Head tremors and clingy dog.

Dr. Marie replied:

It does sound like something is affecting Sophie. It's going to be hard to say what the exact issue is though.

I suppose the real question here is whether this is an emotional thing or a physical things. In most cases, when a dog's behavior changes like this there is a medical reason for it. I am guessing that in Sophie's case there is a medical issue as opposed to her being upset because of a fight or something else.

There are a few things that can cause what you are describing with Sophie's head. There are some dogs (such as some bulldogs) that just naturally do this. But if this is a new behavior for Sophie then I don't think she would be one of these dogs.

If she is having mild tremors that come and go in her face/head region I would be worried that these could be something called focal seizures. When we see focal seizures in a dog it means that something is affecting a particular part of the brain. In an older dog this can often mean that there is a tumor affecting part of the brain. Unfortunately it's hard to diagnose this unless you have the means to have an MRI done.

An ear issue could cause head shakes as well...but would be less likely.

I think it would be a great idea to have your vet take a look at Sophie and do a good exam and perhaps some senior bloodwork as well. It's possible that they can find a medical reason for her clinginess. If they can't, they may consider trying an anti-anxiety medication such as Reconcile. However, be sure to describe the head tremors to the vet. (Better yet, if you can get a video that would be very helpful.) They may prescribe seizure medication that could help for a while.

I wish I could give you a more conclusive answer. I hope this has helped.

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

If I have a dog where I suspect focal seizures I sometimes prescribe phenobarbital. It is the most commonly used drug that we have for seizures in dogs. However, if the seizures are due to a tumor then the medication may only work for a short time or might not work at all.

The bloodwork actually wouldn't tell us much about focal seizures, but would be just to make sure there isn't something else going on that would make her more clingy. I can't think of specifics, but let's say she wasn't feeling well because of liver disease, then we could pick this up. But again, it probably won't explain the seizures (if that's what they are.)

It likely isn't harmful to give seizure medication. Your vet would want to do bloodwork first because phenobarb is processed through the liver so you need to make sure that the liver is healthy.

Dr. Marie.