Why do dogs twitch when they sleep?

2022-08-04



I. Is a dog's sleep twitching a calcium deficiency?


Dogs tend to sleep longer in winter, and shovelers may often see lately that dogs are either sleeping or sleeping. So, have you noticed that dogs will twitch when they sleep? Most dog twitching is caused by dreaming, which is a very normal phenomenon. But it can also be caused by a calcium deficiency or diseases, such as epilepsy and spondylitis.

The causes of twitching when dogs sleep

1. Dreaming
Dreaming should be considered the most common cause of convulsions in dogs. I believe we have also tried, shortly after falling asleep, will also suddenly jerk and then woke up. The official scientific name for this involuntary muscle twitching is "myasthenia gravis", which occurs in both dogs and people.

Is a dog's sleep twitching a calcium deficiency? It could be a dream, but it could also be caused by these diseases
While sleeping, dogs may dream that they are running after prey, or that they are gleefully asking their owners for food. The pleasure in the brain will stimulate muscle movement, and then the dog will have a twitch. Generally speaking, this twitch is like a muscle movement and does not affect the dog's body. The twitching in sleep will not be very frequent and the movement will not be very big.

2. Disease
If the dog is found to be convulsing frequently and convulsing abnormally, then the owner should consider whether it is suffering from epilepsy. Epilepsy is due to excessive excitation of certain nerve cells in the brain, resulting in sudden transient abnormalities in brain function. When a dog has a seizure, in addition to convulsions, there are also symptoms such as drooling, difficulty breathing, incontinence, and general rigidity.

Most dog seizures are due to primary epilepsy, which is generally more common when dogs are 6 weeks to 6 years old, and Beagles, Bernese Mountain Dogs, and Miniature Schnauzers are again good breeds. Seizures in dogs usually last less than 5 minutes. To avoid the dog from crashing, it is best to move objects around the dog after the dog has had a seizure. However, if the dog's seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, the owner should immediately take the dog to the hospital to avoid life-threatening injuries.

Is a dog's sleeping convulsions a calcium deficiency? It may just be dreaming, but it could also be caused by these diseases
Diseases like arthritis and spondylitis can also cause convulsions in dogs. Generally speaking, older dogs are more likely to suffer from these diseases. Therefore, usually, protect the dog's joints and control their exercise to better prevent chronic diseases such as arthritis.

3. Calcium deficiency
Dogs grow faster than humans, and they will grow rapidly within one to two years. Therefore, the nutrition at this time must keep up, especially the calcium needed for bone growth. When dogs are growing, their bones don't stop growing, even in their sleep. If the dog is deficient in calcium, it will have convulsions while sleeping.

Generally speaking, if the dog eats puppy food, it will rarely have a calcium deficiency. If you find that your dog is deficient in calcium, you should consider whether your dog is not absorbing enough calcium due to insufficient calcium in its food or problems with digestion and absorption. In addition, if the dog consumes animal liver for a long time, the liver contains a lot of vitamin A, which can also inhibit the dog's absorption of calcium.

4. External stimulation
If the dog feels cold, the body will also shake and twitch. So in the winter, the shovel can give the dog a thick mat or blanket, so that the dog will not get cold when sleeping. In addition to the weather, the dog's body may also twitch if it is suddenly frightened.

In addition, if a dog is new to a new environment or has been frightened, it will be in a constant state of nervousness. Although they can sleep, the tense nerves will increase the frequency of their convulsions. In addition, the dog being too tired can also lead to dog twitching. For example, taking your dog out on a field trip, climbing a mountain, and other strenuous exercises, are prone to cause strong twitching when your dog sleeps at night.

How to reduce the dog twitching at bedtime?

If your dog is new, it will inevitably feel scared when it just arrives at its new home. If you find that it often twitches when sleeping, the owner can try to play some soothing soft music to the dog before going to sleep or change to a more comfortable dog kennel to improve the quality of sleep. If the weather is cold, it is best to keep your dog warm in advance so that it does not catch a cold.

If the dog is caused by a lack of calcium convulsions, the owner needs to pay attention to the dog's daily calcium supplement. You can add some calcium-containing foods to your diets, such as seafood and beans. In addition, let the dog more sunshine, both to help calcium absorption, but also with the sun's ultraviolet radiation sterilization. However, it is important to note that dogs should not be blindly given calcium supplements, as excessive calcium supplementation can increase the risk of bladder stones and joint disease in dogs.
If you see your dog twitching in his sleep, don't easily wake him up if you don't have to, as it will disturb his dreams and may scare him.

Why do dogs twitch when they sleep?



II. Dogs twitch when they sleep, probably because of these reasons



I don't know if the owner has noticed that when the dog is sleeping, their legs will shake or twitch from time to time. If you ask the vet, the vet will probably tell you that in most cases, 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.

Why do dogs twitch in their sleep?

1. The dog is dreaming
Dreaming should be considered the most common cause of dog convulsions. If dogs are sleeping well, they will dream frequently when they reach deep sleep. In a dog's dream, everything is possible. They may dream that they are chasing a kitten, chasing a portion of 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 thrash their legs in fear when they have nightmares. If you don't want your dog to remain trapped in the nightmare, you can consider waking your dog up, calling your dog from beside him, calling a little louder if he can't hear you, or playing soft music to wake him up.

2. Dogs suffering from epilepsy
If the dog is convulsing abnormally, we need to consider whether it is suffering from epilepsy. Epilepsy is caused by the overexcitation of certain 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. There are two types of dog seizures: primary epilepsy and secondary epilepsy, with primary epilepsy being more common and accounting for the majority of dog seizure cases. Primary epilepsy in dogs is generally more common when dogs are 6 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 dog around immediately after discovery to prevent the dog from crashing. After the seizure, the owner can help him clean his mouth because the seizure will be accompanied by white foam vomiting. If the dog has a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes, the owner should take the dog to the doctor immediately, otherwise, it could be life-threatening.

3. Calcium deficiency in dogs
Like human beings, a lack of calcium in dogs may also lead to convulsions. The body of the dog develops quickly during the early years, and small dogs become adults before they are 1 year old, and larger ones may be a little slower. Before a dog is 1 year old 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 whether it is because the food the dog eats does not contain enough calcium, or there is 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 containing a lot of vitamin A, which will inhibit the absorption of calcium.

4. The stimulation of the environment
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, and twitch. This is an instinctive reaction of the body, not only dogs will do so, but we feel very cold when 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, the dog's body may also twitch if it gets a sudden shock.
Dogs twitch when they sleep, the owner does not have to be too alarmed, although many reasons cause dogs to twitch, in many cases, it is because the dog is dreaming. If your dog is usually healthy and the owner's feeding is nutritious, it basically won't 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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  • Release Date:2022-08-04 11:34:41
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