Weird Twitching

And no, it's not the "dream twitching". Every so often when he's sleeping, Mac will curl his legs up underneath him, and one of them will twitch and stretch back out further. He'll move it back to where he wants and it'll kick out again. Repeat several times. This morning he was laying by me and I could feel every few seconds there was a twinge along his side/back near his leg without any movement of his leg, sort of like one of those random neck twinges you or I would get.
We had his pelvic area/back legs x-rayed maybe a year and a half ago because he was limping after first waking up, but there was no explanation, and the limping is not an issue anymore.
Has anyone experienced this or have any ideas what this might be?

Hmmm, I really have no clue, sounds like it could just be a nerve spazzing out, it is odd though.

Doggy equiealent of restless leg syndrome?

Becky, is Mac on steroids? I forget if he is. Anyways, if so, that can be a side effect in humans...not sure if it is in dogs too but Sophie twitches at night-she actually kicks me.

Saira wrote:Becky, is Mac on steroids? I forget if he is. Anyways, if so, that can be a side effect in humans...not sure if it is in dogs too but Sophie twitches at night-she actually kicks me.

No, he is my only one that isn't on daily medication.

Tyson&LuLu'sMom wrote:

Saira wrote:Becky, is Mac on steroids? I forget if he is. Anyways, if so, that can be a side effect in humans...not sure if it is in dogs too but Sophie twitches at night-she actually kicks me.

No, he is my only one that isn't on daily medication.

Oh, well there goes that theory!

Sounds like myoclonic jerks to me. My dogs do it both on and off steroids. In humans, they can, in some instances, indicate neurological issues, but not generally.

Myoclonus ( /maɪˈɒklənəs/) is brief, involuntary twitching of a muscle or a group of muscles. It describes a medical sign and, generally, is not a diagnosis of a disease. Brief twitches are perfectly normal. The myoclonic twitches
are usually caused by sudden muscle contractions; they also can result
from brief lapses of contraction. Contractions are called positive myoclonus; relaxations are called negative myoclonus. The most common time for people to encounter them is while falling asleep (hypnic jerk), but myoclonic jerks are also a sign of a number of neurological disorders. Hiccups are also a kind of myoclonic jerk specifically affecting the diaphragm.
Also when a spasm is caused by another person it is known as a
"provoked spasm". Shuddering attacks with babies also fall in this
category.

northernwitch wrote:Sounds like myoclonic jerks to me. My dogs do it both on and off steroids. In humans, they can, in some instances, indicate neurological issues, but not generally.

Myoclonus ( /maɪˈɒklənəs/) is brief, involuntary twitching of a muscle or a group of muscles. It describes a medical sign and, generally, is not a diagnosis of a disease. Brief twitches are perfectly normal. The myoclonic twitches
are usually caused by sudden muscle contractions; they also can result
from brief lapses of contraction. Contractions are called positive myoclonus; relaxations are called negative myoclonus. The most common time for people to encounter them is while falling asleep (hypnic jerk), but myoclonic jerks are also a sign of a number of neurological disorders. Hiccups are also a kind of myoclonic jerk specifically affecting the diaphragm.
Also when a spasm is caused by another person it is known as a
"provoked spasm". Shuddering attacks with babies also fall in this
category.

Thank you, Blanche, that puts my mind at ease.

I was thinking muscle spasms too. My foster Kobe has those pretty bad, and we just put him on muscle relaxers to help because he spasms a lot every time he is sleeping.

Imi has had episodes of something very similar the past few days, but it happens when she is standing/walking. With her history of spinal problems and surgery, I have put it down to that. I suspect in Imi's case it might be another disc issue, but I think at her age surgery again is not an option. I will discuss it with my vet though.

Aussie Witch wrote:Imi has had episodes of something very similar the past few days, but it happens when she is standing/walking. With her history of spinal problems and surgery, I have put it down to that. I suspect in Imi's case it might be another disc issue, but I think at her age surgery again is not an option. I will discuss it with my vet though.

Rona, we have found that acupuncture and muscle relaxers work wonders for back issues!!

northernwitch wrote:The most common time for people to encounter them is while falling asleep (hypnic jerk) ...

I haaaaaaaate those!

SacramentoPugs wrote:

northernwitch wrote:The most common time for people to encounter them is while falling asleep (hypnic jerk) ...

I haaaaaaaate those!

Me, too, and I do it a lot.

Julian twitches and 'stretches' kinda weird too and gets hiccups too often, I think! (All in his sleep)

Penny gets them occasionally in her sleep, and so do I. I think that they are also called Jacksonian Marches. Don't ask me why.

Pugsaunt wrote:Penny gets them occasionally in her sleep, and so do I. I think that they are also called Jacksonian Marches. Don't ask me why.

Really? That's a great name for them. Much better than myoclonic jerks......

northernwitch wrote:

Pugsaunt wrote:Penny gets them occasionally in her sleep, and so do I. I think that they are also called Jacksonian Marches. Don't ask me why.

Really? That's a great name for them. Much better than myoclonic jerks......

I looked it up in one of my old nursing books and found the name. I'll double check it when I get back home.

Okay--I looked it up cause I can't let sleeping dogs twitch (chortle)

If you want to read the whole thing, here's the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacksonian_seizure

But they are named after their discoverer, John Hughlings Jackson who was an English neurologist.

Jacksonian Marches are a type of epilepsy and they involve a progression of the location of the seizure in the brain, which leads to a "march" of the motor presentation of symptoms.

I slouch corrected, Blanche.

Hank has always had RLS...or at least that is what I have always called it! I never considered it to be something wrong with him. Just figured it was spasms or it was from his FHO surgery,like nerve issues or such.

I think I have had so many fosters and dogs that I don't get too excited about stuff unless it's really bad.

TNPUGMOMOF3 wrote:Hank has always had RLS...or at least that is what I have always called it! I never considered it to be something wrong with him. Just figured it was spasms or it was from his FHO surgery,like nerve issues or such.

I think I have had so many fosters and dogs that I don't get too excited about stuff unless it's really bad.

Bingo. I've become pretty much the same.