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My senior dog's hind legs are shaking. Is it tremors? What helps?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shorthaired Pointer (duplicate) | Female | spayed | 45 lbs

Our 11 year old dog has been shaking in her hind legs. We believe it could be developing tremors in her hind. Legs is there any symptoms or things we can do to help at home?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 1st, 2017

I am sorry to hear about Lexi. Trembling in the legs can be a sign of pain or discomfort. I would recommend that Lexi see her vet for an examination. They can check her for things like arthritis or spinal pain. Spinal cord compression can also cause weakness/wobbliness/trembling while standing. They may recommend bloodwork to screen for things like hypothyroidism which can also manifest with neurological signs like tremors. There may be medication that can help Lexi dependingon the underlying cause of her trembling.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 1st, 2021

    I'm sorry to hear that Etta has been trembling so much! One of the most common causes of hind leg trembling, particularly as dogs age, is due to pain. Arthritis, decreased muscle mass, or back pain may all be to blame. While dogs can shiver while cold, it's not terribly common. The fact that Etta also trembles in warm weather makes me thing this isn't purely a temperature-driven issue. Try to keep a close eye on Etta to determine if she's having trouble going up or down stairs, or jumping on and off of furniture. Even just being a little slow to get up after lying down could be a sign of discomfort. Certainly bring this issue up to your vet again because it's possible that she may benefit from pain medications. These articles have some additional information: - https://www.petcoach.co/article/common-signs-of-arthritis-in-dogs/ - https://www.petcoach.co/article/early-signs-of-arthritis-in-pets/ I hope that everything goes well for Etta!

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 14th, 2018

    It could be a sign of a hip disease or a degenerative neurological condition, i would recommend taking Leo to your vet in order to get it checked as soon as possible as there are medication that can help for this.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 2nd, 2018

    Shaking can be a sign of pain, so Gus is likely in pain if his legs are shaking. Pain would also cause him to have trouble standing up. I see he's an older dog, and arthritis can be common in senior dogs. I would take him into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can diagnose if he is suffering from arthritis, and can give him some pain meds for it. Rimadyl (an NSAID) is a good drug to give to help with the symptoms of arthritis. I also recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis, and you can use it in conjunction with Rimadyl to help maximize relief from his symptoms. Best of luck.

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