Puppy Shivers When Falling Asleep? 6 Reasons & Solutions
Puppy shivering when falling asleep
Your little puppy is sleeping, and you are feeling satisfied sitting near him and watching them. But what’s that ruffing? Now you are conscious and worried about why your puppy shivers when falling asleep.
If you notice that your puppy is shivering in his sleep, there can be different reasons. You should be aware of the reasons because this could be a sign of a health issue.
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Most dog parents search the internet and ask their vets why their puppy shivers when falling asleep. So here are a few points that could be the reasons.
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Why does my puppy shake when falling asleep?
Dreaming, feeling sick, and cold along with fear are the standard and straightforward reasons for a puppy shaking when falling asleep.
Below are a few reasons and possible solutions:
1. Dreaming
Living in dreamland is a favorite hobby for most puppies. Like people, puppies also dream, and they may start shivering or twitching and sometimes vocalizing in their sleep.
You are maybe not aware of the shivering habit because you are a new dog parent. The experienced ones are fully aware of this shivering habit, and they are not worried about it.
When your puppy is sleeping, he may go through some periods of slow waves along with rapid eye movement because of REM sleep.
Once your puppy is ready for a snooze, it will enter into REM sleep after 20 minutes, and this is proved by science.
It is curial to mention that young puppies experience a brief span of this sleep, around 1 minute in length, which occurs every 10 minutes.
During this time, you will notice the shivering and twitching in your puppy because it is the reflection of its exciting dream.
2. Feeling of cold
As a dog parent, you should know that your puppy will become cold if you are not providing them with something to keep them warm.
When the room temperature is not appropriate for your puppy’s body, will automatically go into the shivering reflex, which helps them maintain its body temperature.
Just like humans, puppies shiver to warm up their bodies in cold weather. When a puppy is 4 to 5 weeks old, then you must set a specific room temperature to provide him with a cozy sleep.
Seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit is the appropriate temperature when you have a young puppy at home.
Wrapping a towel around your puppy can also be a good approach so that he will stop shivering.
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3. Your puppy is sick
If you are noticing that your tiny puppy is sleeping a lot more than its usual amount and also shivering while falling asleep, there can be a problem.
If you also notice a lack of appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea, you should be concerned.
Soon after noticing this symptom in your puppy, consult a vet and get the proper treatment.
For puppies, distemper can be a cause of shivering, which is caused by the vaccine of the same disease given to your puppy at the age of 8 weeks. Distemper is highly contagious so you will need to keep your puppy in isolation from other dogs and contact your vet immediately.
Don’t panic. This situation can be handled simply by providing intravenous fluids and antibiotics and dilators by the vet.
In case you notice small jerks, there is nothing to panic about because your puppy is just dreaming, while on the other hand, if your puppy is shaking its body, then the condition can be severe.
If you are not sure what is happening with your puppy, you must get an appointment. Keep checking the body temperature of your puppy and follow the instructions from the vet.
4. Fear or anxiety
You just adopted a brand new puppy, and all of the family members are unknown to him; he may get afraid.
Even when your brand new puppy falls asleep, in its unconscious mind, it will keep feeling the fear and anxiety of new people.
Moreover, in thunderstorms, fireworks, and traveling, the dog may start feeling pressure and reflect this by shivering its body, even in sleep.
Spending some quality time with your puppy and serving it anti-anxiety medications can help your puppy calm down.
If you live in some location with lots of thunderstorms and lighting, then implementing a soundproof room will be helpful.
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5. Muscle issue or weakness
Have you ever noticed that over-exercising or more activity causes muscle shivering and twitching even in humans?
The same can happen with your puppy, due to which he is continuously shivering his body.
Notice if there is any lack of activity or refusal to play. If you are not sure what to do as a solution, consult a vet to examine the issue.
6. Consumed something toxic
Canines regularly shake when they have ingested poisonous substances like synthetic toxins, chocolate, or unsafe plants.
You might also see symptoms like regurgitating and looseness of the bowels.
On the off chance that you know or think that your little guy has devoured a harmful substance or he’s displaying these side effects, contact your veterinarian or creature poison control right away.
Is it normal for puppies to shiver?
Most puppies tremble and keep shaking even when it is not cold. This specific behavior is widespread even in small breeds of dogs.
While on the other hand, shivering is normal for all species and all sizes of dogs. But shivering along with some other medical symptoms can be a point to worry about.
As mentioned above, there can be multiple reasons for dogs shivering when falling asleep and some of them are normal, while some are due to some health conditions.
When puppy shivering is normal
When shivering is without any other health condition, it is probably just due to cold or some excitement.
This type of shivering can be noticed in cold weather and when there is some thunder from outside.
Even with shivering, the breathing rate of your puppy will be between 18 to 34 per minute.
You can also ask about the average breathing rate of your puppy because it may vary from breed to breed.
When puppy shivering is not normal
Sometimes shivering reflects some other health issues.
When the weather is not cold outside, and there is nothing to worry about then there is a possibility that your dog is suffering from some weakness or other health conditions.
Also, you should know about the clear difference between seizures and shivering in dogs. An excessive increase in the breathing rate is evidence of a severe condition.
However, there is nothing to panic about because dog shivering is not due to some extreme health conditions. It can easily be solved by the vet.
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