog and diagnose the reason for his drooling and shaking.

Importance of Signs and Symptoms

Before we jump onto the specific conditions, you need to assess associating signs and symptoms. It will not only help in addressing the problem to your vet in a better way. But, it would also assist you in finding the possible care for your pet until the symptoms disappear.

It can be something serious if your dog is vomiting or has diarrhea along with shaking and drooling. Why? Because it can lead to rapid volume loss, weakness and dehydration. Moreover, limping can be one of the crucial signs as well. If your pouch has any of these, refer to your vet without any delay.

You should have an idea of both mild and acute reasons if your dog is shaking and drooling. Let us discuss those next.

Trivial Reasons of Dog Shaking and Drooling

The famous Pavlov dog experiment is something all of us are aware of or, at least most of us are. Indeed, specific situations can trigger emotional centers in the higher brain leading to an unexpected behavior like a drooling or shaking dog.

Excitement

As a well-known primary emotion, joy can reflect as excitement in your best friends. Be it their favorite game, a walk in the park, or simply you preparing the food they wanted to eat all day. All of these situations can result in dog shaking and drooling.

So why is my dog shaking and drooling? It could be due to excitement!

And it is ok, for it, to not be a negative thing. Take a deep breath and enjoy. Let your doggo release all the energy in chasing or playing with its fellow puppies in the park.

Fear and Anxiety

These two are similar and are often used in place of one another so, let us discuss them together.

If your dog is drooling and shaking in the car while you take it on a drive, it could be due to anxiety. Yes, you heard that right. It can be a reaction to a bad memory from a visit to the vet or simply motion sickness. Always travel with open windows and let him feel the air right in his face!

We humans have it too. Don’t we? Think about the covid Jabs. Thus, it is normal if your pet experiences it. However, you can take measures to make the ride easy for them.

Besides that, they can also get scared of any unusual activity in their surroundings such, as fireworks and gunshots. Loud noises are annoying for dogs.

Thus, dogs could be shaking and drooling as a result of fear and anxiety.

Cold Weather

Let us not forget how common it is for a living being to experience cold. No, I don’t mean the bacterial infection but actually feeling cold due to weather. Don’t we shiver in freezing temperatures? Your dog might be drooling but shaking due to cold. So, grab some layers and Dog shoes.

Snuggle under a blanket with your dog to provide them with comfort and warmth. It will take a little while for the shaking to go away.

With that in mind, you should take extra care if you live in a city that is chilly most of the time during the year. Why? Because it can cause hypothermia in your furry buddies that can get serious.

Acute Medical Conditions

With all that we have covered, now it is time we get done with the real deal. No matter how good care we provide to our friends, there are possibilities of catching medical problems. It could be due to their genetic makeup. Therefore, no matter what you do, it is unavoidable.

On the other hand, it is also affected by their age, environmental influences, and other conditions that we might have missed somehow. Remember, it is not your fault! But yes, what you can do is be with the dog throughout.

Canine Distemper

The Covid Pandemic has taught us the importance of vaccines and their role in preventing life-threatening diseases. Likewise, you can avoid some dangerous illnesses in your dog by maintaining a proper vaccination schedule.

Distemper is a contagious disease that can affect the vital systems of your doggo. It has an airborne transmission. And thus, your dog can present with coughing, sneezing, and respiratory tract infection. Not only that, it can be transmitted through contained food and water as well.

So, it is not something to ignore. You can notice your dog shaking and drooling severely. It can even lead to paralysis and seizures. Your dog might also have an eye discharge.

Unfortunately, there is no cure. Yes, that is sad. But you can always take one necessary measure to prevent it. And, I have already mentioned this to you. Nevertheless, you can look into pet hospice care.

However, if your dog is already vaccinated against Distemper you can cut it as the probable cause for dog shaking and drooling.

All about chops! 

Our canine friends like to smell and taste whatever comes their way out of curiosity. Don’t they? Don’t you find teeth marks everywhere? Well, it can lead to problems that can result in a shaking and drooling dog.

Is your dog drooling while sleeping? Hold on! We have got that covered.

He might have a fractured tooth from trying to chew a hard object. And in worst-case scenarios, it could be a tumor too. Moreover, tartar can also build up in their tooth due to excessive treats. Yes, for this, the blame is on you for not supervising all the time.

Hence, you need to keep your canine buddy’s dental health under strict check as irritation of gums and or simply an acute infection can lead to these problems and specifically drooling.

Generalized Tremor Syndrome

It is better known as Shaker Syndrome, where a dog experiences generalized head-to-toe tremors.

Doctors are still working their best to find out the exact cause of this syndrome. But so far, no progress has been made. It is the diagnosis of exclusion. However, certain breeds like White terriers and Maltese are more likely to get affected.

Besides that, it can appear in dogs of ages nine months to two years. Nonetheless, it is still possible for almost all breeds to develop this syndrome.

Yes, your dog could be shaking and drooling due to Generalized Tremor Syndrome.

Heat Stroke

Heatstroke has become a common term since the start of Global warming. On a very hot day, there are chances of you and your dog falling sick.

Pet parents often miss this cause and fail to tackle it on time. It is true that dog drooling but not shaking might be one of the indications of your dog going into heatstroke. Especially if you live in a place that has a dry and hot climate so, keep your dog well hydrated!

Bloating

Any problem with the internal environment of the body will reflect on your dog’s external health. One such issue is bloating. Giving your dog a balanced diet is like promising it a long healthy life. Don’t you want your dog to live for longer?

If you ignore it, your canine friend can suffer from a fluid/gas-filled stomach that can put pressure on other organs. Luckily, you can track it down if your dog is portraying signs of restlessness and excessive drooling.

Poisoning

Why is my dog shaking and drooling? It could be because he is poisoned!

Sounds scary right? Dogs are our best friends. So how can someone possibly think of poisoning them? Well, you are right. It might not be intentional. But it is still a concern.

Apart from that, pet owners can themselves end up feeding something toxic to their dogs unintentionally. Thus, it can result in excessive drooling and shaking. You might also see him tremble and lose consciousness.

Secondly, you should know what can be toxic products for your dog as it encounters them in his everyday life. No matter how much you and your family love chocolate, it is not healthy for your dog. Particularly the dark chocolate.

Cigarettes, on the other hand, can be devastating for you and your dog both. Nicotine can result in significant organ damage. So, stop smoking if you care about your friend. And never leave untouched cigarettes or even ashes in its approach.

Do not miss out on Xylitol, a sugar substitute that is an ingredient in chewing gums. So, always keep an eye on your pouch!

What to do if my dog is shaking and drooling?

After covering all the problems related to dog drooling and shaking. Now I would like to highlight a few things. They will surely aid in preventing all the conditions that we have discussed above.

First things first, train your dog with different kinds of stimuli from the start. You are responsible for building up the boundary of your dog’s comfort zone. A vast exposure can help strengthen your doggo’s mental capabilities as well. Thus, better responsiveness in unusual situations.

Let him socialize with other dogs in the park. Your dog will learn his lessons from them too. But, take good care of his hygiene and always make sure you are mingling with like-minded pet parents.

Why am I saying that? Because some people do not get their pets vaccinated. And I am sure you do not want to see your dog suffer.

Moreover, avoid leaving your dog unattended with kids as they can feed him anything. It can be dangerous as your dog can eat a foreign body leading to drooling without shaking.

Focus on your dog’s diet. Try giving your dog homemade healthy food. Apart from that, keep your furball hydrated at all times. And if the vet prescribes any medication, make sure you follow the plan and do not miss out on any medication as it can bring back the symptoms.

Conclusion

That is is it we had a healthy discussion today! Why my dog is shaking and drooling? It could be just because of his uncontrolled emotions or in some cases a medical cause. Symptoms can help you rule out but only a vet tells it the best. Make regular visits to your vet and keep yourself up to date on your friend’s health  I expect that my words will help you in battling any such situation. What is a better sight than seeing your doggo filled with life? So, enjoy while it lasts because, like humans, dogs get old as well.

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