puppy tremors?

zeus and me · 05-30-2008, 10:49 AM

hi everyone! we are trying to figure out just what is going on with our pup. he does a tremor type thing with his head. but it also seems to effect his balance. he does not do it at all when sleeping or in movement. quick jerks back and forth in a way that looks like he is nodding yes. but it lasts only seconds and happens often during the day. my vet and breeder are looking into it. but nobody has seen this before.I had him at my vets yesterday and the only thing she saw was some dirt deep in the ear. so I have ear wash to try to loosen it . instructed to wash them daily with the liquid. other then that she said it might be the start of some sort of seizure disorter.gosh I hope not! I am going to attempt to post a video of it. but I am not sure how so it may not work for me.ignore my dirty porch as naughty zeus had just tore up a box of pop cicles ha! also.......other then the twitch he is happy healthy active eatting well playing and alert.

**voodoolizard** · 05-30-2008, 01:01 PM

i have no personal experience. but i read a lot on here...

there is a thing called wobblers that dobes can get, but im sure it does not show up till older... might be worht mentioning it to the vet.

also there was someone else lately on here who had a dobe with head tremors.. try searching old posts for tremors.. you might find some more info.

good luck and keep us all posted !!

**BackInBlack** · 05-30-2008, 01:18 PM

I am guessing it the head bobbing syndrome. Here is an article explaining it. - DPCA Breeders Education

Murreydobe · 05-30-2008, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeus and me

hi everyone! we are trying to figure out just what is going on with our pup. he does a tremor type thing with his head. but it also seems to effect his balance. he does not do it at all when sleeping or in movement. quick jerks back and forth in a way that looks like he is nodding yes. but it lasts only seconds and happens often during the day. my vet and breeder are looking into it. but nobody has seen this before.I had him at my vets yesterday and the only thing she saw was some dirt deep in the ear. so I have ear wash to try to loosen it . instructed to wash them daily with the liquid. other then that she said it might be the start of some sort of seizure disorter.gosh I hope not! I am going to attempt to post a video of it. but I am not sure how so it may not work for me.ignore my dirty porch as naughty zeus had just tore up a box of pop cicles ha! also.......other then the twitch he is happy healthy active eatting well playing and alert.

Idiopathic head tremors aren't uncommon in dobermans, they seem to follow some family groups. They've never been studied in any depth because it doesn't seem to progress to anything more serious. Most people say their dog will snap out of it with stimulus like a cookie. Some people report good success in reducing or even eliminating the tremors by supplementing with vit. B.

However, I've never heard of dogs with this kind of tremor have it affect their balance..which leads me to think this IS NOT the tremors you usually see. If it persists, I'd probably consult a neurologist.

zeus and me · 05-30-2008, 01:25 PM

I really dont think it is the head bobbing syndrome. from what I have read it seems to effect older dogs and the tremors last minutes. with zeus it is seconds and quite often during the day. just wondering if anyone else has seen anything like this? my thoughts where maybe inner ear infection.....or maybe a pulled muscle? just not real sure.

Murreydobe · 05-30-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeus and me

I really dont think it is the head bobbing syndrome. from what I have read it seems to effect older dogs and the tremors last minutes. with zeus it is seconds and quite often during the day. just wondering if anyone else has seen anything like this? my thoughts where maybe inner ear infection.....or maybe a pulled muscle? just not real sure.

Well...there is some kind of syndrome that occurs in some doberman puppies. They're called "dings" by breeders. I don't know a lot about it, but have heard long term breeders speak of them.

Seems to me common signs are head tilting, lack of balance and deafness (sometimes one ear, sometimes both). Most dings either die shortly after birth or are euthanized by their breeder while they're still in the whelping box. I've only known one ding at maturity-sweet dog, but he was as deaf as a post.

zeus and me · 05-30-2008, 02:12 PM

well I would sure hope it isnt that either. my pup is from good lines and neither the stud or the dam's owners have seen this before.

Murreydobe · 05-30-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeus and me

well I would sure hope it isnt that either. my pup is from good lines and neither the stud or the dam's owners have seen this before.

Dings are one of those things that seem to occur in even the best of lines from time to time.

I'm not saying your puppy IS a ding. As I said, I don't know too much about the syndrome, and due to being on dial up, can't even look at your video.

But I'd definitely see a neurologist if the problem continues or his equilibrium appears to get any worse.

zeus and me · 05-30-2008, 03:12 PM

lol! your post got me in a defensive mode. I love my baby twitch and all so he darn well better outgrow it or get over it! I will pet it out of him!

I havent seen many videos of dobermans with a tremor so I figured I would share what ours looks like....just in case others might be looking for things to compare with if they ever have troubles. I hope ours clears with the ear wash.....makes me sad that he has something going on. I waited 10 years to buy another doberman.

DLS · 05-30-2008, 09:48 PM

It could be the Head bobbing sydrome. The shaking if the head can cause vertigo {loss of balance}. Middle ear problems, brain damage or after effects of anaesthesia can cause this too.
There is an homeopathic remedy called Conium which is the remedy choice for symptoms of: Loss of balance and shaking head. Might be worth trying.