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As I write this, my dog is napping next to me. Every once in a while, she’ll twitch in her sleep; her eyes, nose, lips, and feet moving as if she’s dreaming about chasing something.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why dogs twitch in their sleep, or if this seemingly benign behavior could be a problem?
Veterinarians and researchers have been studying animal sleep behavior for a while now, and some of the answers to your questions may surprise you.
DOG SEIZURES VS DREAMS: HOW TO TELL THEM APART
If youve ever seen your dog have a dream, you know that they can sometimes be very active, they might be moving their legs or yelping. The spastic movements can be even more alarming when a puppy is shaking while sleeping. Here are some key differences to help you tell dog seizures while sleeping apart from dreams:
| Dreams | Seizures |
|---|---|
| Running or yelping | Stiff limbs |
| Easy to wake up | Head pulled back |
| Usually less than 30 seconds | Violent movements |
| Drooling after | |
| Panting after | |
| Urination or defecation | |
| Disorientated after | |
| Often last for multiple minutes |
Understanding the stages of a dog seizure will also help you to tell them apart from dreams. Seizures consist of the following three phases:
WHAT CAUSES A DOG TO HAVE SEIZURES WHILE SLEEPING?
Dog seizures, or fits, are a common neurological disorder that is associated with the central nervous system, particularly the cerebral cortex (outer layer) of the brain.
While seizures in dogs can happen any time, they sometimes occur during a transition in brain activity, e.g., while waking up, falling, asleep, or when excited or scared. The term epilepsy is often closely associated with seizures; the name is often used when dogs have recurrent (weekly, monthly, etc.), unprovoked seizures due to an abnormality in the brain.
What does a dog seizure look like while sleeping?
You’ve seen it before – the whimpering, the legs thrusting forward as if your dog is chasing a rabbit through a field in his own dreamscape. It’s comforting to imagine your dog bounding, unleashed through a meadow and enjoying himself. But as many pet owners know, sometimes those cute leg thrusts and seemingly innocent yelps aren’t just a dream – or even a nightmare.
In some cases, your dog may be suffering from a seizure. Epilepsy is relatively common in dogs – but is not the only driver of canine seizure episodes. Congenital blood defects, kidney and liver disorders, brain tumors and even certain medications can spur a seizure. Pinning down the reasons for seizures can be difficult – especially when they happen during sleep. But why do dogs have seizures while sleeping?
The reasons for seizures being triggered in dogs at a certain point of time is unknown, but seizures most often happen when a dog is sleeping. Seizures happen when brain neurons misfire, causing the dog to shake or jerk uncontrollably. A triggering reason for this could be that seizures often happen during times of changing brain activity – excitement, feeding, sleeping – which can trip up the dog’s brain circuits and cause a seizure.
Think of a car driving down the freeway at 60 MPH, then exiting to a ramp. The speed and direction of the car changes in an instant, shifting to a slower, more methodical driving atmosphere for drivers. Some drivers instinctively turn down their radios when exiting the freeway to “readjust” to their new atmosphere. Sleeping dogs experience the same thing – one minute, they are up and waiting for a treat, the next, they’re diving into a dream world. The transition can cause the wrong neurons to fire, sending the dog into seizure.
Seizures in epileptic dogs are often more common, and more severe, in young dogs. Dogs retain puppy behaviors until around age 2. They’re often more curious, more distracted, more energetic – and sleepier. Puppies tend to run their bodies and their brains ragged before falling asleep on the spot.
It’s an adorable trait, but may also be a reason so many young dogs suffer from seizures while they’re sleeping. The simply tend to do more sleeping than older dogs – and their brains are not yet fully developed and able to navigate the internal changes they experience daily.
Epilepsy isn’t the only cause of seizures in dogs. Low blood sugar, ingestion of poisonous substances, and blood pressure issues are common causes as well. These causes can take time to reveal themselves – often during sleep.
Smaller dogs are prone to seizures that happen due to blood sugar and blood pressure. Smaller bodies often result in quicker metabolism, and a stronger likelihood that a dog will suffer a seizure during long periods of sleep during which the body digests foods and foreign substances that can trigger seizures. These issues affect all dogs, but our more diminutive furry friends can have stronger reactions to seemingly minor bodily disruptions.