Question On Head Tremors

[Guest shadow]

My 3yr old was in a deep sleep. When he woke up (i think something startled him) his head was "vibrating for 1 to 2 seconds" and then stopped. It was the only time I've ever seen it and I've never seen it when he has been walking around. Is this normal?

[Guest AngelPup]

Do you mean his mouth was chattering? My greyhound does that when he gets excited, smells something of interest, or is startled by something.

[Guest shadow]

Well he does the mouth quivering sometimes when hes sitting and his mouth is closed. This was different. It was a slight head vibration tgat was 1-2seconds long. It was when he just got up and stuck his neck up. The rest of his body was still laying down

[hikinghounds]

My boy does this probably a few times a day. His is kind of a mouth and head chatter and vibration, if that makes since. It's different than the small chattering that he does when he smells something and gets excited. It can happen when he gets up an stretches, lifts his head and stretches his neck, or it just seems to happen whenever. It started within the last 2 years, he's 6. I've never asked the vet about it because it doesn't seem to give him trouble, but I've always wondered.

[greyhoundlady]

You might be seeing something called ideopathic head tremors. My male grey does this occasionally. His head sort of vibrates for a few seconds, he is completely awake and interactive. If you give a treat it will snap them out of it. It is a little scary to see, but from what I have been able to determine, nothing to worry about. If you google it you will see lots of info. Seems Boxers and Dobermans are prone to it as well.

[Guest elizabeth7418]

Addy has done it twice. Both times, she was awake and alert. She snapped out of it as soon as I said her name. My mom works for a veterinarian, and she said to keep track of when it happens and if it becomes more frequent to ask my vet about it. It's definitely scary to see, but since it hasn't happened to us since April, I'm not overly concerned.

[Guest shadow]

Thank you. From my limited googling, head tremors seem to last a lot longer than 2 seconds, so it doesnt sound like what Ive seen?

 

He was fostered for 3 weeks prior to me adopting and his foster parents (who are very experienced Greyhound owners) did not notice anything out of sorts.

[macoduck]

Try to take a video of it.

My Tessa has vestibular disorder. Shaking, dizziness, walks like she's drunk. She's had 5 episodes since October and hers last 2 hours or more. After that she's right back to normal.

[silverfish]

I still need to get a video of it, but Sid 'trembles' his whole neck and head when he's excited and soliciting pets. It's definiting an alternative to chattering for him. If I encourage him, and talk to him in a high excited tone, he'll do it back to me.

 

Jim did it, too, and when I spoke to my vet at the time, following 'head wobbles' threads on GT, he sent us for an MRI, which looking back I think was totally uneccessary.. I don't think this behaviour that unusual, but it can be misinterpreted. JMHO, but I've never seen another breed do it, and maybe a lot of vets don't recognise it, either.

[seeh2o]

Carl does it from time to time, he is completely in the moment, able to follow commands, track with his eyes and his head, follow instructions, walk around, etc. Usually, I will pet him and it goes away, if it doesn't I give him a little piece of food, hold it tight in my fingers and make him work at it for a few seconds, the bobbing ends immediately. Vet said nothing to worry about, idopathic head bobbing. If you read more about it they think it may have to do with calcium uptake.

 

Initially, I kept a log of when it happened, it did seem to coincide with when I applied Frontline Plus, though not exclusively. I switched to Frontline TopSpot, then to Advantage. Incidents of head bobbing have greatly reduced to maybe once a quarter or less.

Edited July 12, 2013 by seeh2o

[Guest shadow]

Thanks everyone. I feel soooo much better. Time to go back to enjoying him

[Guest Vers]

Simba has what sounds like the same type of idiopathic head tremor; happens a couple times a year. It seems to be a muscle spasm in the neck that usually happens on waking, nothing neurological. He walks just fine and follows commands even when his head is wobbling. Scary the first time it happened, but he was fully aware and responsive. Our vet was not concerned. Agree with others above that the best way to bring an episode to a gentle end is to give a treat or two that your hound has to focus on to eat while you're holding it.

 

Do note the time, duration and frequency just in case.