Chiweenies can shake for a variety of reasons including anxiety, excitement, illness, pain, and old age.
Anxiety
One of the most common reasons a Chiweenie shakes is because of stress or anxiety. Just like humans, chiweenies can have physical responses to fear or distress. When your chiweenie is anxious their brain goes into fight or flight mode and sends adrenaline into their bloodstream. This adrenaline is what causes the muscles to shake.
Common triggers of anxiety for chiweenies include loud noises, unfamiliar situations, and other dogs (if your chiweenie hasn’t been socialized). To get your chiweenie to stop shaking simply remove whatever is triggering their stress. If that’s not possible you can try to distract your chiweenie with training games or comfort them and hold them close.
Chiweenies can shake when their excited
The same fight or flight phenomenon can also occur when chiweenies get overly excited. The excitement triggers the same adrenaline shot that distress does and they start to shake.
Pain
Sometimes Chiweenies shake when they are in pain. If your chiweenie has suddenly started shaking, keep an eye out for other signs that something could be wrong. The pain could be caused by an injury or illness.
Look for any unusual changes in your chiweenie’s behavior or posture. Has your chiweenie’s temperament changed since they started shaking? When dogs are in pain they can sometimes become aggressive or irritable. A chiweenie in pain may also lose the desire to do things they normally love to do like play, go on a walk, or eat their favorite dog food.
Excessive panting, flinching, limping, a constant turning of the head, and excessive scratching or licking are all examples of physical signs that a chiweenie is hurting.
If you think something might be hurting your chiweenie it’s best to schedule an appointment with your vet to get down to the bottom of whatever is triggering the discomfort.
Illness
In other cases a chiweenie might shake because of illness. Shaking or trembling can be a symptom of several health issues, some more serious than others. If your chiweenie suddenly starts shaking, take note and keep an eye out for other signs that something could be wrong.
When to see a vet if your chiweenie is shaking
If you see any of these additional symptoms in your chiweenie you should contact your local veterinarian.
- Your chiweenie seems depressed or disoriented
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Seizures
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Discharge from eyes or nose
- Loss of Appetite
Old age
Shaking can be a natural part of a chiweenie’s life cycle.
As chiweenies age their bodies struggle to support the same amount of muscle mass they maintained when they were younger. This results in a decline in muscle mass which makes the muscles weaker, causing an older chiweenie to shake when they move about.
Shaking in older chiweenies also occurs because their bodies have a tougher time regulating their body temperature. An older chiweenie will get colder more easily than a younger one.
