Head shaking

Question
Our 13 week old English Bulldog began having this problem this past Sunday.  Her head begins to shake up and down rapidly and uncontrollably.  We took her to the emergency vet Sunday but he was unable to pinpoint what it was.  She had 2 episodes Sunday, 1 on Monday, none on Tuesday - so we were hoping it may go away - but then yesterday she had a bad day with several episodes lasting longer than the first few.  The first few episodes were only about 15 seconds, but yesterday it would be several minutes before she would stop.

It only happens when she is just about to fall asleep.  Yesterday it was like clockwork, as soon as she would lay down to go to sleep, it would start.  We can usually get her to stop by gently waking her, calling her name or giving her a toy or treat to distract her, but this wasn't working as well last night.

Have you heard of this in Bulldogs?  I've found a few articles on the internet but wanted to get your thoughts.

Thanks.

Answer
Yes I have heard of similar instances of these symptoms. It could be a couple of things. It could be low blood sugar which would present these signs at bedtime. It could be neurological and have something to do with spinal cord compression. It could be something as simple as a good allergy.

If you're feeding anything with peanut oil or flavor, get rid of it, as well as any red dye products. If you're not feeding a natural dog food, change her over to something like Wellness or Innova. Try giving her a tsp. of honey earlier in the day before a time when you would normally see these tremors. She may just outgrow this but it's a scary thing.

If the tremors increase or last even longer, I would take her to a neurologist asap. Try one thing at a time though so you'll know what's working and what isn't. Go with the honey first.