Idiopathic head tremors in dogs can be a concerning and confusing experience for pet owners. When Doberman puppy Persephone started exhibiting these tremors, it prompted a journey to understand and address the condition holistically. These involuntary movements of the head often manifest as a "yes" or "no" motion and can last from a few seconds to several hours. While conventional veterinary wisdom often dismisses them as benign and of unknown origin ("idiopathic"), a closer look reveals potential avenues for management and relief.
What Are Idiopathic Head Tremors?
Idiopathic head tremors are involuntary movements of the head, often resembling a "yes" or "no" motion. Episodes have been reported to last from 10 seconds to 3 hours. The onset of this condition varies with some dogs showing the first episodes under a year of age, while others show a more sporadic form that usually starts later in life. The former is often referred to as familial early-onset form. The term "idiopathic" indicates that the exact cause is unknown. Despite this, it’s crucial to recognize that these tremors are not without origin. In holistic medicine, they are a sign that something in the dog's body is not in balance.
Identifying the Tremors
Idiopathic head tremors are involuntary movements of the head, often resembling a "yes" or "no" motion. Episodes have been reported to last from 10 seconds to 3 hours. The onset of this condition varies with some dogs showing the first episodes under a year of age, while others show a more sporadic form that usually starts later in life. The former is often referred to as familial early-onset form.
In bulldogs, it's crucial to differentiate idiopathic head tremors from other types of head movements such as focal seizures, intentional tremors, and sleep disorder tremors. Focal seizure head tremors affect the area of the brain that controls movement. Intentional tremors often appear jerkier and less rhythmic compared to the more “wave-like” head shaking of idiopathic cases. Sleep Disorder Head Tremors are usually present during the REM (rapid eye movement) sleep phase and are associated with active dreaming.
Persephone's Story: A Holistic Approach
Persephone's journey with idiopathic head tremors began around four months of age, coinciding with the period we were taping her ears. Initially, the ‘no’ movement tremors occurred about twice a month. However, after a deworming treatment (PPM Dewormer) for roundworms at six and a half months, her tremors increased dramatically, occurring daily and multiple times a day. Looking back, her tremors actually started after her first two rounds of dewormer for hookworms (Panacur-Fenbendazole) at around 3.5 months of age. Her integrative vet confirmed that the dewormers could exacerbate the tremors. Moreover, especially in integrative medicine, fenbendazole is considered less harmful than other wormers, which seems to be true for Persephone since the head tremors she showed after were much less severe and frequent. The thinking behind using the PPM wormer to treat her roundworms, however, was that she needed only a single dose and we had not made the connection between the wormer and the tremors at that point, yet.
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In our quest to help Persephone, we decided to explore holistic treatments. It’s important to note that while this approach worked for Persephone, it may not work for every Doberman. We are sharing our experience in hopes that it might help others facing similar challenges.
Treatments That Didn't Work
Our vet initially suggested a round of Nux Vomica, a homeopathic remedy, administered twice a day for three days. Unfortunately, this did not alleviate Persephone's tremors.
Successful Holistic Treatments
We then decided to use Adored Beast's Liver Tonic and incorporate MCT oil and Vitamin C into her daily diet. Persephone went through the entire bottle of the liver tonic as recommended, which took about 2.5 weeks. Remarkably, her tremors ceased after just four days and have not returned since.
Why MCT Oil, Liver Tonic, and Vitamin C?
MCT Oil: Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are known for their potential benefits in managing neurological disorders. They provide a quick source of energy for the brain and can help support overall brain health. MCT oil is easily digestible and can improve gut health, which is critical since a significant portion of the immune system is located in the gut. By supporting gut health, MCT oil may help reduce systemic inflammation and support overall neurological function.
Liver Tonic: The liver plays a crucial role in detoxification and overall health. The ingredients in the liver tonic support liver function, helping to eliminate toxins and promote a balanced internal environment. Here’s a closer look at the individual ingredients:
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- Taraxacum Officinalis (Dandelion Root): Dandelion root is known for its diuretic properties, which help the liver eliminate toxins. It also supports digestion and reduces inflammation.
- Chelidonium majus (Greater Celandine): This herb supports liver health and bile production, aiding in detoxification processes. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Cardus Marianus (Milk Thistle): Milk thistle is a well-known liver tonic that protects liver cells from toxins and supports regeneration. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that promote overall liver health.
- Berberis Vulgaris (Barberry): Barberry supports liver function and bile production. It also has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help maintain a healthy digestive system.
The combination of these ingredients helps the liver efficiently detoxify the body, which is especially important after exposure to substances like dewormers. By supporting liver health, the liver tonic can help reduce the toxic load on the body, potentially alleviating symptoms like head tremors.
Vitamin C Supplementation: To further support Persephone's immune system and overall health, we also made her Vitamin C supplementation more permanent. We administer 250 mg a day for two weeks out of every month. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and support immune function. We use Acerola cherry as a powerful whole-food vitamin C supplement.
Ongoing and Future Holistic Approaches
Liver Tonic: We plan to administer the liver tonic thrice a year to maintain liver health and support ongoing detoxification.
Probiotics: We rotate her probiotics regularly to support a healthy gut microbiome, which is crucial for immune function.
MCT Oil: We will keep MCT oil as a permanent part of her diet due to its numerous health benefits.
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Vitamin C: Acerola Cherry Vitamin C will stay in Persephone’s rotation for 2 weeks out of every month.
Exploring Additional Treatments: We are currently exploring the potential benefits of CBD oil and medicinal mushrooms to further support Persephone's immune system. CBD oil is known for its anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, while medicinal mushrooms can boost immune function and overall health.
Dietary Considerations
The Role of Diet
Diet plays a crucial role in managing idiopathic head tremors. For Cooper, a dog experiencing similar issues, a diet change proved to be a "game changer." Eliminating dog food and limiting treats to single-ingredient chews and bits of veggies had a significant positive impact. An elimination diet and ingredient testing led to home cooking and eventually a store-bought food limited to six human-grade ingredients. Feeding clean, single-ingredient, organic (when possible) food has been key to reducing tremors.
Persephone's Diet
Persephone is raw-fed with a balanced recipe, and we ensure she only receives whole food-based supplements. This approach has significantly improved many of the health issues we initially observed in her, such as gastrointestinal problems and skin rashes.
Foods and Supplements
Here is exactly what we feed Cooper: He eats The Honest Kitchen’s minimalist fish formula, which I alternate with a fresh food from The Farmer’s Dog. I believe that has had the single biggest impact. Feeding him clean, healthy, wholesome food with no additives has helped him gain weight, cleared up his skin and ear infections, and more. If his system is struggling to process food, I think that can only help. To that we add two heaping spoonfuls of organic, unrefined coconut oil at night. He gets his allergy meds in the morning, along with a probiotic from Only Natural Pet. We’ve also started him on a joint supplement from Super Snouts {Updated to add: We discovered he’s allergic to mussels so switched him to a supplement from ONP that didn’t seem as effective as we’d like. We tried Dasuquin, but he threw up.
Common Misconceptions and Advice
Debunking Myths
The most inaccurate information tends to circulate on various online bulldog platforms. There are instances when it’s better to take no action than to risk doing something potentially harmful. Offering sugar won’t address the underlying cause and can even be detrimental in some cases, especially for diabetic dogs. Offering calcium supplements to a bulldog or French bulldog experiencing headshakes has little scientific backing and operates under a similar misconception as the sugar myth. While some owners may testify that “it works,” the perceived effectiveness is likely not due to a direct cause-and-effect relationship with the calcium.
Distraction Techniques
To stop idiopathic bulldog head tremors, distract your bulldog with food, a treat, or a toy.
The Importance of Veterinary Consultation
You HAVE to rule out underlying conditions like seizures before you can get an IHT diagnosis. Why? Because there’s no treatment, there’s no medicine, there’s nada for IHT, and some similar conditions are life-threatening and some can be treated. So, vet first.
In our case, we were lucky. This is not a common condition at all. We thought it was a seizure the first time it happened, but after a battery of tests, numerous conditions including seizures were ruled out. Our vet knew she didn’t know, so she consulted with a veterinary neurologist at Ohio State University. She sent all his test results and the battery of video we had taken of the tremors, and he took a look at all of it and said IHT. He said we could do an MRI and run way more tests but that he knew they would all come back without results. Hence, IHT.
Medications and Supplements
Cooper is on an allergy medication, Apoquel, and when his allergies are at their worst, we add in a Zyrtec. {Updated to add: We recently tried the Cytopoint injection. He’s only had one and it hasn’t been long enough for me to share more. When I know more, I’ll let you know!} He also gets a monthly flea/tick topical. He’s allergic to most “flavor” additives, so he can’t take a typical heart worm pill. He’s on Revolution, which takes care of heart worms and flea/tick. There has been a lot of discussion in the comments about flea/tick causing tremors. There’s no evidence to back that up, so I get nervous when readers post to “stop all topicals!” That’s a decision you need to make with your vet. For Cooper, his system is SO sensitive that we minimize the onslaught, but I do believe that the value of topical treatments outweighs the risk. Again, that’s just my opinion, and our vet is on board. You have to make that call. Do I think they contribute to his tremors? I can’t say for sure, of course, but I haven’t noticed a correlation like… apply topical, get tremors.
As for vaccines, I get this question all the time, and I can’t lie… I am a believer in vaccines for both people and dogs. Again, this is a matter of personal choice in conjunction with your vet, but I believe in vaccinating, and Cooper does get vaccinated. That said, we do three-years to prolong the time in between, and he’s allergic to the rabies vaccine so has to have a shot of a super strong antihistamine before he gets his vax.
Additional Considerations
Genetic Predisposition
The observation that head shaking is predominantly seen in bulldogs does indeed raise the suspicion of a genetic link.
Senior Dogs
On occasion, senior bulldogs and French bulldog owners notice that their aging dog’s hind legs may begin to shake, either standing up or lying down, and may progressively worsen over time. Like idiopathic head shaking, the exact cause of leg shaking in senior bulldogs can sometimes remain unknown, and it may similarly be considered idiopathic if no specific medical issue can be identified.
Is the Dog in Pain?
There’s no way to know, but every vet and specialist we’ve talked to has told us no. He doesn’t seem to be in pain. When it first started happening, he did seem frightened. I wouldn’t say he’s used to it now, but he’s fully aware when he’s tremoring/shaking/head bobbing/whatever you want to call it. We can get him to respond to cues to distract him out of it, so I don’t think he could be in too much pain. I totally get it being scary for him, though.
Final Thoughts
Idiopathic head tremors can be distressing for both dogs and their owners. While the cause may be unknown, a holistic approach can help address underlying issues and promote overall health. Our experience with Persephone highlights the importance of looking at the dog's system as a whole and considering natural, supportive treatments.
A Note on Breeders and Health Challenges
We want to make it clear that we do not blame Persephone's breeder for her health issues. Just like with humans, sometimes puppies need extra help to overcome initial health challenges. It's part of the journey, and we're committed to providing Persephone with the best care possible.
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tags: #idiopathic #head #tremors #diet #recommendations