Hallucinations in dogs

Can Dogs Hallucinate? - Wag!

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Can Dogs Hallucinate?

Introduction

You're sitting on the couch when it happens. You and your dog are enjoying a nice Saturday afternoon watching your favorite movie and sharing a snack when your pup starts acting strangely. First, your doggo cocks their head to the side, then, they trot to the window. They start barking, but when you look up to check, there's nothing there.

Is it possible that your dog is hallucinating?

In short, yes, it's likely that dogs can hallucinate. Many people are shocked to find out that dogs can suffer many of the same neurological conditions that people can, and hallucinations are no different. When a person or a dog hallucinate, they are picking up on an experience involving the perception of something that isn't actually there. In other words, you're seeing something that doesn't exist.

Signs Your Dog is Hallucinating

While it's impossible to know with 100 percent certainty that dog hallucinations work the exact same way human hallucination works, it is likely that dogs experience the same symptoms of this neurological condition. But, instead of these symptoms manifesting the same way that they would in people - talking to nothing, communicating with people who aren't there, verbally expressing a situation that isn't happening - dogs share their hallucinations with us in other ways.

For example, dogs who are relatively introverted who suddenly refuse to come inside can possibly be experiencing hallucinations. In the same way, if a dog, especially a relatively quiet or soft-spoken dog, starts to obsessively bark or growl at the same spot over and over, then it's possible they are seeing something that isn't really there.

If you notice your dog is staring off into space far more than he normally does with intense focus, it's also possible that hallucinations could be the culprit. Don't rule out hallucination if your dog starts fly-biting, either. Fly biting is a behavior that dogs with epileptic tendencies often show. With this behavior, your dog will likely frantically nip about at flies around him that don't actually exist - so, in reality, they are nipping and biting at the air.

Body Language

Your dog might be giving you a ton of signals that something is off, you just need to know where to look. If you think your dog might be experiencing hallucinations, look for signs like:

Growling
Staring
Barking
Panting
Twitching Whiskers
Stalking
Ears Back
Pupils Dilated
Whale Eye

Other Signs

Here are few other, more specific signs that you dog might be hallucinating

Fly-Biting
Refusal To Come Inside/ Stubborness
Barking Or Responding To Nothing
Seizures And Epilepsy
Obsessive Behaviors That Don'T Make Sense

Historic Causes of Hallucinations in Dogs

When it comes down to determining the causes of dog hallucinations, it can get kind of dicey. Though we can't say 100 percent that dogs experience hallucinations in the same way people do, we're relatively sure they do. However, because dogs can't tell us what they're seeing or how they're feeling with words, we often have to guess.

Historically, signs of hallucination occur in dogs when they're struggling with epilepsy or seizures. Hallucinations are often a precursor to epilepsy, so in a way, the cause of hallucinations are a warning sign of what's to come. Focal seizures are the biggest cause of this, as well as liver problems. Sometimes, liver problems trigger hepatic encephalopathy which can result in strange dog behaviors.

But hallucinations can also be a result of a toxic food that your dog has eaten. For example, if your dog eats chocolate, the toxicity might affect him within 24 hours and he could start seeing hallucinations, among other things.

The Science Behind Hallucination

In order to understand why your dog is hallucinating or to best understand how to help them combat these hallucinations, it first helps to understand what a hallucination is and what kind of hallucination your dog is able to experience. A hallucination, as we discussed before, is having some sort of experience with something that isn't there - whether that's hearing, seeing, or in a dog's case, smelling something that doesn't exist in front of them.

Auditory hallucinations are a big one for dogs. This affects their hearing. Your dog might think they are hearing something real, but instead, their neurological functions are acting up and they're not hearing anything at all. This can be exceptionally hard to determine because dogs have superior hearing to humans, so it's harder to tell if they're hearing something we can't or if they're hearing something that doesn't exist. Visual hallucinations are big, too. Your dog can experience these just like you can. They typically manifest themselves in something called flycatching or star gazing. With this, your dog will bite or nip at flies that aren't there, stare fixedly at objects, chase things that don't exist, or avoid imaginary objects that you can't see.

Training Your Dog to Deal With Hallucinations

Training your dog to deal with hallucinations is a tough and tricky business. For starters, diagnosing your dog's hallucinations is a tough thing to do. Once you get a handle on what's happening with your dog, though, it's likely that your dog-tor is going to want to put them on a slew of different medicines.

First off, they might prescribe something like Valium. Valium will reduce pet anxiety, which might be the first step in helping your dog deal with their hallucinations. If they're suffering from epileptic issues or seizures, that's a whole extra ball game and it's likely that your dog will have to deal with quite a few different pills and medicines to keep his health in the clear.

But how do you train your dog to take these pills without a problem? We have a few suggestions. First, you can always go the super-simple route and try to hide pills in your dog's food. This works most of the time, but if you have a dog that's too sly to fool, you'll want to try to slip the pill in a special treat - like a piece of cheese or lunchmeat. If this doesn't work, try simply being upfront and feeding your dog the pill from your hand. Some dogs won't mind this and they'll think you're offering them a special treat.

Other dogs, though, might require some convincing. With this situation, we recommend training your dog to play a fun game to distract them from the actual pill. With this, we suggest a throw-and-catch game. Teach your dog to go long for the treat, catch the treat, and then eat it as their reward. Fun loving dogs will get a kick out of this game and they'll also get the medicine they need.

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By a Great Dane lover Hanna Marcus

Published: 03/26/2018, edited: 04/06/2020

Epilepsy in Dogs: Symptoms & Treatment

Like humans, dogs can suffer from seizures, too. Unfortunately, they’re not always obvious.

That’s because there are many different types, depending on the cause. Medical experts now believe that seizures aren’t a disease, so much as a sign of something wrong. It’s a symptom rather than a disease.

Why Do Dogs Have Seizures?

There are many things that can trigger seizures in dogs. Here are a few of the most common causes of seizures in dogs:

Common Causes of Canine Seizure

There is no single cause for canine seizures, but the following are known to be major factors:

Anemia
Brain Cancer
Electrolyte Imbalance
Encephalitis
High or Low Blood Sugar
Kidney Disease
Liver Disease
Poisoning
Stroke
Traumatic Injury to the Head

Common Dog Breeds for Epilepsy

Although, any dog can have a seizure there are genetic markers that make dog’s a higher risk for epilepsy.

Your dog’s genetics are a major contributor to their risk of having seizures. Some breeds are known to have a greater risk of idiopathic epilepsy and the seizures they cause, including:

Australian Shepherds
Beagles
Belgian Tervurens
Border Collies
Cocker Spaniels
Collies
Dachshunds
German Shepherds
Golden Retrievers
Irish Setters
Keeshonds
Labrador Retrievers
Poodles

How to Tell If Your Dog is Having a Seizure

To answer that, we first have to get a little technical. The medical term for a seizure is “ictus” – a convulsion or some type of fit, such as uncontrollable muscular activity. This happens because something’s thrown a wrench in the brain’s normal functions. An ictus goes through three phases

1. The Pre-Ictal Phase (also called “an aura”)

During this period, your dog will start acting strangely. They could suddenly:

Start to Cling to You
Hide
Appear Nervous
Become Restless
Whine
Shake
Salivate more than normal

This can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. In other words, your dog already knows something bad is about to happen and that there’s nothing anyone can do about it.

2. The Ictal Phase

This is the actual seizure, itself, and can last anywhere from a few seconds to five minutes. One or several things can happen:

Absence or Psychomotor Seizures
They start hallucinating… or so doctors think, because your dog tunes out and appears to stare off into space. They could also start barking or biting at invisible things or start chasing their tails obsessively. This is the most dangerous because it isn’t always possible to tell whether your dog is having a seizure or if your pup is just being dopey.
Focal or partial seizures
Only one side of their brain is having a fit, so only one side of their body starts convulsing. It could happen on one side of their face, or it could look like a spasm on some part of their body.
Grand mal seizures
Also called “generalized seizures,” both sides of the brain are going through abnormal electrical activity. As such, the entire body starts convulsing. This is the most obvious sign of a seizure and can be scary to watch. Your dog will pass out and fall on one side and shake. This is an epileptic fit. If they didn’t hit their head, weren’t poisoned, or aren’t suffering from some known medical problem, doctors will say they have “idiopathic epilepsy” – meaning they have no idea what’s causing it, so it’s probably genetic. During a grand mal seizure, your dog will start convulsing while paddling their legs like they’re swimming. Sometimes, they’ll also throw their heads back as if trying to touch their backs with their noses. Some foam at the mouth, others poop and pee. Each dog reacts slightly differently.

3. The Post-Ictal Phase

Once the seizure is over, your dog won’t recover right away. They’ll be dazed and restless. They could even suffer from temporary blindness, so expect a lot of stumbling, bumping into walls, and whatnot. Excessive drooling is also normal during this phase.

After a seizure dogs will appear disoriented and uncoordinated. Dogs may become very tired. Keeping your dog calm and relaxed is key to keeping the safe after an epileptic episode. Be patient, altered behavior and disorientation can last for an extended period of time and in some cases may last as long as 24 hours after the seizure has ended.

Caring for Your Dog During a Seizure

What do you do when your dog is having a seizure? Your instinct may be to pick up your dog or try to hold them down, but try to resist. The best thing you can do when a dog is seizing is to stand by, make sure they don’t hurt themselves, and pay attention to what’s going on. Here are a few helpful things you can do if your dog has a seizure:

Don’t Panic

Dogs are very sensitive to their owner’s moods, so if you freak out, you’ll only make them feel worse. It might help to know that even if your dog goes through a grand mal seizure and looks like they’re auditioning for the canine version of “The Exorcist,” they’re not actually in pain.

The exception is if they bite their tongues. If that happens, don’t try to stop it by sticking your hand in their mouths. They could bite you without meaning to or even knowing they’re doing it. Nor should you worry if they start foaming at the mouth. They’re not suffering from rabies – it’s just the seizure.

Keep Your Distance

They could be hallucinating, mistake you for someone unfriendly, and attack. If your dog is having a psychomotor seizure, stay away until the seizure is over and your dog has had time to become aware of their surroundings.

Comfort Your Dog

A grand mal seizure needs a lot of TLC on your part, so gently hold and comfort your dog till it passes. Keep them away from sharp and hard objects so they don’t hurt themselves and try to cushion their heads. They’ll be confused upon recovery, even temporarily blinded, so keeping them away from stairs is also a good idea.

Time the Seizure

It will be challenging but try to time the seizure if you can. If the seizure lasts for two to three minutes, your dog’s going to suffer from hyperthermia (overheating). If that happens, use cold water or apply wet towels to their groin, neck, paws, and head to cool them down.

Isolate Other Pets from Seizing Dog

If you have several dogs, keep them away from the one that’s having a seizure. When in a pack, dogs are programmed to attack injured animals because that’s how their ancestors survived for goodness knows how long. Physically separate your other pets, until your dog’s seizure has ended.

Visit Your Vet

A seizure that lasts longer than five minutes can be fatal. That’s a sure sign of status epilepticus. If your dog does survive, it could suffer from permanent brain damage, so you have to get them to the vet ASAP.

A single seizure isn’t something to worry about, usually; but if your dog has several of them (called cluster seizures), that’s bad. The Veterinarian will want to know how long the seizure or seizures lasted so they can have a better idea of the problem.

Treatment for Epilepsy

Medication is usually only given in a few instances:

If your dog experiences cluster seizures
Seizures occur more than once a month
Your dog experiences a seizure lasting longer than three minutes

In such cases, your dog will be given an anticonvulsant (something that prevents convulsions) – usually phenobarbital or potassium bromide. If that happens, then it’s for life.

Studies show that if a dog starts on anticonvulsants then stops taking them, they run the risk of getting more severe seizures in the future. Your final job, then, is to make sure they stay on their meds for the rest of their lives. Your pooch will thank you for it.

Guest Author:

Chelsie

Chelsie a senior editor for doglab.

com. When she’s not writing about dog related articles, she is busy taking care of her three adopted pups, Poppy, Lola and Molly.

Did we answer all your questions on "Epilepsy"?

Trances and hallucinations -

These are referred to as the Obsessive Movement Stereotype (or considered an example of OCD, depending on the terminology used). But is it? A very controversial issue. However, now this disorder is classified in this way, let's see what happens next. Trance and hallucinations are being studied, we can expect new insights into this issue in the future.

Hallucinations accompany many physiological disorders: it can be assumed that some dogs see them after anesthesia, with epilepsy (convulsions do not always occur, there is also a strange inhibited state with strange reactions (possibly reactions just to “glitches”). In many countries marijuana has been legalized or decriminalized, and there have been more cases of dog poisoning.In mild poisoning, behavior can also suggest that the dog is reacting to hallucinations. Of course, none of this has anything to do with stereotypy.

Hallucinations are often erroneously referred to as "reactions in the void".

What are obsessive trances and hallucinations really?

This is a behavioral disorder that occurs mainly in modern bull terriers. Quite often - in Greyhounds, and rarely - in dogs of other, completely different breeds (Chihuahua, Bullmastiff, Saluki, Shiba Inu, Vizsla and others). Males, females, neutered and fertile are equally affected by trance. Usually, the behavior first manifests itself in adulthood - from a year and older. In bull terriers, it can appear earlier - starting from 6 months. Some dogs go into a trance every day and can't get out of it for half an hour, but the vast majority only experience this state for a few minutes 1-2 times a week. For some, it is strictly tied to the house, for others it can happen both at home and on the street. Dogs with trance usually do not show anything on MRI, but about three out of four dogs have other obsessive movement stereotypes in addition to trance: “catching flies”, chasing their tail, etc.

The version that trance refers to an obsessive motor stereotypy is supported by the fact that it happens in some sense spontaneously (yes, there is a stimulus - for example, some kind of light touch on the back from grass, curtains or a tablecloth), then not always a trance can be provoked only by touching the back. As in the case of chasing rays, the dog arbitrarily cannot be distracted from the trigger until he completes the desired sequence of actions. And by definition of stereotypy, movements in trance are: repetitive, identical, with no apparent purpose or function.

Casting doubt on the diagnosis of stereotypy is the following: although bull terriers with trance do not find anything on MRI, bull terriers with stereotypy on the EEG often show seizure activity, although they do not have real seizures. Maybe trance is a manifestation of epilepsy? Attempts to treat with anticonvulsants in one study, however, did not give an effect, but one study, of course, is not enough to be sure. Another important feature is that the trance can be interrupted by calling the dog loudly and sharply. The owners note that the dog does not react as quickly as usual, but it does! With many other types of stereotypy, it is much more difficult, if not impossible, to stop a dog with his voice.

It is clear that this disorder (regardless of its cause) is hereditary. Currently, studies are underway to determine which mutations in the genome are associated with trance. This gives hope that breeders will be able to rid the next generation of the most susceptible breed - Bull Terriers - from this problem.

Let's see what trance looks like. This video has a significant detail - the connection with water - and you can see how the dog comes to the bowl with difficulty, and then finally "turns on" and begins to drink. For some reason, often trance in bull terriers is quite often associated with water - why? Don't know. Maybe because of the glare?

Most common is when dogs go into a trance by walking under curtains or anything else that creates light touches on the back.

Under the leaves of the flower (note the difference during the trance - the dog reacts a little to the owner's voice, but is unable to be completely distracted, and then she finally manages to "turn on"):

And here dogs of other breeds:

P.S. The videos shown here as examples are posted by the copyright holders of these videos in the public domain on YouTube. If the owner of the video decides to remove it from public access, then it will no longer be displayed correctly on this page. Please write to us and we will replace it with some other suitable open source example. Thank you!

What can cause hallucinations in dogs?

Historically, dogs have experienced signs of hallucinations when they are struggling with epilepsy or seizures. Hallucinations are often a precursor to epilepsy, so in some ways the cause of the hallucinations is a warning sign of what is about to happen. … But hallucinations can also be the result of toxic food your dog has eaten.

Due to a vision problem when debris gets in the eye, dogs can see debris everywhere. … Among other things, vitreous floaters, as well as vestibular disorders that make dogs feel like their world is turned upside down, also have the ability to cause what we think of as hallucinations in dogs.

Mental illness is one of the most common causes of hallucinations. Schizophrenia, dementia, and delirium are a few examples.

Your dog will focus in front of him and will act as if he sees something, even if there is nothing nearby. Veterinarians believe it is caused by a neurological condition such as a partial seizure or epilepsy.

Canine focal seizures (sometimes called partial seizures) affect only one half of the brain and in a specific area of that half. These seizures are described as simple or complex, depending on your dog's level of consciousness at the time of the seizure.

Dogs show sudden paranoia due to underlying fear, phobia, separation anxiety, or physical health problems. … Fear as a defense mechanism is widespread among dogs, and getting rid of it is not so easy. Most cases of aggression are based on fear, and this is a real problem. Constant exposure to fear breeds a phobia.

There are many causes of hallucinations, including: alcohol or drug intoxication, and drugs such as marijuana, LSD, cocaine (including crack), PCP, amphetamines, heroin, ketamine, and alcohol. Delirium or dementia (visual hallucinations are most common)

Brain tumors can cause forgetfulness, speech problems, or mood swings. They can also cause visual hallucinations. You may see things that aren't there, or act differently than usual.

Sometimes hallucinations can occur in debilitated older people who are ill. Hallucinations may begin before other signs that a person is unwell. They can be caused, for example, by a chest infection or by urination.

Dogs have a heightened sense of smell and energy that allows them to get the whole story with just one smell and interpret human emotions before humans.

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