Many times, my dog Rascal a Yorkie/Pomeranian mix would become restless while he was sleeping — often yipping and twitching and occasionally even moving his little legs like he was trying to run.
My wife and I would laugh as we always thought he was dreaming of his youth when his favorite pastime was chasing squirrels in our backyard.
…But try as he might, they always out-witted him.
It’s probably nothing more than a dream if you’ve ever seen a dog seemingly try to run in its sleep (as in the video below), but every now and then it could be something more serious.
In our case, Rascal was and had been sleeping comfortably in his little bed.
He never became coherent enough to try standing and he didn’t stumble around or run into the wall. It was simple REM sleep — just like humans — and as soon as the dream ran its course, he would continue uninterrupted in his sleep.
Viral Video: Sleepwalking Dog
Recently a video of Bizkit the Sleepwalking Dog has become very popular on You Tube.
This rather large yellow lab starts trying to run while lying down, eventually jumps to his feet and plows head first into a wall before settling down in a dazed condition.
Check it out:
A first reaction by most people is that the dog was dreaming and, as can happen with humans in some extreme situations, became mobile and wasn’t fully aware or awake as it thrashed about.
However, a more disturbing possibility is that the dog was experiencing an epileptic seizure that wasn’t being recognized as a serious health threat.
Our Experience With Canine Epilepsy
As dog lovers, my wife and I adopted a small teacup poodle many years ago that was suffering from canine epilepsy. The poor little thing would have seizures almost every day.
Our veterinarian gave us a prescription for a drug called Dilantin, which kept the condition under control for a couple years. Eventually, the epilepsy became uncontrollable and we had to have the little dog put to sleep.
Could this be what’s affecting Bizket the sleepwalking dog in the video above? Could it be what might be affecting your beloved dog?
Watching a dog experiencing a grand mal seizure without taking appropriate action to see that the dog receives medical attention is just plain cruel.
I cannot say whether Bizkit was sleepwalking or experiencing an epileptic seizure. If it was my dog, and anything the least bit similar was taking place on a more-than-once-in-his-lifetime basis I would immediately see that the animal gets a thorough examination.
Is Your Dog Sleepwalking or Seizing?
It is obvious that this is a hot button topic for many people. Here are links to some forums relating to the Bizkit sleep walking video and other similar situations.
- 3 Videos Of The Sleepwalking Dog
- Bizkit The Sleepwalking Dog Should See A Vet
- Sleepwalking Dog vs Wall
- Do Dogs Sleepwalk?
- Sleep Walking… Running Dog
There are a number of sleep-related conditions that both dogs and humans can be suffering from. If your dog is doing anything extreme in his sleep, or if you suspect that something more may be involved, please take your dog to a vet and have a complete examination done.
Be sure to give as accurate a description as possible — even a video can be helpful for diagnostic purposes (not for entertainment on the Internet).
photo credit: iHasAHotDog.com
I’ve been involved in RVing for 50 years now — including camping, building, repairing, and even selling RVs. I’ve owned, used, and repaired almost every class and style of RV ever made. I do all of my own repair work. My other interests include cooking, living with an aging dog, and dealing with diabetic issues. If you can combine a grease monkey with a computer geek, throw in a touch of information nut and organization freak, combined with a little bit of storyteller, you’ve got a good idea of who I am.
