I don't personally put much strength in the attribution of "low blood sugar" to head tremors in bulldogs. They are much more often seen in the toy breeds...and most owners feed their bulldogs 2xDay so that too weakens the argument for low sugar. I think the vet was much closer in his querry about the dog ingesting something that was "slightly poisonous" and while the tremors themselves could have caused him stresss, adding overall weakness/extra sleeping to vomiting and head tremors sounds very much more like poisoning. Sounds like most or all of it, if this were the case, has left his system, but a blood test is a worthwhile diagnostic for any internal or lingering concerns. Gonna hafta watch what he's putting in his mouf!

I don't personally put much strength in the attribution of "low blood sugar" to head tremors in bulldogs. They are much more often seen in the toy breeds...and most owners feed their bulldogs 2xDay so that too weakens the argument for low sugar. I think the vet was much closer in his querry about the dog ingesting something that was "slightly poisonous" and while the tremors themselves could have caused him stresss, adding overall weakness/extra sleeping to vomiting and head tremors sounds very much more like poisoning. Sounds like most or all of it, if this were the case, has left his system, but a blood test is a worthwhile diagnostic for any internal or lingering concerns. Gonna hafta watch what he's putting in his mouf!

Thanks to all who responded. The head tremors stopped at about 11:00 last night after happening off and on throughout the day yesterday--always when he was either waking up or going to sleep. He ate normally both times yesterday and again this morning, though he vomited up his breakfast after about 2-1/2 hours this morning. I'm attributing this for now to the honey and vitamin E which I've been putting in his food and to which he's not accustomed.

I did talk to the vet yesterday afternoon, and he felt the situation did not call for an emergency visit, though I'm taking Bully today at 4:25 for blood work and urinalysis.

I have read all the responses. Thanks especially for the article. (I'm also in the Philadelphia area--in Yardley, about 30 miles northeast of the city.) Bully's obviously male, so this can't be a heat-related thing. Also, most of the responses talked about the head shaking from side to side. Bully's is shaking up and down. (There's a video on youtube of a bulldog named Petunia, whose head is shaking exactly the way Bully's did.) Also, the article and the responses suggested that the shaking usually stopped after about 30 seconds. Bully's head went on shaking for 10 to 15 minutes each time he had an episode.

The vet asked if Bully had gotten into drugs that might be lying around, but there are none. He also asked if he had chewed on an unfamiliar plant. This is possible, since at the park he chews like a cow, especially in the fall and spring. One of the parks where he goes walking was also sprayed with pesticides last week. I avoided it for about three days, but it's possible he picked up something there.

In any case, I'm relieved for now that the tremors have stopped and hope that none of this points to an underlying condition. It is certainly possible that he had low blood sugar when this started yesterday morning. I had gone to a play on Saturday evening and fed and walked him early so that he could go to the bathroom before I left. Then we slept until about noon yesterday, so it was about 15 hours that he had gone without eating. But if this were a blood sugar thing, I'd think it would have gone away after he ate, and it didn't. So I'm at a loss, unless the vitamin E helped. (The vet said that vitamin E is slow acting, so it might have taken a while to kick in.)

One of the messages suggested that head tremors can be food-related. I haven't switched foods, but I did notice about a month or so ago a new label on his food (Iams Lamb and Rice kibble) that said something about probiotics. I wonder if they changed the formula.

Please keep Bully in your thoughts and prayers. I'll update after I see the vet.

Thanks.

Michael

Thanks to all who responded. The head tremors stopped at about 11:00 last night after happening off and on throughout the day yesterday--always when he was either waking up or going to sleep. He ate normally both times yesterday and again this morning, though he vomited up his breakfast after about 2-1/2 hours this morning. I'm attributing this for now to the honey and vitamin E which I've been putting in his food and to which he's not accustomed.

I did talk to the vet yesterday afternoon, and he felt the situation did not call for an emergency visit, though I'm taking Bully today at 4:25 for blood work and urinalysis.

I have read all the responses. Thanks especially for the article. (I'm also in the Philadelphia area--in Yardley, about 30 miles northeast of the city.) Bully's obviously male, so this can't be a heat-related thing. Also, most of the responses talked about the head shaking from side to side. Bully's is shaking up and down. (There's a video on youtube of a bulldog named Petunia, whose head is shaking exactly the way Bully's did.) Also, the article and the responses suggested that the shaking usually stopped after about 30 seconds. Bully's head went on shaking for 10 to 15 minutes each time he had an episode.

The vet asked if Bully had gotten into drugs that might be lying around, but there are none. He also asked if he had chewed on an unfamiliar plant. This is possible, since at the park he chews like a cow, especially in the fall and spring. One of the parks where he goes walking was also sprayed with pesticides last week. I avoided it for about three days, but it's possible he picked up something there.

In any case, I'm relieved for now that the tremors have stopped and hope that none of this points to an underlying condition. It is certainly possible that he had low blood sugar when this started yesterday morning. I had gone to a play on Saturday evening and fed and walked him early so that he could go to the bathroom before I left. Then we slept until about noon yesterday, so it was about 15 hours that he had gone without eating. But if this were a blood sugar thing, I'd think it would have gone away after he ate, and it didn't. So I'm at a loss, unless the vitamin E helped. (The vet said that vitamin E is slow acting, so it might have taken a while to kick in.)

One of the messages suggested that head tremors can be food-related. I haven't switched foods, but I did notice about a month or so ago a new label on his food (Iams Lamb and Rice kibble) that said something about probiotics. I wonder if they changed the formula.

Please keep Bully in your thoughts and prayers. I'll update after I see the vet.

Thanks.

Michael

Hi There,

My Olive did this in June as she was just starting to go into heat. She was 9 mos old at the time.
We took her into the vet and she did it in front of the Dr.

She told us that Olive had displayed what she said was Idiopathic Head Tremors. Not life threatening or painful. Stress, low blood sugar, those seem to be the triggers. Pull it up on U-Tube and you will see other dogs doing it. That was the vet's idea by the way...

Olive hasn't done it again since her heat cycle. There is lots of info about it on the web. I hope this helps and that's all it is...

Hi There,

My Olive did this in June as she was just starting to go into heat. She was 9 mos old at the time.
We took her into the vet and she did it in front of the Dr.

She told us that Olive had displayed what she said was Idiopathic Head Tremors. Not life threatening or painful. Stress, low blood sugar, those seem to be the triggers. Pull it up on U-Tube and you will see other dogs doing it. That was the vet's idea by the way...

Olive hasn't done it again since her heat cycle. There is lots of info about it on the web. I hope this helps and that's all it is...

Give your bullie a snack. This will help keep the blood sugar higher until breakfast. This is not an uncommon problem and it might be what's wrong with your bullie.

Give your bullie a snack. This will help keep the blood sugar higher until breakfast. This is not an uncommon problem and it might be what's wrong with your bullie.

I sent you a very good article about head tremors that talks specifically about them in bulldogs.

I sent you a very good article about head tremors that talks specifically about them in bulldogs.

and easy to swallow, like syrup, peanut butter etc., it will stop the shaking. It may be that it is caused by low blood sugar.

Years ago, we had a Bulldog that did the same thing. Always happened when she was sleeping or just waking up and/or first thing in the morning before breakfast. Someone here suggested that it may be low sugar, so I started giving her a snack before bed and snacks between meals. Stopped with no reoccurences. Just be careful of how many snacks you give her and decrease her food accordingly, Bulldogs can put weight on very quickly.

Lynn King CPDT

and easy to swallow, like syrup, peanut butter etc., it will stop the shaking. It may be that it is caused by low blood sugar.

Years ago, we had a Bulldog that did the same thing. Always happened when she was sleeping or just waking up and/or first thing in the morning before breakfast. Someone here suggested that it may be low sugar, so I started giving her a snack before bed and snacks between meals. Stopped with no reoccurences. Just be careful of how many snacks you give her and decrease her food accordingly, Bulldogs can put weight on very quickly.

Lynn King CPDT

http://home.ivillage.com/pets/symsolve/0,,hhlk,00.html

http://home.ivillage.com/pets/symsolve/0,,hhlk,00.html

I am not totally sure but sounds like you might have an ear infection going on.
I noticed it already in my dogs. if they get an ear infection can be up and down or sideways.
does he just do it when he is awake or just sleeping? with an ear infection it will be at different times when he is awake or sleeping.

I found a number of websites that suggest you should see if a vet if this continues. there are a number of causes of it.

clean out his ears really well and see what happens first is what I would say anyhow

sorry could not be of more help on this.

I am not totally sure but sounds like you might have an ear infection going on.
I noticed it already in my dogs. if they get an ear infection can be up and down or sideways.
does he just do it when he is awake or just sleeping? with an ear infection it will be at different times when he is awake or sleeping.

I found a number of websites that suggest you should see if a vet if this continues. there are a number of causes of it.

clean out his ears really well and see what happens first is what I would say anyhow

sorry could not be of more help on this.