How often does your dog shake off? Is it a full body shake or just the neck and upper body?
Our dogs are smarter than we think. We often see them shake off after they wake up from a sleep, or just after they do their stretching. The purpose of this “dry” shake-off is to mobilize their spines after a period of rest. This rapid rotational movement stimulates the joint capsules to produce synovial fluid, which lubricate joints.
Dogs may stop shaking off for a few different reasons. If they have sustained an acute injury to one or more joints they may stop shaking off all of a sudden, whereas senior dogs will progressively decrease the frequency and quality of shake-offs due to stiffness and arthritis.
AUTHOR PROFILE
Dr. Craig Landry earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. He decided to pursue his lifelong ambition to work with animals by becoming a Certified Animal Chiropractor. He graduated from the Veterinary Chiropractic Learning Centre — Canada's sole Animal Chiropractic program approved by the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association. Dr. Landry practices at a well-established human/animal chiropractic practice in Toronto.
