Strange Regular Overnight Behaviour...

[westiemum]

Hi All,

Collective DOL wisdom please. Sorry for the long post but I need to explain this carefully:

Here's the story:

Andy is my unexpected 'foster failure' westie who is about 5.5 years (assuming the age I was given is accurate - and given he's a puppy farm rescue, take it with a good dose of salt!). He has a mild form a focal epilepsey and is what I would call neurologically 'flakey' (He just seems 'soft', neurologically, but nothing really specific). He's a gorgeous little chap - small for the breed - who I have had for about 21 months.

I went on holidays on the 15th of September and my mother very kindly moved and and house sat the menagerie. The two puppy farm rescue westie boys only sort of cope while I'm away - Mum said they both 'pined' initially but after a couple of weeks they seemed to be OK. I returned on the 9th of October and Andy had his first mild seizure that I've seen since November last year (almost 12 months). He didn't have any episodes while I was away according to Mum. It was his usual vacant head shaking for around five minutes (no falling down, incontinence or unconciousness). Because it is so mild he is not medicated. If he seizes I just hold him until it stops. I'm guessing this episode on the evening of the 11th of October was related to the stress of the change again with me returning home from holidays - but thats a guess.

Before I came home, in the first week of October, Mum said he started this strange overnight behaviour where he suddenly wakes up very startled from what appears to be a deep sleep, scrabbles quickly out of bed and races out the back through the doggie door (this behaviour happens every time), which wakes the whole household. Occasionally he spends time outside (10-15 minutes) but usually he trots straight back in and just goes back to sleep in his bed. And when he does it Sarah (9 year-old westie) then follows him in the race outside. Occasionally Mac my old semi-deaf westie does as well but not as often (he often snores right through these episodes) - so as you can imagine two westies racing through the house on floor boards at around 4.30-5.00 am usually (although its been known to happen as early as 1.30 am) creates a huge commotion and badly disturbs my sleep). I tried sleeping him on my bed and in a large bed with Mac - it didn't help - which made me think its to do with his epilepsey, flakey neurology and/or sleep pattern. Or could it be related to the overnight temperature? (I also checked to see what might be disturbing him outside (long shot) with the torch on a couple of occasions and could find nothing). It seems to happen 4-5 nights out of 7 at the moment. He then usually returns to his bed and sleeps through until morning - although I often have difficulty getting back to sleep! ).

I'm really starting to get desperate to find a solution as this disturbing of my sleep can't go on. If I sleep him on the back verandah outside (with good bedding), away from everyone else he disturbs the whole neighbourhood! He hates being separated from me or the other westies.

I have him booked into his vet this week to see if she thinks a very small dose of anti-convulsant medication or a sedative might help break the pattern. I'm also going to wash all his bedding this week.

But I wondered if any DOLers had had anything similar happen and how you solved it - or can anyone help me with some good guesstimates about what might be going on here?

Any, suggestions or advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks tons,

One bleary eyed Westiemum

[~Anne~]

Perhaps crate him? That way he can't race outside and disturb the others. Although, if he is used to going to the toilet when he likes, as mine do, becuase of a dog door then suddenyl crating him might not be appropriate for him.

[persephone]

he may want a pee- or he more likely, can hear a cat/possum on its regular patrol he does his "chase off the intruder" duty...and roars back indoors .

????

Don't know , but am going for the simple answer first :D

[dancinbcs]

Restlessness at night, especially if he seems very hot, needs to be investigated. It is often the first sign of lymphoma.

[westiemum]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions - much appreciated. Didn't happen last night - thank goodness!

Pers I thought abou the possum/cat thing - but I felt the timing was too consistent (usually) and I have done the 5 am patrol of the back yard with a torch and found nothing. But if/when it happens again I'll have another look.

Thanks Anne, I tend not to crate the puppy farm rescue boys - rightly or wrongly I feel they've been contained for long enough in their past lives as sperm donors. But if I get too desperate, I'll revisit that idea too - thank you

And thank you dancinbcs - I didn't know that. Next time it happens will see if he's hot and go from there.

Thanks again everyone.

[westiemum]

Thanks for your help everyone.

Went to the vet this morning with the gorgeous problem child and she agrees with you Persephone - she thinks he is hearing something and 'just doing his job'. (He is a very good alert boy!). She feels the relative consistency of it suggests a cat or possum doing its nightly rounds. She examined him very thoroughly and he's perfectly healthy. I described his latest mild focal seizure and she said she thinks its unrelated and is pleased he's only had two since last November (09) and isn't concerned about it.

So Im going to try him and my girl in the kitchen overnight and leave the old boy (who's fairly deaf and usually sleeps throught the nightly commotion) with me - and hopefully I'll get at least an uninterrupted nights sleep! That would be good Its been a bit rugged here the last few nights..

Thanks again for your help - appreciated.

Edited October 30, 2010 by westiemum

[moosepup]

westie - how'd he go last night? Or don't you know cos you actually got to sleep right through?

Glad to hear the vet isn't concerned about it and he's in good health.

[westiemum]

Thanks Moosey,

Yep the vet thinks its behavioural - and things are certainly settling down - lucky for him!! Otherewise ther might have been a westie going FTGH! Any home!!!

westie - how'd he go last night? Or don't you know cos you actually got to sleep right through?

Glad to hear the vet isn't concerned about it and he's in good health.

[persephone]

Glad there is an improvement