I have a 12 year male Basenji, he has been trembling a lot and on these days he doesn't want to eat. I have taken him for blood work and poop and all is fine. The vet thinks the trembling is because he is in some kind of pain. Vet wants to do full body xray and then an ultra sound on his stomach...$$$$$
When these trembers come on he eats a lot of grass, throws up and has diarrhea.
Also, he will not allow the Vet or Tech's do do either of these even when muzzled~ so they want to use anesthesia.
PLEASE, I love this little guy but unsure of what to do!
Have you considered environmental issues surrounding the trembling? Thunderstorms, unusual weather, new people, places, etc?
Really has nothing to do with weather, living in So CA is very mild. Just can’t seem to tell what this is about , hoping a Basenji person may know:)
How long has this been going on, and how much is "a lot"? Does he do it daily or just sometimes, and is there a pattern to his behaviour. You mention you are in CA. What about sensing low level earthquakes? Eating grass and throwing up suggests his tummy is upset, dogs often eat grass to stimulate throwing up. Can the vet do the procedures he wants while you hold your dog?
Have you spoken to his breeder? IMO and I am NOT a Vet, something would have shown on the bloodwork...? Eating lots of grass and the throwing up with diarrhea I would think blockage?.... is he drinking water? IMO I would do the ultrasound... to start but I find it strange that he would not let them do either.. and have to agree with eeeefarm, to ask the Vet to let you hold him. Neither are invasive... procedures.
@branch Have there been any "environment" changes? People? Places? Other animals? Doggy day care? etc...
Dogs eat grass when there is something in the tum which irritates and that they are trying to dislodge.
I agree with tanza and eeefarm. In any case your vet should let you stay with him and hold him during any procedure.
I know it is not easy to be faced with a big expenditure but you have to do your best for this little guy. We all know that when we share our lives with these wonderful creatures.
The full body Xray won't show any soft tissue issues and it does seem to me, from what you say (and I am not a vet either !) that it is NOT a structural problem. I had to have a full body Xray done on Hoover recently and it showed horrendous problems with the vertebrae in her lower neck which is obviously the reason for her screeching as if something was 'jipping' her suddenly when she moved in certain ways. At her age (just short of 12) there is no way I am putting her through drastic, invasive surgery and a very long recovery time. But the Xray was worth it cos I was pretty sure it was a structural problem and now we are successfully keeping her pain free with acupuncture.
However I should opt for a scan of your old darling, especially as the blood work doesn't show anything (which in itself is surprising cos in this day and age. . . it usually does).
Good luck to you both.
Have you considered getting a second opinion. About 12 years ago my B had a pea size cyst on her leg - my original vet me a 5 page computer print out quote of around $2500. My friend suggested I go to her vet for a second opinion. New vet gave me a quote on a scrap of paper for $325 which included the blood work he needed to do prior to the procedure. Needless to say, he became my new vet, he did the bloodwork that day, gave me the ok, removed the cyst the following week. The cyst turned out to be pre-cancerous.
Maybe you might want to ask around for recommendations for another vet to get another opinion.
Absolutely agree with Kemba on this. Seek a second opinion.
Second opinion. Give the new vet the same info you just gave us,
No, My opinion. Anesthesia would be too traumatic to a dog already stressed. From what you've posted, too many variables, and I'm no veterinary PhD. Seek out your best vet clinic, yes, a 2nd opinion ASAP.
Could the trembling be mild seizures?
I don't allow the vet to do anything to my b unless I am there.
Anesthesia is very hard on an older b. Avoid it unless it is a last resort.
A second opinion is good advice.
Basenjis are not typical - maybe a second blood workup by another lab (Hemopet or Michigan??? - can someone on the forum recommend one?) would be helpful.
Healing thoughts to both of you.
My vet started using hemopet on anything he couldn't do in house after working with my pack. (https://www.hemopet.org/). They diagnosed my boy as hypothyroid after another lab found nothing. They are very thorough.
I would also have to think hard before putting a senior B under anesthesia. Wish you were in TX and could bring him to my vet.
Sending love to you and your boy!!
I would do the imaging. Without that it's all guessing. I agree an X-ray isn't likely to show anything since it seems like we're looking at soft tissue, but sometimes they do show changes that suggest a diagnosis.
Thank u..each and everyone who sent along their advice and recommendations! My little guy has been seen by Hemo Pet here in so. CA, I love them! They did the blood work etc and suggest an ultra sound on his tummy first. I agree but they charge $850 for that. I took him to another vet to get second opinion and my little guy wouldn’t even let them near him, and the second opinion vet wants to X-rays first. I don’t want to put my little guy under at his age so I will ask if they will do ultra sound and let me be in room hold him.
He is a rescue from Medfly when he was 1 1/2, terrible little guy then, he’d been mishandled and attack me many times the first couple of years. He truly has turned out to be a great boy now but not doing well with these on and off trembling and etc. Really strange, he was completely fine no grass eating no throwing up and ate and pooped fine and no trembling! Could be seizure’s but I don’t know.
I will rethink the solution and see if new vet will do ultra sound first. Thank u all again! 
I just happened to be reading about the 15 Most Common Poisonous Plants for Dogs and noticed that some plants, like daffodil's, can cause tremors in dogs. Please take a few minutes to look through the page. It may be that your pup came in contact with a plant that you didn't realize was dangerous.
Thank u for your post on plants. As a landscape designer I am aware of what I read but he has had no contact with any of these plants . Just very puzzling to me. Wondering if these tremors are caused by anxiety, he was with me all day today and perfectly fine
The only other thing I can think of is that he may have seen someone/something that reminded him of when he was mistreated as a pup (?). Revisiting trauma can upset a human, no reason to think it couldn't upset a pup, too. Wish I could offer more but, without any firsthand knowledge of your little one, I feel like I'm throwing darts in the dark.
My dog had an adverse reaction to the Heartworm edible I gave her, do you possibly give one? if so is it maybe related to that? I had to switch brands and she still doesnt feel well for 1 to 2 days after I give it, but it is not as bad as the other brand. Her symptoms were changes in consistency and color and frequency of bowel movements, she didnt eat, and didnt want to be bothered. And she ate grass.
