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Does your Chihuahuas shake?

Kristina Litvinova -

Chihuahuas, the notoriously famous dog breed for celebrities tend to have a reputation for being nervous, shaky dogs. Is your dog doing the same? Contrary to what a lot of people believe, they only shake when they have a good reason to. As a responsible dog owner, it is important that you take stock of his environmental and general behavior to figure out what may be the reason behind your small friend’s shivers. To help you with this, I have put together some possible reasons and actions you can take to help minimize their shaking.

High Metabolism

Chihuahuas naturally have high metabolism, which means their body converts what they eat or drink into energy very quickly. This affects their ability to regulate their body temperature, so making them especially sensitive to cold weather causing them to shake.
You can always cloth your chihuahua, especially through the night. There are plenty of fashionable clothing options available at pet stores!

Unused Energy

As Chihuahuas have a high metabolism, they always have a lot of energy with them. Kind of like how little children cannot sit in once place, or when you have had that extra caffeine in the morning - your Chihuahua may be shivering to burn off some energy.
You can help your Chihuahua work out this excess energy by having them run it off. Or else, put on some music and have a dance party with your little friend!

Social Pressure?

It is commonly assumed that these dogs are nervous by their own nature. But this is very untrue, it’s the shivering that can cause them to be nervous and not the other way around. If they are raised the right way, Chihuahuas are generally well tempered, sociable dogs that aren’t necessarily intimidated easily.

You can help condition and train your Chihuahua by exposing them to more social situations. This can be done in small phases, initially leaving them free around one stranger and eventually scaling up to a group of people. You don’t want to overwhelm your pup with too many people at once.

Actual Health conditions to watch out for:

Now let’s have a look at some real health conditions that can cause your friend to shake. If you see your dog, exhibiting any of the symptoms mentioned, it is best to get in touch with your vet. It is best to catch to pinpoint the problem as early as possible, to provide the necessary care – both medically and environmentally for your pups quick recovery.

Low Blood sugar

Low blood sugar, also known as Hypoglycemia, affects almost 10% of all Chihuahuas. As their blood sugar levels drop, they may begin to shiver. Similar to how humans have their “low blood sugar snack”, you can split your dog’s meals into smaller portions and offer it through the day.
You may also keep a sugared water bottle with you and offer it to your dog if they seem to be showing any confusion or drowsiness after shaking.

Ear infection

Ear infections are very common occurrences amongst Chihuahuas too. You may see your dog trying to scratch the sore ear or rub it against a wall or furniture. They usually happen due to:

  • Excess wax production
  • Moisture in the ears
  • Other possible allergies

Generalized Tremor Syndrome

GTS for short, happens to puppies usually within nine to two years. This can cause the dog to shake all through its body, but no need to worry too much – it doesn’t usually cause any pain or affect their personality.
The cause of this disease is quite unknown yet. However, there are some claims that is caused due to an inflammation on the nervous system.

Canine Distemper

Canine distemper is a much more serious condition. It is a virus that largely effects the dog’s gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin, immune, and central nervous systems. It may take about 14 days for the symptoms to show. You may notice some of these symptoms:

  • Coughing
  • High temperature
  • Muscle twitching
  • Loss of appetite

Internal Injury

Unfortunately, Chihuahuas are very easily injured. They can be dropped, stepped on even attacked by other pets quite easily. After such an incident, they could be some internal bleeding – this usually doesn’t show any external signs. It would be best to take your little friend for a quick medical scan to rule out such possibilities.
You can also keep an eye out for some symptoms that presents itself with internal injuries:

  • Diarrhea – stool sample may be black in color
  • Weak and lethargic
  • Fast heart rate
  • Bruise on their body

Poisoning

There are many substances that can be highly dangerous, and even fatal when dogs come in contact with them. Before letting your dog down, be it at home or a foreign place, you can do a quick scan to see that none of the following items are present, before letting your little friend roam around -

  • Antifreeze
  • Pesticides
  • Cigarettes (especially finished cigarette buds)
  • Chocolate
  • Xylitol

Conclusion

Most often you need not worry if see your Chihuahua shaking. If a garment and quick snacks don’t help, you can take them by a vet to rule out any medical conditions. Hope this article has been useful for you and your little friend.
Please feel free to leave your comments below! 😊