Is It Normal For Dogs To Sleep With Their Eyes Open?

 

Dogs Sleeping

Do you often find your dog sleeping with their eyes open? Does the sight freak you out? While it is not that uncommon for dogs to sleep with their eyes partially open and it is not always worrisome or indicative of any medical problem in your beloved furry friend, this can occasionally be a symptom of an illness. So, why do dogs sleep with open eyes?

Here are some interesting facts about this condition in your canine:-

Reasons Why Dogs Sleep With Their Eyes Open

Survival Instinct

Dogs in the wild were built to stay alert all the time for any surrounding environmental threat. Domestic dog breeds carry this instinct due to which they can have their eyes partially open while sleeping.

Sleep Cycle

Dogs have shorter sleep cycles as compared to their human companions. There are chances that when you look at them thinking they are asleep with eyes open, they are partially awake and are just relaxing between the naps.

The Third Eyelid

Dogs have an inner third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that keeps their eyes protected from dirt, dust and bacteria. This third eyelid protects your dog’s eyes and becomes more visible while they are resting. So, when you think that your dog is sleeping with their eyes open, it is actually this third eyelid that you are looking at.

REM Sleep Disorder

If you see your dog twitching or growling while sleeping, or if you see abnormal eye movements, it could be because your dog is dreaming. This behavior can be the result of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) disorder, where the eyes of your dog are partially open during sleep.

Medical Condition

Your dog may also be suffering from a medical condition due to which you observe them sleeping with their eyes open. In case of a medical condition, consulting a veterinarian to provide proper treatment to your dog is necessary.

Cherry Eye

Common in dogs with squished faces like bulldogs or Boston terriers, cherry eye is a condition where the third eyelid of the dog gets swollen red, like a cherry. Because of the swelling, your dog is unable to close the eyes completely. This leads to having their eyes partially open while sleeping.

Lagophthalmos

Pugs and shih tzus are more prone to this condition. In such a condition, your dog is unable to close their eyes completely because the globe of the eye is too big to get covered by the eyelids. Diseases like glaucoma or genetic disorders could be the reason behind it.

When To Consult The Professional

Sleeping with eyes open is not always normal for dogs. There are chances that your dog may be suffering from an illness and will require medical intervention or a visit to a veterinarian.

Narcolepsy

Mostly a hereditary condition seen commonly among poodles, dachshunds, and Labrador retrievers, narcolepsy is a condition in which your dog falls asleep suddenly between waking and sleeping states even while in active conditions like playing or running. This may look like seizures, but it is just the state of dreaming. Though not completely curable, medicines can help in reducing the frequency of narcolepsy attacks.

Epilepsy (seizures)

When your dog experiences seizures, they will suddenly lie down with eyes wide open and show a blank expression, will be unresponsive to your voice and may look like they are sleeping with eyes open. Common in breeds like Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers, seizures need treatment and a visit to a veterinarian post-seizure attack is a must for keeping your dog safe.

Sleep Apnea Disorder

This disorder is mostly seen in obese dogs and in dog breeds having flat noses where they are unable to breathe due to sudden collapse of airways for 10 to 20 seconds during their sleep. This leads to waking up suddenly. Your dog may feel sluggish during the day and snore loudly. A proper diet plan to reduce your dog’s weight or surgery will be helpful.

Conclusion

Dogs sleep with their eyes open for multiple reasons. While it is not a very comforting sight, it is common and you need not worry about it all the time. However, if the condition is a result of any disorder or illness, proper medical intervention is required to help your dog live a healthy and happy life.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Effect of Wildlife on Your Pets

Image
If your pet tends to spend time outdoors, there are chances that it will come in contact with different plants, animals and organisms. Some of them can even pose a serious threat to your pal as they might carry diseases that may be transmitted to them. In this article, we will have a look at some of the harmful diseases that can get transmitted to your pet from the wildlife which will help you remain vigilant about your pet’s health and arrange necessary treatments. Tick-Borne Diseases Ticks are external parasites that attach to both animals and humans and feed on their blood. They are capable of affecting your pet’s health by transmitting illnesses such as Lyme disease , Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, etc. These parasites live on leaves or blades of grass and climb onto a host that brushes past them. They easily manage to grab your pet’s fur and travel down through the hair where they attach to their skin. You can prevent these pesky parasites from infesting your pet ...
Read more

Dr. Dogs: Can Our Fluffy Friends Sniff Out Diseases?

Image
Though the shape and size of dogs differ, what remains constant is their unique ability to detect scent in a range of situations. Reports say that dogs’ smelling abilities help them experience the world similar to how sight helps us to learn about the environment. Their nose is very important when it comes to finding food, mates, and safe spaces. Dogs can even determine how people are feeling by sniffing. For example, they can detect fear by sniffing human scent. Therefore, it is not surprising that dogs’ smelling abilities can help us detect a number of diseases, including the highly infectious Covid 19. Reports suggest that dogs’ smelling abilities might be 10,000 times better than humans because of the 100 million scent receptor that they have in their noses compared to only 6 million in human beings. The animals are also able to sniff a wide range of smells at much lower concentrations when compared to humans and high-tech laboratory instruments. They sometimes detect smells a...
Read more

Anaplasmosis in Dogs - Here's Everything You Should Know

Image
Ticks are more than just parasites. These blood-sucking insects cause all kinds of trouble to our canine friends. Not only do they live on your four-footed children and feed on their blood but they also cause relatively harmful diseases. Anaplasmosis is one of the many illnesses ticks can transmit to dogs. If left untreated, this condition only worsens and causes severe health complications. This blog provides all the essential information you should know about this lesser-known dog disease. Read through to learn more. Anaplasmosis - The Tick-Borne Condition Anaplasmos is or dog tick fever is a tick-borne bacterial disease that compromises dog's bloodstream. There are two forms of this condition: 1. The most common form of Anaplasmosis is caused by the infectious bacteria  Anaplasma phagocytophilum. This form of disease is transmitted by deer ticks (black-legged ticks). This bacteria affects the dog's white blood cells. 2. The less common form of Anaplasmosis is caused by the ...
Read more