Puppy jerking during sleep

by Suzanne
(mission viejo, ca)

My 12 week old Pomeranian jerks and twitches waking herself up right after she falls asleep.

She falls back to sleep very quickly and the process starts all over again.



Hi Suzanne
Most puppies twitch, jerk, shake and even whine, while sleeping, it's just the way their nervous system works and often they're dreaming. It's generally nothing to worry about.

If your pup shows any signs of loss of muscle control, twitching etc. when awake, then you definitely need to have her examined by your veterinarian though.

Also, if the twitching and so on is so severe that she literally wakes herself up over and over, and can't sleep properly, then she needs to be seen by a vet to rule out underlying health issues.

Puppies normally outgrow the more common twitching and jerking as they mature, but if you're at all concerned visit your vet. Always better to be safe than sorry :o)

Best of luck with your pup.