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Sleep Apnea and Narcolepsy: Sleeping Disorders in Dogs
Has your dog been yelping and barking continuously at odd hours of the night? Or does he bang walls, knock over furniture or kick you in the head while dreaming? Though it may sound funny, the truth of the matter is that your dog may be suffering from a sleep disorder. We have often heard of sleep disorders in humans, but studies have proven that sleep disorders in dogs do exist. Research has shown that dogs share at least three common sleep disorders with their human counterparts: dreaming (and therefore, possibly nightmares,) narcolepsy and sleep apnea. These disorders can prevent your dog from receiving the proper amount of rest he needs to function properly. Sleep apnea in humans is considered to be a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. Sleep apnea is the most common disorder in dogs. English bull dogs are considered as being especially susceptible. Sleep apnea also affects overweight and inactive dogs. Another sleep disorder in dogs that is frequently inherited is narcolepsy. Affected dogs are often described as falling fast asleep right in their track. Narcolepsy causes cataplectic attacks. Dogs suddenly lose control of their hind legs or even collapse in complete, limb-numbing paralysis. It is believed that during these attacks, dogs are entirely aware of their surroundings and can track things with their eyes. The attacks are often provoked by excitement, such as feeding or play. The attacks usually last only a few seconds, although severe episodes can last for several minutes. Calling out to the dog or touching the dog may sometimes terminate an attack. Some of the breeds of dogs in which narcolepsy is found include doberman pinschers, labrador retrievers, and miniature poodles. Narcolepsy occurs in other breeds of dogs as well. Narcolepsy can often be treated successfully with certain drugs, including methylphenidate, modafinil, dextroamphetamine and pemoline. The major side effects of medications such as these are irritability, anxiety, a quickened heart rate, hypertension, substance abuse, and, paradoxically in some cases, disturbances of nocturnal sleep. Stanford based researchers have identified the causes of narcolepsy in dogs. This research is being linked with human narcolepsy and the information that has been found here is being used in research in order to try and find the actual underlying cause of the sleeping disorder itself. A comparison between the human gene map and the genes of dogs thato suffer from narcolepsy has in fact fortunately led to the discovery of a literal and mutual deficiency in hypocretin, which is a chemical that is found in the brain that when absent seems to lead to the narcolepsy disorder. Though studies show that narcolepsy is frequently inherited, it has been found that a narcoleptic -- whether dog or human -- will in fact have no close relatives that share the disorder, and usually even if there is an identical twin involved, even they will not suffer from the disorder.
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