Why is my dog shaking or trembling?
Reviewed against AKC, VCA Animal Hospitals, ASPCA and AVMA material. Last updated 5 October 2026.
Shaking carries more emergency flags than any other watch-level sign in this check. Four mean a vet now: possible contact with something toxic, being weak or confused, being stuck in the cold or overheated, and a small puppy that has not eaten. Three more mean a visit within 48 hours.
Below is the same urgency table the free 1-minute check uses, with the source behind each line. Nothing here is a diagnosis: the point is to tell you how fast to call, and what to say when you do.
Urgency table: shaking or trembling
| What you see | How fast | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Shaking with a clear reason (cold, excitement, fear, shaking off water) and your dog is otherwise normal | Watch and log | AKC |
| May have eaten something toxic (xylitol, chocolate, medications, moldy food, slug pellets) | Vet now | ASPCA |
| Very weak, wobbly or confused | Vet now | AVMA |
| Was out in the cold and won't warm up, or overheated and panting heavily | Vet now | VCA, heat stroke |
| Is a small or toy-breed puppy that hasn't eaten recently | Vet now | VCA, low blood sugar |
| Struggling to breathe, or gums look pale, white, blue or gray | Vet now | AVMA |
| Collapsed, can't stand up, or is unusually unresponsive | Vet now | AVMA |
| Having or just had a seizure (stiff body, paddling legs, not responding) | Vet now | VCA, seizures |
| In severe pain: crying out, or can't get comfortable | Vet now | AVMA |
| Seems in pain: hunched, reluctant to move, or cries when touched | Vet in 24 to 48 hours | AKC |
| Also vomiting, has diarrhea, or won't eat | Vet in 24 to 48 hours | AKC |
| Shaking keeps coming back without a clear reason (cold, excitement or fear) | Vet in 24 to 48 hours | VCA, tremors |
What each level means
- Vet now. Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet clinic now. Don't wait to see if it passes.
- Vet in 24 to 48 hours. Book a visit within 24 to 48 hours. If your dog gets worse or a red flag appears, go now.
- Watch and log. This is not an all-clear. Watch closely and log what you see. If it lasts, gets worse or any red flag appears, call your vet.
Why shaking has so many emergency rows
Trembling is a shared final signal: several unrelated problems produce it, and some of them move fast. These are the facts behind the emergency rows.
- Toxins. AKC's page on shaking says to call your vet or the Pet Poison Helpline immediately if you suspect your dog ingested one of the items it lists.
- Low blood sugar. VCA Animal Hospitals lists weakness, collapse, disorientation, tremors and sometimes seizures among the typical signs of hypoglycemia, and AKC also names low blood sugar as a cause of shaking. That is why a small puppy that has not eaten recently sits on the vet-now row.
- Heat. VCA says body temperatures above 106 F (41 C) without previous signs of illness are most commonly associated with excessive external heat and are often called heat stroke, and lists dry or sticky gums, abnormal gum colour, lethargy, disorientation and seizures among the signs. AVMA, on heatstroke, says to take your pet to the closest veterinary hospital as soon as possible.
- Pain. AKC says plainly that this kind of shivering can be a sign of pain, while also noting certain toy and small terrier breeds shiver more than others.
- Repeated tremors with no trigger. VCA describes shaker syndrome as generalized head and body tremors, most common in small-breed white dogs such as the Maltese and West Highland White Terrier, and often worse with excitement and exercise. It calls the condition a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning the vet rules everything else out first.
If you think your dog got into something
Treat it as an emergency and call. US poison lines (a fee may apply):
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435
- Pet Poison Helpline: (855) 764-7661
Take the packaging or a photo of the label, and know your dog's weight. Don't try to make your dog vomit yourself — AVMA says to contact a vet or a poison control center first. Full page: my dog ate something toxic.
What to write down for your vet
These four things turn "she's been shaking" into something a vet can work with. Write them on your phone before the visit.
- When it happens and how long
- What was happening just before
- Can I respond to you during it? (video)
- Anything I might have eaten
The video answers the question that matters most on the phone: trembling, or a seizure. VCA puts a generalized seizure at one to two minutes, and says one that does not stop within five minutes needs urgent treatment.
If it is not urgent and it looks like fear
Storms, baths and nail clipping produce a lot of trembling in dogs that are otherwise well. If no red flag above is ticked and the trigger is clearly fear, licking is how dogs settle themselves.
LickiMat Classic Soother on Amazon — spread, stick, done. Affiliate link: we may earn a commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the level this page shows, which is decided from the source data before any product appears.
If any red flag in the table is ticked, skip this entirely and call your vet.
Check your dog in one minute
The free check asks what you see, applies the table above, and gives you an urgency level and a list to bring to the vet. No email needed.
Questions
Is shaking an emergency?
It can be. Shaking carries four red flags that mean a vet now: possible contact with something toxic, being very weak, wobbly or confused, being stuck in the cold or overheated and panting heavily, and a small or toy-breed puppy that hasn't eaten recently. Three more mean a visit within 24 to 48 hours. With none of them ticked, the level is watch and log.
How do I tell shaking from a seizure?
The practical difference is whether your dog can respond to you. VCA Animal Hospitals says a generalized seizure usually lasts one to two minutes, and that if it doesn't stop within five minutes the dog is in status epilepticus and needs urgent treatment. If your dog is stiff, paddling and not responding, treat it as a seizure and a vet-now situation. Record a video either way.
Why is a small puppy that hasn't eaten an emergency?
Because low blood sugar is on the list of things that make a small dog shake. VCA Animal Hospitals lists weakness, collapse, disorientation, tremors and sometimes seizures among the typical signs of hypoglycemia. This page doesn't tell you to feed or treat anything, and it doesn't give doses. It tells you to call now.
What this page doesn't do
- It doesn't diagnose. Shaker syndrome, low blood sugar and heat stroke appear here as the questions a vet answers, not as a verdict on your dog.
- It doesn't give treatment or doses, and it doesn't tell you to feed sugar, give medication or induce vomiting.
- No vet wrote or reviewed it. It is a published rule set with a named source per line, assembled by Guides Daily.
- It can't see your dog. If your gut says something is wrong and the table says watch and log, call anyway.
Sources
- AKC — Why is my dog shaking? Accessed 5 October 2026.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Shaker syndrome in dogs. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- ASPCA — ASPCA Animal Poison Control. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Heat stroke in dogs. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Testing for low blood sugar. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- AVMA — First aid tips for pet owners. Accessed 5 October 2026.
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Seizures in dogs. Accessed 5 October 2026.
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Not veterinary advice, and not a diagnosis. In an emergency, contact your vet or an emergency animal hospital. Written and published by Guides Daily; see our editorial policy.