The real reason you should never wake up a sleeping dog, the veterinarian warns
Let the dog sleeping lying ... literally.
If you assume that the metaphor "leaving the sleeping dogs" was nothing more than an old woman's story, the veterinarians recently talked to put things right. Whether it be Your own animal Or a dog taking a nap in the park, waking sleep dogs can actually cause serious problems, according to these animal experts. Continue to read for their explanation why and to better understand your dog's sleep cycle.
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Dogs sleep a lot - But for a good reason.
If you've already lived with a dog, we don't have to tell you how much their day went to sleep. Of course, sometimes they take a nap because they get bored, but dogs really need sleep because " Help to restore their immunity and repairs damaged cells in their bodies, "explains Catrin George , specialist in animal welfare to Animal pet insurance for animal friends , in an interview with Newsweek.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), on average, dogs spend Half of their sleeping day And "30% awake but relaxing, and only 20% are active". These figures fluctuate for puppies, older dogs and breeds of large dogs.
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Dogs have sleep habits similar to humans.
But despite requiring much more sleep than humans, dogs have similar sleep cycles for us. George said Nowsweek That, like people, dogs finally finish sleeping Rem (rapid eye movement). This is considered the deepest sleep cycle, and it is when dogs and humans dream.
However, AKC explains that if humans spend about 25% of their sleep hours in the REM cycle, it is only about 10% for dogs "due to their irregular sleep habits". Therefore, they require more global sleep to compensate for this.
The REM cycle is when you really don't want to wake up a sleeping dog.
"Sleeping, [dogs] take about 10 minutes to switch from the slow wave - while slowing down breathing, blood pressure falls and heart rate decrease - in the rapid movement (Rem)", the 'AKC breaks down. "In the REM phase, their eyes roll under the closed lids and their body could react to dreams." AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
George shared with Nowsweek Whether it could make them "contract their ears, eyes, legs or tail". They could also sleep on their side during this period.
And as they are in such a deep and potentially dreamy sleep, it's exactly the bad time to surprise a awake dog. They can be disoriented and jump, scratch or even bite, notes Nowsweek .
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But avoid waking them completely if you can.
It can be difficult to know when your dog has entered the REM sleep cycle, so it is advisable to avoid waking them up every time they doze. However, MONDRIAN COUNTERS , DVM, veterinarian at Carol Stream Animal Hospital in Illinois, shared with Nowsweek That there are also other reasons.
"There are also medical conditions such as hearing loss, arthritis and back injuries that can make dogs more reactive if they are suddenly surprised," he said. "This intense reaction can make them injure themselves, or the sudden increased physical discomfort can make them take or grow instinctively because of the flight or combat response."
Here is what if you have to wake up a sleeping dog.
If you have to wake up a sleeping dog, Dog Walking Company Rover experts suggest Say their name slowly In order not to surprise them or put "a tasty treat under their nose to wake up a more positive experience".
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