Ozzy's Sleep Issue Is Getting Progressively Worse

[Guest lanielovesgreys]

We've had Ozzy for a almost 2 years. When he first got here we had absolutely no issues at all with sleep aggression. We were careful but more than once I *almost* stepped on his face and he was totally fine.

 

About 6 months ago we woke up to what sounded like a dog fight. We had Vivie back then and she was sick so I was nervous he was attacking her because he could tell she was sick. So I moved him to an isolated pet of the bedroom and that made it quit.

 

Since then, it's gotten worse. He'll do it in the living room when nobody is around. And now he's got some sleep aggression, too. now he'll do it most nights. Last night it happened 6 times. A few weeks ago we built an actual barrier to separate the dogs even though they are nearly 10 feet apart. That worked for a while, but now even that stopped working.

 

I'd be less concerned if his hadn't come on so quickly and gotten so much worse in a relatively short amount of time. I've got a vet appointment in the morning, but I thought I'd check in here so I could come in with ideas.

 

Thoughts? I was going to start with a thyroid panel.

[XTRAWLD]

I'd be worried about something neurological going on Gentle scritches

[smurfette]

I agree. It sounds like something medical. Thyroid, perhaps?

[msjpk]

video the incidents for the vet. It would be easier to determine a seizure vs. behavioral. keep us posted and good luck.

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm confused why you would think thyroid--but yes, he needs to go to the vet.

[Guest lanielovesgreys]

Yeah, I'm not a vet. It's my first guess. What would you guess?

[Guest Greyt_dog_lover]

dumb question, but is he just having dreams? Many hounds that I have had in my home over the last years (30+ hounds) have vivid dreams and will even sometimes wake up snarling and spitting. I have one old guy that is cranky whenever any other hound walks within about 5' of the bed he is laying on, but its just grumbling, nothing more.

[greysmom]

Definitely talk about possible neurological issues. The fact that it came on so quickly, and are seemingly so serious, is what would make me think that. But Chad has a good point - if no one is moving around him, or near him, is he just having really loud dreams, or possibly even night terrors? I know some people scoff at dogs having nightmares, but they do dream about good things, so why not bad things?

 

Thyroid imbalances *can* exacerbate some anxiety and/or aggression issues in some greyhounds. But those effects usualy are seen when the dog is awake too, not just when they are sleeping. So if he only does this while asleep, it may not be a medical issue.

 

A neuro consult may be appropriate, but this will likely lead to expensive testing. You need to determine if the answers to the tests will make you change your mind about treatment.