Guest lulafortune Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Google "psychomotor seizure" and see if you can find some videos to see if they look anything like what you're seeing. Doesn't look like what I'm seeing here. The last 2 nights he was doing it every half hour so in the middle of the night. I wanted some sleep so I moved his bed from our room out into the hallway and he miraculously stopped making any noises for the rest of the night. This worked both nights. I'm now thinking this is something behavioral considering the moving of the bed stopped the growling/barking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Doesn't look like what I'm seeing here. The last 2 nights he was doing it every half hour so in the middle of the night. I wanted some sleep so I moved his bed from our room out into the hallway and he miraculously stopped making any noises for the rest of the night. This worked both nights. I'm now thinking this is something behavioral considering the moving of the bed stopped the growling/barking. Good assumption. How bizarre. What about an air vent blowing on him in the middle of the night, like the heat cycling on and off? Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Good assumption. How bizarre. What about an air vent blowing on him in the middle of the night, like the heat cycling on and off? No air is blowing on him and I cant think of anyting that would have changed...I'm really at a loss here. The only thing I can think of that has changed whatsoever is we bought a new chair for our bedroom and we placed the chair near where his bed is. This may have started around the time the chair appeared....its hard to say exactly. Its not touching his bed or anything though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieRhea Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 could be the shadow of the new chair at night? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Try removing the chair from the room and put his bed back in the exact same place? If for no other reason than I'm really curious now and want to know! If the behavior doesn't return, then you could try moving the bed, but not bringing the chair back, then bringing the chair back. Then we'd have our answer somewhat definitely. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Try removing the chair from the room and put his bed back in the exact same place? If for no other reason than I'm really curious now and want to know! If the behavior doesn't return, then you could try moving the bed, but not bringing the chair back, then bringing the chair back. Then we'd have our answer somewhat definitely. Well we moved the chair to the other side of the room where he couldn't even see it from his bed and the growling/barking continued. Once again, he stopped once I moved his bed in the middle of the night into the hallway. I guess he is sleeping in the hallway from now on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Very strange behavior. A friend of mine had a greyhound who had a bad case of sleep startle and would growl if anyone bumped into him, tried to wake him, etc. One night she heard him at it and found out it was the curtains brushing up against him. Does he generally have sleep startle? Could something be brushing up against him in his sleep? Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Something must be startling him awake then. Curtains are a good suggestion. Any chance bedding hanging down could be moving when you do, or is his bed up against your bed enough that bed movements could be making his bed vibrate? Can you try his bed in a different location in your room rather than the hallway? Obviously there are only so many interrupted nights of sleep you should have to get to figure this out since you seem to have a solution, especially since you're pregnant, but maybe just one more? In all seriousness, my curiosity aside I think it would be good if you could figure it out. May help someone in the future and may also be helpful if you ever have someone dogsit for you when you travel. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 He's never had sleep startle and his bed has nothing around within 2 feet aside from being up against a bare wall. Last night, before moving him into the hallway, I dragged his bed a few feet away from the wall and he laid back down and was growling again in 15 minutes. I've had him for more than 2 years, in the same spot, in the same bed. I want to figure this out too! I even considered the fact that maybe I'm putting out some weird vibes since I am pregnant and I left the room for 2 hours and watched TV since I was up anyway and he continued the behavior when I was downstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 This is really a mystery. And you're sure he's not still doing it in the hallway? It's not just that you're sleeping through it or not hearing it? Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbotaina Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Well, nothing left to do except to teach him to speak English and have him explain himself Quote Meredith with Heyokha (HUS Me Teddy) and Crow (Mike Milbury). Missing Turbo (Sendahl Boss), Pancho, JoJo, and "Fat Stacks" Juana, the psycho kitty. Canku wakan kin manipi."Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." - Voltaire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Well, nothing left to do except to teach him to speak English and have him explain himself OP, do you mind if I cross post some of this info to my trainer listserve and ask for ideas? This is really driving me nuts! Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Static electricity has already been ruled out, right? No chance he's shocking himself with the bedding? Just trying to think of any potential seasonal connection since you said this happened about a year ago. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 I'm not sleeping well to begin with due to being pregnant so I pretty much hear everything, even in the hallway. I would definitely hear it if he were doing it out there. Just so you have all the details when he did this a year or so ago, it was more a whining thing that would turn into a howl. Only last a few weeks and he stopped. This time it starts out as a loud growl and ends up as barking if I don't stop him verbally. OP, do you mind if I cross post some of this info to my trainer listserve and ask for ideas? This is really driving me nuts! If you're asking me, please post away! I appreciate all the thoughts and help from everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Yeah, sorry, OP stands for Original Poster. I now can't keep track of what you've already told us. Have you been to the vet recently? I was rereading your description of what he does and now I'm wondering about an ear infection or some other ear issue. An easy thing to do to check would be to get a good sniff. Infected ears often smell nasty. Just be careful because if he is sensitive I don't want you to get bit! Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Any updates? He's scheduled to see the vet sometime this week, yes? I asked for feedback on my trainer list serve and the general consensus was to check for a medical issue, specifically pain or discomfort (especially when repositioning or attempting to get up), neurological issues (comment was that those pyschomotor seizures can look any number of different ways so that could still be what's going on), and some GI issue, including IBD, as well as the things I've already mentioned (worms or other parasite, skin issue, ear infection, etc.). There was also an interesting comment about a serotonin imbalance. Serotonin is lowest at night as Melatonin rises and that's also when stressors have built up through the day so that could explain why it happens mostly at night/with increasing frequency. An SSRI like Prozac would be a reasonable thing to try if other medical issues were ruled out. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Any updates? He's scheduled to see the vet sometime this week, yes? I asked for feedback on my trainer list serve and the general consensus was to check for a medical issue, specifically pain or discomfort (especially when repositioning or attempting to get up), neurological issues (comment was that those pyschomotor seizures can look any number of different ways so that could still be what's going on), and some GI issue, including IBD, as well as the things I've already mentioned (worms or other parasite, skin issue, ear infection, etc.). There was also an interesting comment about a serotonin imbalance. Serotonin is lowest at night as Melatonin rises and that's also when stressors have built up through the day so that could explain why it happens mostly at night/with increasing frequency. An SSRI like Prozac would be a reasonable thing to try if other medical issues were ruled out. I took him to the vet over the weekend and everything checked out fine (no ear infection, fecal was negative, skin and everything else checked out). The vet didn't really have many ideas for me to be honest. At my suggestion we are trying two trials to see if this is linked to pain or infection. First I tried an anti-inflammatory (Rimadyl) trial for 2 days. I have completed this and it did nothing - the growling continued. Now this morning I started him on antibiotics to see if maybe a tooth infection is causing pain. He does have a fractured lower canine tooth that is dead and looks darker than his other teeth. He does not have a reaction when you put firm pressure on the tooth and there are no visible signs of an abcess. When we first got him he had a nasty upper canine tooth infection causing bleeding out of his nose. He showed no signs of pain or reactivity or an abscess that time around either so I think he is fairly stoic overall with tooth pain. If the growling stops on the antibiotics we are going to assume its the tooth and do a dental. The reason we hesitate to do a dental right away is he had a bad experience last time around (he woke up from anesthesia in a sheer panic) and we'd like to avoid doing it again unless we know its necessary. Thanks for your thoughts. The serotonin imbalance is an interesting thought. He is an overall anxious dog - always yawning and stressed out and he does have several odd anxieties so I wouldn't hesitate to think he had some type of imbalance. I will definitely discuss that thought with the vet if the antibiotics do not change anything. Lastly, just so you have all the facts, he is now growling when he is in the hallway. He just doesn't tend to work himself up to barking the way he does in our bedroom. Each night we let him start the night in our room and then move him after he starts making noise 2 or 3 times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks for the update. I would consider setting up a neuro consult. Although it was a while ago and there seemed to be an obvious cause to them that was resolved, the nosebleeds make me think of the possibility of a brain tumor, however rare that might be. I think it's reasonable first to try the antibiotics and see what happens, but if you can't find another answer, I would strongly consider it. I'd also try longer than 2 days for a trial of pain meds before ruling out the pain issue (also, what pain med is more effective would depend on the issue). Hearing that he's prone to stress though is interesting. I really hope you get an answer one way or another. Keep us posted please! Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Thanks for the update. I would consider setting up a neuro consult. Although it was a while ago and there seemed to be an obvious cause to them that was resolved, the nosebleeds make me think of the possibility of a brain tumor, however rare that might be. I think it's reasonable first to try the antibiotics and see what happens, but if you can't find another answer, I would strongly consider it. I'd also try longer than 2 days for a trial of pain meds before ruling out the pain issue (also, what pain med is more effective would depend on the issue). Hearing that he's prone to stress though is interesting. I really hope you get an answer one way or another. Keep us posted please! The nosebleeds were for sure from the tooth. The dentist could see the decay from the fang straight up into the nasal cavity and I haven't seen a drop of blood since that surgery. I will look into trying another round of pain meds if the antibiotics don't work and then will talk about the anxiety/prozac option. The anxiety/stress is a good theory though. Although the baby is not here yet there have been a lot of changes going on at the house over the last month - painting, new furniture, lots of new "stuff" - so maybe its stressing him out a little. When he did this a while back it only lasted for about 2 weeks sporadically and it was only once a night. It definitely could be a stress response. Thanks for all the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quarrystepper Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 How's it going? Like others on this thread, I'm totally mystified by what's happening for your pup! We've dealt with Brooks's sleep startle issues, but they are always simply a matter of defending his favorite spot on the sofa from the encroachment of human legs. Quote Drew and occasionally DW Melody, with Rosie (AMF Ready Made) and Marvin (Bella Riddick) in Louisville. Forever missing Brooks (KC Bastone) and Kali (Swish). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 We are still pretty baffled. He still has another few days of antibiotics but I think we can safely say they are not working at this point. We moved his bed into the laundry room, which is upstairs one door over from our bedroom. He doesn't seem to mind and is completely silent at night when he is in there. It must be something behavioral or mental. We are thinking we'll keep him in there a few more days and then move him back to our room and see if it continues. If it is a learned behavior we are hoping that he'll forget! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest driser Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Ours "talks in his sleep" (growling included) OFTEN and often wakes himself up doing it! Makes us smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kisstherain Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Do you think there might be a plane or something outside (i.e. cat sneaking around in the bushes) that he is sensing but you cannot see? My girl dislikes those huge good year advertisement blimps in the sky, and one day she just started snarling and growling out of the blue (she usually never makes a peep) and I could not figure out why.. but when I looked up...yup. There it was. Edited April 9, 2015 by kisstherain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KickReturn Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 (edited) Sorry for not responding sooner. We have the same behaviour in our house. Almost every night, often several times per night, Hester has what we call "racing dreams". Growling, snarling, elevating into "woofing" and sometimes outright barking although barking is rare. Often his legs are going but not always. I give a simple pssst sound and he will quiet himself. We find it adorable and if I am not short of sleep I often don't interupt him just so I can watch or listen. The only other time I have heard him make the same noises is when he is chasing another greyhound. Otherwise he is a rock solid dog that will go for months without making a sound when he is awake. The interesting part with your dog is that he doesn't do it if you change up his sleeping arrangements. But that is not so strange. If he is not showing discomfort during the day then I doubt it is medical. Sounds like he should have a dental and the problem teeth should be dealt with just to be safe. Please brush every night. Edited April 14, 2015 by KickReturn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lulafortune Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Just thought I'd post an update. We had Enzo sleeping out of room for about 2 weeks or so and everything was fine with that. We decided to try bringing him back in and he was ok for 2 nights and then started back up with the growling. We have also since figured out that most of the time the growling happens when we make a noise or shift positions in bed. For example, he goes up to bed around 8:30, I come in the room to bed around 10 and the lights go out and he growls once. Husband comes to bed around midnight...he growls when he enters the room. I shift positions in bed an hour or so later, he growls, etc., etc. Last night he growled at both of us with the lights on and everything while laying in his bed - so I know he is NOT dreaming. Very vicious sounding, baring teeth and all. He jumps out of bed and comes to me (at this point I'm starting to freak wondering if he is about to attack me) and then he just stops growling and walks over and leans on me like he is a totally different dog. We are baffled. We are ordering a DAP collar as a desperate attempt at a solution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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