My senior dog stiffens and groans in sleep. Are these seizures?

That is very odd. Certainly pets can have a seizure in response to a stimulus but it would be unusual for it to be something more subtle like paper crinkling. If he has a bad back or a neuropathy and he is trying to move too quickly, it could mimic a seizure type activity. If you can capture it on video to show the veterinarian, that may help a lot. If the doctor has not checked his proprioception and his back, have this done. If seizures are still suspicious, you may try the new Purina diet for seizures called NeuroCare. Omega 3 fatty acids for dogs can help with inflammation as well and this may be beneficial. Lastly, there are medications for seizures as well. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The falling/lethargy episode you described may have been a seizure. This may be due to toxin ingestion or epilepsy, which does occur occasionally in older dogs. Head shaking may be related or unrelated as an ear infection. I recommend having Sami seen by her vet who can perform bloodwork and x-rays and prescribe anticonvulsant medications if the seizures continue. I recommend bringing a video of the episode if you are able to, as his will be really helpful in determining if the episode was truly a seizure. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bailey. I recommend that he see a veterinarian. He could have experienced a seizure and is taking a while to recover. If this is not the case, small breed dogs are prone to neck and/or back pain. This is a potentially serious situation as it can lead to weak or paralysis in certain cases. His veterinarian will be able to guide as far as treatment based on his exam findings. In the meantime, keep him quiet and do not give any over-the-counter pain medications as these can be toxic to dogs. I hope this information helps!

Hi there. So sorry that Kage is having this issue. Based on your description it sounds like seizure activity or a pain response (orthopedic pain like arthritis). I suggest you video an episode if it happens again so you can show your vet. Did the vet just examine him or was any testing done? If no blood testing was done that should be the next step. If the blood testing is normal then your vet can prescribe an anti-seizure medication or pain medication (depending on what they think after seeing the video) that will likely help. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Oh my. Poor guy. It sounds like JJ is having possible seizures. You will need to get him seen by your vet for baseline bloodwork to look for some possible causes for the seizures. If none are found with this first test, then an MRI or CT scan may be recommended. However, he likely will go on anti-seizure medication right away since he had multiple seizures within a 30 day time frame. Hopefully we can manage his seizures well with medication, but due to his age, there is unfortunately a higher risk for an underlying brain or spinal cord lesion as the cause. If he has another it is best to take him to your ER vet right away. However, if they don't reoccur, he may be able to wait until morning to be seen by your regular vet. I do hope that JJ feels better soon! Best wishes and take care.

Is he running into things around the house? He could be suffering from some blindness which can make them hypersensitive to anyone coming around their face. If this is all of the sudden, it could be due to high blood pressure and I would have your vet check him out to see if he needs to be on any blood pressure meds. Another possibility is that he may have had a seizure in his sleep which caused the twitching. After a seizure, they can be very hypersensitive to any touch or movement until they snap out of it. If he isn't improving, I would definitely have your vet take a look at him to see if there is anything else going on. If he doesn't snap out of it suddenly, then I would believe even more than it was likely a seizure. I would call your vet and talk to them about the seizure. Your vet will likely recommend a panel of bloodwork to ensure there isn't anything metabolically wrong that could have caused a seizure. I would recommend to start a seizure log which records the date, time and what he did during and after the seizure. If these episodes begin to happen often then I would contact your vet about this as well. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Skittle! You should take her in. I would try to video tape an episode on your phone for the Vet to see. She needs an exam and blood work. I worry they are focal seizures. Common causes of focal seizures in a geriatric Golden are: low blood sugar from a tumor, metabolic conditions like liver or kidney failure or a brain tumor. I wish Skittle the best!