7 week old maltipoo sleep

by Rocielle
(San Diego, CA, United States)

I just got a 7 week old male maltipoo and named him Mordecai.

He sleeps a lot and often when he sleeps his paws start twitching and his mouth would move and make sucking noises. I used to not worry about it because I assumed he was just dreaming but sometimes his twitches get so intense that it looks like he's having a seizure. His breathing is faster and his head and body starts twitching a lot and faster than his paws would normally. Can someone tell me what this is? :[

It makes me really really worried.

Also, I'm not sure if this is normal or not since he is still a baby. Is it normal for him to sleep often. Even in the middle of playing? Sometimes he will be playing with a light teddy bear and in the middle of it, he'll just fall asleep. I hope he doesn't have narcolepsy :[

Thank you so much,
Rocielle



Hi Rocielle
It's very normal for puppies to twitch, move their paws, quiver, whine or even give little barks while they're sleeping. They're just dreaming.

You don't need to worry unless your puppy suffers from uncontrolled movements of his limbs or seems wobbly or 'out of it' when awake. This could indicate a seizure, or a dangerous drop in blood sugar levels.

It's also very normal for puppies to sleep - A LOT! If he's been very active, it's possible for your puppy to fall asleep in the middle of playing. It's kind of like a human baby falling asleep mid-way through a meal, it happens :o)

If your puppy seems happy and healthy in all other respects, I don't think you have anything much to worry about. However, it's always a good idea to take a new puppy for a vet check-up as soon as possible after he comes to his new home.

This makes sure that your puppy has no underlying (or unseen) health issues, and if anything is found, that the correct treatment can be started quickly.

I would recommend that you get your pup a check up, just to be on the safe side. As a new puppy owner, you may also want to check out my New Puppy Care page. It has tons of tips and advice on everything you need to know about taking care of your pup.

Knowing the signs/symptoms of illness (and when you need to take your pup to a vet) is also very important. My Dog Illnesses and my Puppy Diarrhea pages can help you there.

Best of luck with your new puppy!