is it normal for my puppy to twitch when asleep?

by Francis
(Miami florida)

i have a month old siberian spaniel and i have a couple questions. first i have noticed that when he is sleeping he starts to twitch a lot and it scares me because it sometimes seems that he is having a seizure because he shakes a lot.

also i want to know why he cries while he scratches himself. i think it might be fleas but i do not know.



Hi Francis
If your puppy is only a month old I hope he is still with his momma, he's a tiny, tiny baby! Puppies shouldn't leave their canine families until they're at least 8 weeks old.

The twitching etc. while asleep is very normal puppy behavior, many new owner worry about this but it is rarely necessary. As long as he doesn't have uncontrolled twitching or movement when he's awake it's probably nothing to worry about. He's just dreaming.

As for the whining when he's scratching himself. Usually that means that he's very itchy, but it could be that he's hurting himself if his nails are long etc.

Fleas are a health hazard and if he has them you will need to take measures to fight them off. At one month old he's too young to use a flea medication on him, but if he's still with his momma, then treating her and the area the dogs are in, should help alleviate the problem.

I'd recommend that you check out my Fleas and Ticks page for more tips and advice on dealing with these annoying parasites. My New Puppy Care page will probably also be helpful to you.

Best of luck with your pup.