Dog Community

Twitching while sleeping

Posted : 4/20/2006 9:33:13 AM

My almost 3-year old Beagle twitches sometimes when he lays down or sleeps. It's not dreaming because his dreams are very active--tail wagging, whimpering, growling, all the fun stuff of chasing a critter in his sleep. When he lays down sometimes he just twitches, his legs flinch or a muscle jumps. It doesn't seem to bother him or cause any problems, just something I have noticed. It doesn't seem like seizures because he jumps up at a moments notice and is not in any way incapacitated. Is it just muscle spasms? Anyone experienced something similar?

For reference, he is on Eagle Pack Anchovy supplemented with a dose of Grizzly Wild Salmon Oil, gets daily walks or play time at home, occasional trips to the dog park, on Interceptor (year-round) and Frontline (seasonal), etc.

Firestorm

Posted : 4/20/2006 10:30:11 AM

How long have you noticed this? Have you changed anything in his diet?

loveukaykay

Posted : 4/20/2006 12:31:25 PM

When Kayla would sleep sometimes depending on how she was laying her arm muscle would flicker in little fast twitches. I always thought it was just her position and would move her arm around until it stopped, although she never seemed to care either way.

Sally

Posted : 4/20/2006 12:53:26 PM

I wouldn't worry about it.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 4/20/2006 1:53:40 PM

I don't think it is anything to worry about. Some times when my 6 1/2 year old golden is sleeping, just her feet with twitch, no noise at all. At other times almost her entire body twitches, no noise. Other times she is twitching just feet, or entire body and making all kinds of noises. And sometimes her tail will be just a thumping, but nothing else is moving.

Oh, sometimes a get muscle twitches and I am full awake.

Jennifer

Posted : 4/24/2006 12:43:23 AM

It's called "DREAMING" That's what they're doing! My dogs do it

Not all dogs do it, but mostly they do the twitching, or making whining nosies, or growl or bark. Theirs nothing to worry about!

Sometimes you will see the paws move as if they are going to run lol it's pretty freaky to watch at times lol Even the eyes twitch to ew!

Kate Larkin

Posted : 5/17/2006 11:06:24 AM

That describes my Seamus to a T. He twicthes all sorts of ways, one time he was on his back and all the legs were going as if he was running. but he flopped over into a crevice in the bed and woke up.

cakana

Posted : 5/17/2006 12:37:29 PM

I do think it's just they're muscles relaxing and my labs do the same thing. I've even thought maybe they had a little bite or itch, but I honestly think it's just the muscle twitching as they relax.