tornadosgirl Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Yesterday I was sitting on the bed with Tornado next to me. Three times in a row (a few seconds apart), he snapped the air like he was trying to catch a fly, only there was no fly. Any idea what that could be? He is going to be 12 in early November. Otherwise he has been himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Adrianne Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Chevy does it all the time......usually right before he starts doing zoomies in the living room and running like a madman in and out of the house. For him, it means, "I'm happy. I'm getting excited. I want to play." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Keep watching and see if he does it again. If so, you might want to speak to your vet. When Spencer started doing that six years ago, the vet said they were small seizures. Along with his defensive "aggression" and lack of stamina for walking a half-mile, this led us to get him a full thyroid panel. He was hypothyroid, and all these problems cleared up as soon as we started the medicine. Not saying your dog is hypothyroid, just that this is what the air snapping meant for ours. Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindles Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 It's a happy thing. Echo does it all the time! Quote | Rachel | Dewty, Trigger, and Charlotte | Missing Dazzle, Echo, and Julio | Learn what your greyhound's life was like before becoming part of yours!"The only thing better than the cutest kitty in the world is any dog." -Daniel Tosh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KF_in_Georgia Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Yes, it's an either/or situation. Either he's really happy, or he's having small seizures. (Sometimes, with seizures, the dog "sees stars"--or at least that's the theory--so that's what he's snapping at.) Either way, his aim might be questionable, so don't get too close. My first girl did happy "air bites," but occasionally she'd miss the air and tag me by mistake. If you get the feeling that he's not happy about it, keep track of what's going on: could he be hungry, tired--something like that--and talk to your vet. Quote Kathy and Q (CRT Qadeer from Fuzzy's Cannon and CRT Bonnie) and Jane (WW's Aunt Jane from Trent Lee and Aunt M); photos to come. Missing Silver (5.19.2005-10.27.2016), Tigger (4.5.2007-3.18.2016), darling Sam (5.10.2000-8.8.2013), Jacey-Kasey (5.19.2003-8.22.2011), and Oreo (1997-3.30.2006) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trihounds Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Brucie does it all the time when he's in a playful mood. In his case, it's definitely not due to seizures...it's his goofiness shining through Quote Doe's Bruciebaby Doe's Bumper Derek Follow my Ironman journeys and life with dogs, cats and busy kids: A long road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornadosgirl Posted August 14, 2011 Author Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) Thanks all. Since the snapping came from no where- he was just sitting there, I was inclined to think it wasn't happy, playful type behavior. And since he seemed perfectly fine before and after, I didn't think seizure. So I will wait and see. It really could have been either of those. Edited August 14, 2011 by tornadosgirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batmom Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Mosquito. Quote Star aka Starz Ovation (Ronco x Oneco Maggie*, litter #48538), Coco aka Low Key (Kiowa Mon Manny x Party Hardy, litter # 59881), and mom in IllinoisWe miss Reko Batman (Trouper Zeke x Marque Louisiana), 11/15/95-6/29/06, Rocco the thistledown whippet, 04/29/93-10/14/08, Reko Zema (Mo Kick x Reko Princess), 8/16/98-4/18/10, the most beautiful girl in the whole USA, my good egg Joseph aka Won by a Nose (Oneco Cufflink x Buy Back), 09/22/2003-03/01/2013, and our gentle sweet Gidget (Digitizer, Dodgem by Design x Sobe Mulberry), 1/29/2006-11/22/2014, gone much too soon. Never forgetting CJC's Buckshot, 1/2/07-10/25/10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 Could have been a seizure. Fly catcher seizure-- where they snap at the air- appears to be trying to rid of a bug. Of course, it could have really been a bug. I would just document some notes on a calendar for future reference in case it continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greyhead Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 This wide spectrum of choices is almost funny! Anyhow, Spencer has done all three kinds of snapping, so maybe this will help: When it's playful snapping, he's looking right at me and stretching his legs toward me, usually lying on his side. When it's a bug, there's a bug. When it was a seizure, he wasn't looking at me and there wasn't a bug. Quote Mary with Jumper Jack (2/17/11) and angels Shane (PA's Busta Rime, 12/10/02 - 10/14/16) and Spencer (Dutch Laser, 11/25/00 - 3/29/13). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Hope this link works- trying this from my phone- www.canine-epilepsy.net/flybite/flybite.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joejoesmom Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I had a foster once that would bite at what I thought were invisible flies. One day he was surrounded by a sunbeam and I could see that he was snapping at a teeny tiny almost invisible gnat like thing. It was extremely tiny but it was there. I couldn't see it in normal light. Of course, if a real fly got in the house ... the battle was ON! When winter came, I am told by his adoptive mom that the fly biting stopped. Seriously though, there is a type of seizure that is described as a fly-bite seizure. So you might want to read up on it and if it seems familiar to you and if it keeps happening, you can talk to your vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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