Why is My Dog Shaking in Their Sleep?
When dogs are sleeping, their body will shake or twitch from time to time. If you ask your vet, the vet will probably tell you that, in most cases, "Let sleeping dogs lie" and that this behavior is perfectly normal for dogs. But there are exceptions, and sometimes a dog twitching while sleeping can be a warning sign of an underlying illness.
6 Reasons Your Dog May Shiver
1. The Dog Is Dreaming
Dreaming should be considered the most common cause of dog twitching. If dogs are sleeping well, they will frequently dream when they reach deep sleep. In a dog's dream, everything is possible. They may dream of chasing a kitten, chasing food that escaped from them, or running and playing with their owner in a vast meadow. When dogs are happy in their dreams, they may twitch. Generally, this twitching is like a muscle movement and does not affect the dog's body.
Of course, if your dog is having a nightmare, it may twitch as well. Dogs will whimper, cry, and even sharking in fear when they have nightmares. If you don't want your dog to remain trapped in the nightmare, the owner can consider waking the dog up, calling the dog from beside him or her, or playing soft music to wake him or her up.
By the way, no one knows what the dog is dreaming about, and everything is our best guess.
2. Dogs With Epilepsy
If your dog is convulsing abnormally, we need to consider if he has epilepsy. Epilepsy is due to overexcitation of specific nerve cells in the brain, resulting in sudden transient abnormalities in brain function. When a dog has a seizure, there are perceptual disturbances, convulsions, behavioral disturbances, etc. Dog epilepsy is divided into primary and secondary epilepsy, with primary epilepsy being more common and accounting for most seizure cases in dogs. Primary epilepsy in dogs is generally more common when dogs are six weeks to 6 years old and is more common in breeds such as Beagles, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Miniature Schnauzers.
Seizures in dogs usually last less than 5 minutes, and the owner can move the things around immediately after discovery to prevent the dog from hitting. After the seizure, the owner can help him clean his mouth because the attack will be accompanied by white foam vomiting. If the dog has a seizure that lasts longer than 5 minutes, the owner should take the dog to the doctor immediately. Otherwise, it could be life-threatening.
3. Generalized Tremor Syndrome (GTS)
GTS is also known as steroid-responsive tremor syndrome or white husky dog syndrome. Initially found in small white dogs (such as Maltese and Western Highland White Terriers), it can occur in dogs of any size, breed, or color. No one knows the cause of GTS.
4. Calcium Deficiency In Dogs
Just like humans, a calcium deficiency in dogs may also lead to convulsions. The dog's body develops quickly in its early years, with small dogs reaching adulthood before they are one year old and larger ones perhaps a little slower. Before a dog is one year old is the time when the dog needs calcium the most. Generally, if the owner feeds the dog puppy-specific dog food, the dog will rarely have a calcium deficiency. If your dog is deficient in calcium, the owner can consider the food the dog eats does not contain enough calcium or a problem with the dog's digestion and absorption. Even if there is enough calcium in the food, the dog can not absorb it. If the long-term consumption of animal liver, dogs should pay more attention to the liver contains a lot of vitamin A, which will inhibit the absorption of calcium.
5. Environmental Stimulation
The stimulation of the external environment, for example, when the weather is too cold, the dog is afraid of cold, the body will also shake, twitch. This is an instinctive reaction of the body. We also do so. If it is too cold to cause the dog to twitch, the owner should pay attention to the dog to keep warm. Otherwise, the cold may be more trouble. In addition to the weather, if a sudden shock, the dog's body may also twitch.
6. Dogs Nervousness
Sometimes also because of some stimulation and nervousness lead to shaking, and the dog encounter fear or thunder outside, the dog will appear shaking behavior, and even anxious.
When to See the Vet?
Once determined that the shaking is not caused by environmental factors (stress caused by a new person in the family, etc.), you should consider contacting your veterinarian. This is especially true if your dog is exhibiting other symptoms along with shivering. These symptoms include- lethargy
- Diarrhea
- vomiting
- Panting
If your dog continues to shake for more than an hour, or if you notice that your dog may have consumed a potential toxin, bring him or her to your veterinarian immediately. The faster your dog is evaluated, the sooner recovery will occur.
The Story of Nuri, a Stray Dog
Countless sleepless nights for Nuri, who is traumatized by an animal abuse experience.
Like other dogs, he will often lie down on the floor, ready to sleep. But not long after he falls asleep, he will cry. His body trembled violently, and his mouth continued to bark until he woke himself up crying. Because he couldn't sleep well, he could only sit on the floor and kowtow, which was very heartbreaking. The veterinarian said that Noori's heart was severely traumatized by his tragic experience as a child, which is why he could not sleep. Rescuers did their best to mend his mind and heart and take him away from his life as a stray to rehabilitate him. Soon someone was willing to take Nuri in and give him a home! With a "reliable owner" and proper care, he will get better.
Final Thoughts
When a dog is shaking while sleeping, the owner does not have to be too alarmed. Although many reasons can cause a dog to twitch, it is because the dog is dreaming in many cases. If your dog is usually healthy and the owner is feeding him a nutritious diet, it will not have much to do with the disease. However, if you find that your dog is convulsing very frequently and abnormally, you have to determine if there is something wrong with your dog's body.
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