Trembing Legs

Do any of the legs of your Kerry tremble?

by Kathleen Macfarlane

According to the Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation’s 2004 Health Survey, only 18 of the 551 responses reported trembling or tremors in their dog’s legs, representing only 3.3% of those responding.

This same question about leg tremors in Kerry Blue Terriers was addressed again on the Kerry Blue-List on July 8, 2006. The responses follow:

By definition, tremors are rhythmic involuntary movements that can affect all or part of the body. Canine tremors might be equated to a stutter, shaky hands, or a nervous eye twitch in humans. Kerry owners who responded to this question cited a variety of occasions when trembling was observed. Frequent occurrences were noted when the dog was excited particularly after exercise, eating including anticipating a treat, and on the grooming table. Others reported trembling when the dog was quiet, sitting or merely walking and sniffing in the yard. Still others reported tremors when the dog was nervous as in waiting to be bathed or groomed.

Tremors were described as lasting from a few seconds to a minute or longer, and usually in only one leg at a time. Some Kerries’ tremors were noted either in the back or front legs, but usually not both. Multiple tremors in a day were observed by some owners and some only a few times a week by others. To the credit of concerned owners responding to the question, most were vigilant in having these tremors checked by a veterinarian. In the cases reported, x-rays and blood work were done and revealed no definitive answer. Since the question specifically targeted leg tremors, and x-rays and blood work didn’t indicate a known problem, frequent causes of many tremors such as kidney failure, hypothyroidism, or hypoglycemia were eliminated in those dogs examined. It should be noted that all tremors, expecially those in parts of the body other than the legs should be evaluated by a veterinarian.

Summarizing the causes of leg tremors, many cases of trembling can be attributed to the gradual degeneration of the muscles as part of the aging process and occasionally a fever caused by an unrelated infection. Additional concerns for tremors might be arthritis and inflammation. However, after consultation with their individual veterinarians, most Kerry owners attribute these tremors to a dog that is happy, nervous, confused, under stress, or desiring someone’s attention.

Ronald & Kathleen MacFarlane with Maggie from the Rocky Comfort Rescue.