terrier shaking

Question
Hello,

I have a Jack Russell terrier mix that is 1 1/2 years old.  He's always been a shaker.  I searched on the 'net and found out it's common with his breed.  Today though, he was shaking so bad, his teeth were chattering!  BAD BAD

Are there any other health probs that could be indicative of this shaking?  My friend has a poodle and said when her dog was shaking, the vet said he was in pain.  But it really doesn't seem like my dog is in pain.  He doesn't seem bothered by it a bit.  Sometimes he's sleeping or just sitting/laying there.  Now he did seem bothered just now while his teeth were chattering!

Anyway, I just can't afford to go to the vet and have a ton of tests run...so I was hoping you could at least give me some ideas.

Thanks!

Kris

Answer
Hello!

When does this shaking happen exactly, is it all the time, or just a couple of minutes during the day, then he is back to normal? Is it happening after hard activity? Does it happen while he is asleep? Shaking may be a sign of pain, high fever, hypothermia, fear... But there are also other types we call tremors that may be caused by more serious things like white shaker dog syndrome, degenerative neurologic diseases, hypomylination, intoxications, etc.

Kind Regards,
Caglar Kondu Erkip