Reasons Rat Terriers shake so much. In this article, we answer the question; Why do Rat Terriers shake so much? And give you the common reasons why they shake so much and their treatments as well.
Rat Terriers shake and tremble for all kinds of reasons; When they have been poisoned, or if they have a disease called Addison’s disease, which is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder.
Why Do Rat Terriers Shake So Much
So, Rat Terriers can shake or shiver for a lot of different reasons: If they’re stressed or scared (your Rat Terrier is shaking or panting), in pain (your Rat Terrier may quiver their backs and legs and tremble), too cold (your Rat Terrier is shivering and looks cold), are dreaming (if asleep), are seizure (dog convulsions).
You want to first decide if it’s something you can deal with yourself, or if it warrants a trip with your veterinerian.
If your Rat Terrier has had multiple bouts of shaking or they seem really destressed, it’s likely a sign that you need to go to a vet.
A few of the more common causes of shaking, shivering, trembling, or tremors in Rat Terriers include:
1. Your Rat Terrier might be stressed, scared, or excited.
When afraid or excited, Rat Terriers could shiver or shake. They tremble in thunderstorms, while alone with strangers, when threatened by strangers, and when frightened by other animals, for example.
For the sake of assisting your Rat Terrier. Help your Rat Terrier get out of his or her situation.
Rat Terriers, on the other hand, can start trembling when they are anxious, although this usually fades after a short time.
As stated by AKC; Excitement sometimes, shaking can simply be a sign of happy excitement in a dog and will resolve when she is given access to the object of that excitement.
What you can do;
Attempt to relax your Rat Terrier and prevent the source of the stress.
Provide your Rat Terrier with soothing toys and use them to drown out the sound of thunder in your home.
When your Rat Terrier’s attention is drawn to a constant disturbance, do more to divert it.
Maintain a calm demeanor since your Rat Terrier will mirror your feelings.
2. Rat Terriers might shake due to temperature (Too cold or too hot).
Your Rat Terrier might start shaking when it’s too cold, shivering increases their heat production. So, if your Rat Terrier is shivering because he feels cold.
Increase the temperature of your room and give your Rat Terrier a blanket to stay warm.
On the other hand, shaking can also be a sign of heat stroke for dogs.
As heat stroke is fatal, you have to cool your Rat Terrier with a wet towel and go see a vet.
If the temperature surrounding your Rat Terrier was moderate, yet you saw your Rat Terrier shaking, it may be due to other reasons.
3. Your Rat Terrier might be injured.
If your Rat Terrier is healthy and begins to shiver all of a sudden, you should see if he got hurt.
Dogs often bump into a hard object, and poke their feet with something sharp. If the wound is severe, take your Rat Terrier to the vet immediately.
4. Your Rat Terrier might be aging.
Sometimes, Rat Terriers can shake as they get older. Tremors in the hind legs are especially common for old dogs.
In this case, make sure you keep a piece of furniture in the same spot and pay attention to his pace of waking toward the furniture.
What to do ;
If you notice your aging doggy starting to shake, it’s best to get them checked out by the vet.
5. Your Rat Terrier might be shaking due to illness or pain.
Shaking or shivering is a symptom of various diseases, such as kidney failure, hormonal imbalance, or neurological disorders.
If you see other symptoms as well, make sure you take your Rat Terrier to the vet.
What you should do;
Look for other signs of sickness or injury.
If the shivering is accompanied by abnormal behavior or seems out of character for your Rat Terrier, contact your veterinarian immediately.
6. Your Rat Terrier might be shaking due to food poisoning.
Another reason your Rat Terrier might be shivering is food poisoning. Foods that might be toxic to your Rat Terrier include chocolate, coffee, alcohol, grapes, and xylitol.
If your Rat Terrier shakes after ingesting any toxic food, go to the vet immediately, as this could lead to liver failure.
7. Your Rat Terrier might be having seizures.
Another reason why your Rat Terrier could shake or shiver is that they are actually having a seizures.
And there are two different types of seizures, one is a generalized seizure where their whole body is shaking.
The other one is a focal seizure where maybe their legs or something is twitching. Some, are signs of a generalized seizure, often they can collapse on the ground.
So, they might be on their side, and their whole body is shaking they are a lot of muscle tremors. They might appear unconscious, and they are drooling a lot.
They often lose control of their bladder and bowel. They sometimes make like weed vocalizing or howling sounds as well.
If you are worried your Rat Terrier is having a seizure, please get down to a vet clinic as soon as possible.
8. Your Rat Terrier might be having nausea.
If your Rat Terrier has nausea, they are prone to shake. This might happen to them in the same manner that it does to people when they are sick.
When you see your Rat Terrier licking their lips, repeatedly swallowing and dribbling, these are signs they may be feeling nauseous.
If your Rat Terrier is overfed, or they have motion problems, or eat toxic food, or when they have medical issues, they may experience nausea.
9. Your Rat Terrier might shake due to distemper.
Your Rat Terrier suffering from distemper can cause them to shake, it’s a disease that’s caused by a virus that is ready to attack organs in their body.
Most occurrences of distemper in Rat Terriers are caused by inadequate vaccines, thus they must be properly vaccinated to avoid a higher chance of contracting the disease.
There are other signs that can cause your Rat Terrier to have distemper that will eventually lead them to shake or shiver.
Like signs of a runny nose, high temperature, coughing, tiredness, sickness and having no interest in food.
Whenever you observe these signs because it can be dangerous, you should contact your vet immediately.
How To Keep Rat Terriers From Shaking
- In order to keep your Rat Terrier from shaking, you should first identify the cause of the shivering before you could take a step.
- Here to help keep your Rat Terrier from shaking, make sure you engage them in a lot of exercise to help regulate their body temperature.
- In order to prevent your Rat Terrier from shivering, avoid foods that might be toxic to your Rat Terrier include, including chocolate, coffee, alcohol, grapes and xylitol.
- To prevent any form of shivering in your Rat Terrier, they must be properly vaccinated to avoid a higher chance of contracting the disease that might cause them to tremor.
- That said, If you are worried your Rat Terrier is having a seizure, please get down to a vet clinic as soon as possible.
FAQs
Is it normal for a Rat Terrier to shake?
Shaking is not really normal behavior for dogs. Dogs don’t usually shake their heads.
An abrupt shift in blood chemistry might cause your Rat Terrier to shake. Dr. Jerry Klein says that low blood sugar, sometimes known as hypoglycemia, can induce shaking.
If your Rat Terrier is shaking often, or even nonstop, it might be a symptom of stress, anxiety, or a health problem.
Shaking with excitement is a typical physical reaction to an extreme sensation of happiness, and it is most commonly seen in younger dogs.
Why does my terrier tremble?
Trembling in your Rat Terrier may appear to be a very minor symptom, such as a fear or anxiety-related side effect.
It can, however, indicate major medical problems in dogs. For a number of health problems, Terriers quiver, shiver, and shake.
The seriousness of the condition can be better determined by assessing and analyzing the various symptoms your dog is exhibiting.
If your Rat Terrier is stressed or frightened (shaking or panting), in discomfort (backs and legs quivering and trembling), too cold (shivering and looking cold), dreaming (if asleep), or having a seizure (dog convulsions).
What should I do if my dog is shaking?
The underlying reason of while your Rat Terrier is shaking will determine the treatment.
Warming up or calming down your Rat Terrier that is cold or excited may be all that’s required.
It’s probably time to see a veterinarian if that doesn’t help. The particular preventive will be determined by the reason of your Rat Terrier’s shivering once again.
Keeping your Rat Terrier comfortable, relaxed, up to date on preventative care, well-exercised, and away from poisonous “snacks” can all help her In calm.
