Introduction
Dogs can be very active in their sleep. Just as with people, dogs have dreaming cycles during sleep and sometimes, dreams can produce significant body movement. In the case of dog breeds with very long legs, dreaming actions may resemble seizures.
Seizures vs. Dreams
If a dog is dreaming of running, rapid full limb motions can occur but during sleep the limbs may be quite uncoordinated giving the false impression of seizure-type activity. The dog’s head may shake, vocalization may occur, lips may pull back and forth, and major twitching of the muscle groups may be noted. This type of motor activity may occur for a few seconds or minutes before the dog enters another phase of sleep that is more restful.
If you enter a room and see your dog on the floor experiencing severe muscle activity, you can check to see if he is having a dream or seizure by calling out his name to wake him. Do not go up to the dog and shake him. If a dog is deep asleep in a high-action chasing dream, physical contact may awaken him too suddenly, resulting in a fright response.
If the dog is having a seizure, he will not be awakened/roused by a voice unless the seizure is ending. A seizure may also be accompanied by passage of urine or stool, and the dog may foam at the mouth. If body motions produce injury such as cuts or bruises, this is indicative of a seizure rather than a dream. The magnitude of muscle activity is usually greater during seizures than dreams but localized seizures may occur in dogs, and only a few muscle areas may be moving. Focal motor seizures do not cause loss of consciousness like generalized seizures.
A true seizure will be followed by a short period of so-called post ictus where the dog may be sleepy, disoriented, or even aggressive. If unusual muscle activity is followed by behavior not typical for an awakening dog, contact your veterinarian for further advice.