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My dog suddenly started shaking and won't walk. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 1 year and 6 months old | 80 lbs

My 20 month lab suddenly started shaking and stopped walking yesterday. He wasn't whining but when he stood he shook and would lay down. He continues to wag his tail. Later he walked with encouragement. He's eaten twice, urinated and had normal Bms since. He walked around the yard this am slowly however he shook again after when he stood still. He went for a walk and was fairly typical but when he came back he layed down usually very active. Any ideas what's going on?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA

Veterinarian

Published on April 9th, 2017

It sounds like Ryder may be painful in his joints given that he is walking slowly and lying down frequently. Painful joints can be due to a number of things including immune-mediated disease (IMPA) and some tick-borne diseases, especially if you have recently removed ticks from him. Your veterinarian will be able to determine what is causing Ryder's pain and discomfort and provide appropriate treatment. If you still have questions, please feel free to request a consult with either myself or another expert so that we can ask more specific questions about Ryder's clinical signs and provide you with more information.

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    Answered By Karly Macon, DVM, MS, CVA Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Ryder clearly doesn't feel well and since it's been going on for over a day, I think you should take him for a full examination and potentially xrays and blood work. He may have injured himself, or he may have an upset stomach, but there is no way to know if this is serious or not without having your vet examine him.

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