Idiopathic Head Tremors in Bullies
Submitted by mcatania on April 23, 2013 - 1:38pmHi Bulldog Lovers,
I am new to this site, and have been reading your posts about head tremors in your bulldogs. My frenchie has suffered from this condition since he was six months old. We originally thought they were seizures, but he has no neuro dysfunction, no loss of bowels, and I can usually snap him out of it. I am weaning him off of Keppra, as it doesn't seem to help since he keeps having break through tremors. The vet gave me valium for violent episodes that will not go away, but I don't want to over-medicate my dog.
What natural, home remedies have worked for you? Diet? Herbs? Distraction?
He usually has them in the early morning while sleeping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeSWsF3B_KE&feature=youtu.be
Rarely, he has them while awake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gE9NvzyYK4&feature=youtu.be
Thank you for any additional insight. This is a great site for bulldog owners.
Here is
mary catania
Do you feed 2x a day
Curious if the morning tremors are before or after his breakfast?
Also his tremors are very slight with more of an up and down motion. The others I've noticed have a side ways motion. Was he on the medication in the videos.
I agree with weaning him off the Keppra.
Some think it is low blood sugar. I have my doubts.
My MacKenzie started having them around age 8 and has 1 every couple of months, typically around dinner time. Lately he has had them while laying down, waiting for dinner, they are a little more frequent now. He will be 10 in another month. His blood work has always come back very good.
Newman has head shakes...
he's just 3 and has had them for about six months, not too often but he shakes pretty good when he has one. We usually put yogurt on their food and we've found that when we don't do that is when he gets the shakes. He always snaps out of it with a spoonful of Karo syrup, whether it's low blood sugar or just the novelty of something sweet, it seems to do the job. Scares me much more than it bothers him.
RE: Tremors
Thanks for the replies. It's good to know I am not the only bulldog owner who experiences this condition. He usually gets them in the very early morning hours, between 5 am and 7 am, of course, there have been exceptions. So most of the time he hasn't eaten any breakfast when he gets them and he is sleeping. I do wonder about the low blood sugar theory. I started feeding him more frequently (3 to 4 times a day, smaller meals). He was on the Keprra in the video where he is laying down, but not on Keppra in the video where he is awake (that was his very first tremor, and it was the most violent). I wonder if the Keppra has calmed the episodes down? But the neurologist says that seizure meds dont work on head tremors. I am currently weaning him off the medication. He is down to one pill a day for two weeks, and then I will stop medicating him and see how he does.
mary catania