Why did my dog stop breathing and become unresponsive during sleep?

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with your pet. There are any number of medical reasons that might explain this, but the most likely would be a seizure (not all are classic grand mal), or a heart issue. The best way to determine the cause is to let your veterinarian do a full exam & blood work to rule out any metabolic or otherwise obvious reasons for the episode. Then, if any treatments or medications are indicated, your veterinarian can discuss all options with you. Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear about this event with Cooper. A couple of thoughts come to mind about what this may be, but it's going to be difficult to give you a very specific answer on something like this. My first thought is an acid reflux event causing hiccups or hiccuping like motions, and this self resolved for now. Acid reflux can also be associated with lip smacking, obsessive licking, teeth grinding, or vomiting. I believe a seizure is another possibility. Seizures can range from quite dramatic to very mild in regards to muscle spasming and consciousness. Sometimes seizures occur only once in life. Seizures can occur secondary to internal disease, such as kidney or liver dysfunction, or due to brain disease, such as epilepsy or a brain tumor. A soft tissue injury or muscle spasming due to playing hard earlier in the day may cause this type of behavior. Almost any type of pain could present in a similar manner. I would recommend keeping a close eye on Cooper for the next several days. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have him get a physical exam and baseline bloodwork to ensure he doesn't have any major problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck to you and Cooper.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Wow! I am glad to hear that Bailey is alive still. Great job with resuscitation! There are many causes and the heart could be the problem. If Bailey has a congenital heart problem, this most certainly could have lead to this. Walking Bailey may have over-exerted him, especially if he has a heart problem. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Bailey so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. The sooner he is seen the better! Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am so sorry about Chandelle! There are many possible causes as she was a senior dog. Heart failure, a seizure that caused aspiration or non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, choking, a severe allergic reaction, twisted stomach or an internal bleed. With out an autopsy we will never know. Again I am so very sorry for your loss!

Hi and thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly without seeing a video of the spells that are concerning; however, it seems that seizures are a possibility here. I would highly recommend recording one of these episodes on your phone and showing them to your veterinarian for verification of what exactly these are. If they are seizures, then this is considered an uncontrolled condition if they are happening more than once every 30 days, and Charlie would need to start taking anti-seizure medication to help stabilize his condition and help prevent any permanent brain damage. I hope this is helpful. Best of luck with our pet Charlie and I hope he feels better soon.

When dogs are sleeping and dreaming their respirations can change dramatically. However, if he continues to breath quickly, if he is coughing or otherwise acting ill or as though he is working hard to breathe then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

I hate to hear that Peyton had some sort of an episode. Certainly urinating on himself is suspicious of a seizure type activity, although other neurological abnormalities could cause similar signs. I recommend to have him seen by his veterinarian today if possible. The doctor will check his neurological reflexes to try to determine the cause. If it was a seizure, this can be caused by epilepsy, electrolyte imbalance, liver disease or cancer. The doctor will likely recommend blood work and may have further recommendations pending lab results and physical exam. I hope your boy does well! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.