Why do dogs sometimes have seizures during sleep?

One day, June - Wudan Yan's German shepherd dog, after falling asleep on the floor, suddenly its big smooth legs began to move as if kicking in the air. June seemed to be chasing something in her dream. According to Wudan Yan, it seems to be following the tracks of unseen prey.

'Sometimes while sleeping, its feet move very violently, as if it is running on an invisible treadmill. It looks like it's dreaming, doesn't it? It's chasing squirrels and rabbits,' Wudan Yan said.

"Do you still think this bed has room for you?"

Neuroscientist Marcos Frank, a professor at Washington State University who studies sleep in animals, says the behaviors Yan has observed in pets are completely universal. 'I've seen it in my dogs. They run, whine, bark or even wake up and don't know where they are," he said.

So what did June really dream about? The life in the dream of animals has always stimulated human curiosity for thousands of years, but we still have not found a definite answer.

Involuntary myoclonus is common in both dogs and humans. That's when a dog's legs and feet start to shake or move continuously during sleep, which happens most often during the REM sleep cycle. In addition, eye blinking during sleep is also related to this sleep cycle.

In humans, REM sleep is closely related to lucid dreaming. It's a moment of strange, colorful experiences that you'll be super eager to tell the rest of your family about when you wake up.

According to a 1977 study published in the journal Physiology & Behavior, dogs experience multiple stages of REM sleep, which accounts for about 12% of their total life. And because other aspects of dog sleep closely resemble our sleep, scientists believe those similarities may also be present in dreams.

'From dogs to humans, most mammals exhibit basic states of sleep. We can't say with certainty that dogs will dream like humans, but it's also a hypothesis to consider," Frank said.

"Who says you can't fit it all in any bed?"

As sleep movements become more complex, there is a good chance that something more than the usual muscle twitches has occurred.

Frank said: 'This act of almost running while sleeping is not normal. Because in the brain there is a mechanism that helps to actively paralyze the body from the neck down. It's what makes you avoid doing bad things while you're dreaming."

That structure, called a pons, is located on the brain stem. Damage to the pons can cause a 'short circuit' that paralyzes the body during sleep.

In the 1970s, scientists discovered that if the brainstem of domestic cats was damaged, it would cause them to be more active during sleep. For example, the cats in the study raised their heads, moved their legs, and even jumped.

Damage to pons caused by neurological disorders can also affect the body's ability to paralyze during sleep. In humans, a significant increase in startles during sleep could be an early warning sign of Parkinson's disease. If you see the same thing in your dog, you should take him to the vet.

In humans, REM sleep has a role in memory consolidation, and there is some evidence that the same is true in animals.

In a 2001 study published in the journal Neuron, researchers observed brainwave activity in sleeping rats and concluded that they were replaying the events of the day at intervals of time. this. As the rats ran through a circular maze before falling asleep, they seemed to repeat the meager understandings gained in the maze while asleep. In 2017, a study published in the journal Scientific Reports found that dogs can use their nap time to consolidate memories established while awake.

Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, says dogs' wild relatives exhibit similar behaviors during sleep.

The dogs participating in the study will begin to learn how to follow new voice commands. One week after the first training session, the dogs that slept after the training session (instead of continuing to play) showed better performance on the related task than their counterparts in the control group.

"There's no reason not to try to believe that sleeping dogs are still recalling some prior experience," said Marc Bekoff, professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado. Boulders.

"Come on boss! Turn off the TV and go to sleep," said Ellie, a 6-year-old German short-haired dog.

This behavior also occurs in distant relatives of dogs. Professor Bekoff spent countless hours doing fieldwork, such as observing sleeping wolves and coyotes. He said all of them have similar behavior to pet dogs in the house.

But even if domestic dogs, wolves, and coyotes could recall events during their sleep, the results would still be slightly different from human dreams. 'We dream of different things, but for dogs, that's not their area of ​​ability,' said Frank, a Washington State professor.

Although dogs don't have the best eyesight in the world, they have an extraordinary sense of smell. 'I think there's some range of senses that would be relevant for intellectual content. I've always wondered if dogs' dreams are the world they smelled of?'

Philosopher David M. Peña-Guzmán, associate professor at San Francisco State University, said: "It seems today's pet owners are particularly attentive to the sleep lives of their 'companions', but it's true. This interest has been traced back to antiquity.

Peña-Guzmán revealed: 'There are mentions of animal dreams in the work of Aristotle and a few other Greek philosophers.

People still like to speculate about the dreams of animals close to them, such as dogs and horses, he said. Peña-Guzmán notes that spending a lot of time with a domesticated animal makes it easier to picture them as creatures with rich inner lives. Species that go unnoticed by humans, such as frogs and insects, tend to be overlooked in ancient documents.

Mason, 3 years old, a Labrador hybrid, loves to lie on his back but hates blankets.

Why would a philosopher be interested in the dreams of animals? In his book, Peña-Guzmán argued that the ability to dream indicates an animal attaining a certain consciousness. And when we recognize an animal's consciousness, we are likely to appreciate that ability, believing that they deserve to be treated with respect, he writes.

And Peña-Guzmán found such dreams in the animal kingdom. He describes a sleeping octopus with kaleidoscope-like colors, which some scientists see as evidence of REM sleep. He wrote of zebra finches whose brain activity during sleep was similar to that of a song. In addition, Peña-Guzmán also suggested that fish can dream.

Peña-Guzmán admits that not all animal scientists agree with his conclusions about dreams, but one thing is clear: We have a lot to learn about dreams. of the animals.

'In the dream, you actually see the power of mind at work. It's a really powerful reminder of how much we underestimate animals and the extent of their unexplored minds," said Peña-Guzmán.