Despite its name, white dog shaker syndrome can affect dogs of any size and color. Once other causes for the tremors have been ruled out, treatment is generally straightforward with a good prognosis.
Your dog may shake for a variety of reasons, many of which are perfectly normal. Some normal reasons for shaking or shivering include:
- Your dog is cold
- Your dog is scared or anxious
- Your dog is dreaming as she sleeps
- Your dog’s muscles are exhausted and need a break
These causes are pretty easy to recognize. If your dog is in a colder environment than she is used to, try putting a coat or blanket on her and see if the shivering resolves. If your dog is fast asleep, you can either wake her up or let her enjoy her dream. If something is causing your dog distress, comfort your dog and try to remove or avoid triggers of anxiety.
Muscle fatigue is most common in senior dogs who have lost a lot of muscle mass or in younger dogs who have engaged in extreme activity. In the case of the senior dog, she likely will have thin, poorly defined muscles, and you will notice tremors when she is walking or standing. Her muscles are tired and just can’t keep up. In the young dog, she likely also be panting from her intense exercise and have a wide, lolling tongue and a slightly tight expression. Her muscles are also tired, it just took a lot more activity to wear them out!
Regardless of the cause of muscle fatigue, the tremors will resolve once your dog has a chance to rest and relax.
White Dog Shaker Syndrome
Shaker syndrome in dogs goes by many names. Your veterinarian may describe it as non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis or steroid-responsive tremors.
Regardless of what you call it, white dog shaker syndrome is characterized by tremors throughout the head and body that are rhythmic and repetitive like shivering. The tremors are also involuntary, meaning that your dog can’t control them.
Affected dogs may just have tremors on one part of the head or body or may shake all over. Severity can vary from mild and unobtrusive to severe enough that the tremors interfere with your dog’s ability to walk or eat during an episode. Thankfully, it is not painful (though severe tremors may be distressing for your dog). Often the shaking will get worse when the dog is active or excited and subside when she is at rest.
The term “little white shaker dog” came about because the most commonly affected breeds are West Highland White Terriers, Maltese, and Toy Poodles. That said, any breed or mix of any size and color can develop shaker syndrome. Bichon Frises, Beagles, and Yorkshire Terriers are other breeds that get this condition a little more frequently.
Because of the breed tendencies, it is suspected that shaker syndrome in dogs has a genetic element and may be heritable. It usually shows up when the dog is 1 to 2 years old.
We don’t know why some dogs get shaker syndrome and so many others don’t. Researchers and veterinarians suspect that it is an autoimmune disorder, but there are still many questions.
How to Treat White Shaker Syndrome
If you suspect your dog may have shaker syndrome, the first step is to have a veterinary exam to rule out other potential causes of the tremors. This is especially critical if your dog also has other symptoms of illness.
Your vet will listen to your dog’s heart and may take an x-ray to check for signs of heart disease and will run bloodwork and a urinalysis to check for metabolic diseases such as liver disease, kidney disease, or diabetes. If your dog did not receive proper puppy vaccines or if she has other symptoms of illness, your vet may recommend testing for distemper virus and other infectious diseases.
Your vet will also ask if your dog has been exposed to anything toxic or could have gotten into something in your house, garage, or yard.
In more severe cases, your vet may refer you to a neurologist to have your dog evaluated for neurologic disorders. These might include idiopathic epilepsy, infectious meningitis, seizures due to a brain tumor, or stroke. The neurologist will give your dog a thorough neurologic exam and may recommend an MRI to look at the brain and/or a spinal tap to culture cerebral spinal fluid to check for infection. Thankfully, these measures are not usually necessary for most dogs with shaker syndrome.
Once other causes have been ruled out and shaker syndrome is the top diagnosis on your veterinarian’s list, treatment is usually straightforward. Prednisone is the most common treatment. Your dog should show improvement within one to two weeks of starting prednisone.
You will continue with the starting dose of prednisone until your dog’s tremors have completely resolved. At that point, your veterinarian will advise you on how to gradually taper the dose to find the lowest effective dose that keeps the tremors at bay.
Prednisone is a steroid which has potent effects on the immune system and can cause mild to severe side effects at high doses and over time. This is why it is important to keep in contact with your veterinarian and taper the dose as low as possible to balance controlling the tremors with preventing side effects. Common side effects from prednisone are increased thirst, urination, and appetite. Some dogs may become aggressive on prednisone. Over time, it can cause Cushing’s disease. If you think your dog is experiencing side effects from prednisone, talk to your veterinarian. Never stop prednisone abruptly.
Diazepam or midazolam are also sometimes used to treat shaker syndrome in dogs, along with other immunosuppressants. The plus to prednisone is that these are inexpensive and readily available.
Shaker syndrome in dogs has an excellent prognosis. Most dogs already have an excellent quality of life if they just have mild tremors and a customized dose of prednisone can keep unwanted shaking at bay.
