Dog seizures cause many owners to panic and worry about the health of their pets. While a brief seizure may be just a normal reflex, prolonged seizures can be dangerous.
So why does my dogs skin twitch when I pet him, and how to handle it?
We will reveal it in the next sections!
Why Does My Dogs Skin Twitch When I Pet Him?
Dog skin twitches when touched is normal and usually not life-threatening, but it can still become dangerous if it persists for a long time.
The underlying cause of this behavior can be many factors, such as mental or signs of discomfort or signs of an illness.
Itch Skin
Dogs take good care of themselves. They often scratch themselves to eliminate insects and other irritants on the skin.
Seeing dog twitches when touched or crossed continuously for many days could indicate instability.
One of the most common causes is due to external parasites such as ticks, scabies, fleas, lice, etc.
They parasitize on the skin and fur of dogs and attack by biting, sucking blood, causing damage to skin cells, ear infections, and driving very dangerous purulent dermatitis.
That’s why veterinarians always remind owners to regularly clean their pets to eliminate and prevent these parasites from entering.
Dogs that are not properly cleaned or have been in contact with pets infected with ticks or fleas are at high risk of developing this condition.
Dermatitis in dogs can also be caused by infection from the outside environment, such as cages, playgrounds, and beds.
Cross-contamination from mother to pup during suckling is also possible. Severe disease can increase the risk of spreading to humans.
Dermatitis in dogs usually develops on the head, around the eyes, hind legs, anus, and face, with symptoms such as itching, scratching, biting, and lesions.
Allergies
Excessive scratching can lead to problems such as broken skin and sores or an increased risk of underlying health issues.
In addition to the above causes, pets can still itch due to another more complicated reason: allergies.
Some dogs have a genetic predisposition to allergic skin reactions, known as atopic dermatitis.
This disease affects large numbers of dogs in many countries. Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, etc., have a higher disease risk than other breeds.
Several triggers can often cause allergies in dogs, including environmental factors such as weather, mold, or ticks. Some of these occur seasonally, such as grass or pollen.
It can also be specific foods, such as certain dairy products, chicken, beef, soy, eggs, grains, or other foods.
Like people, allergens vary from person to person and can be difficult to identify without testing.
An allergic reaction occurs when your dog is sensitive to something early in life and has an adverse reaction.
Detecting the early signs of an allergic reaction increases your chances of finding the best treatment for this lifelong condition.
Muscle Contractions
A muscle spasm is a sudden, unintentional movement in one or more muscles.
These movements are very common and can occur in any power of a pet’s body, but they tend to occur in muscle areas such as the back, legs, abdomen, and intercostal muscles.
Muscle pain, muscle injury, muscle strain, muscle tremors, and over-physical activity can cause muscle spasms.
Some others include anxiety or stress, leading to facial twitching. Nerve damage can lead to spasms in the back.
Ambient temperature changes too quickly, leading to thermal shock.
When the weather is too cold, the dog’s body is not exercised and warmed up properly, muscle spasms will appear, and the dog will shiver.
Excessive exercise in hot weather causes a lot of cool sweat, leading to loss of electrolytes. Overtraining causes damage and extreme fatigue.
Collisions with other dogs that cause muscle damage can cause the dog to lose control.
Calcium deficiency is also the cause of dog back twitches when touched because it is an indispensable substance in forming and developing skeletal muscles.
Physical Injury
In daily life, the image of dogs and cats fighting, biting, or fighting with strange dogs is not difficult to come across.
Sometimes, it’s just a small fight, but most likely, this fight will cause serious injuries to the body.
Deep wounds and even complete necrosis can occur when there is a collision. Even many cases of death when untreated due to not being sutured and disinfected in time.
Pets often easily bite each other to show ownership over their food, toys, or shelter.
Dogs often mark their territories with urine and are ready to attack intruders immediately, especially while eating.
Owners should keep their dogs away from dangerous situations, potentially at risk of being attacked by other dogs.
Pitbulls, Ovcharka, Dogo Argentino, and Tosa are the most aggressive species.
Injuries can also occur due to unexpected accidents the owner has no control over.
Your little friend may suddenly cross the road and encounter an oncoming car or accidentally hit something sharp while playing.
Epilepsy
A dog twitches when touched on the side can also be due to epilepsy. Epilepsy in dogs is a neurological damage characterized by seizures.
Although the condition is not common, the cure rate is extremely low.
Dogs have epilepsy with a cause, so according to experts, this is not a disease but just a symptom.
The main reason is that the neurons get electrical impulses wrong. This causes the dog’s body to lose control of its behavior.
This results in intense muscle convulsions lasting for just a few seconds or continuing for hours.
Many factors cause this phenomenon, mainly due to genetics from generation to generation.
Neurological Disorders
Besides epilepsy, peripheral neuropathy (polyneuropathy) in dogs is also a neurological problem that owners must be vigilant about.
It is a neurological disorder that affects many peripheral nerves.
Different from the central nervous system, with the bones of the spine and skull to protect it, the peripheral nerves must be more exposed to elements that enter the body and come into contact with the body, so they are vulnerable to injury and toxic injury.
They extend throughout the body and are responsible for natural reactions, conscious movements, and involuntary contraction of the digestive system (intestines).
Polyneuropathy causes your dog’s back to twitch when you touch it, weakness or paralysis in leg muscles, impaired reflexes or lack of reflexes, involuntary response, body weakness, and muscle twitches.
Dog Twitches When Touched: What Should You Do?
Most dog seizures are usually painless, although they can look quite scary. When your dog has a seizure, a note for you is not to try to touch or put your hand in their mouth.
Touching your dog won’t give you immediate relief or change the outcome; you’ll likely be accidentally bitten.
Most seizures are self-limiting and will stop after 30 seconds to a minute. Do not panic, but pay attention to how long the seizure lasts.
You don’t have to call your vet every time your dog has a seizure (it’s normal muscle contraction for dogs to have a seizure while sleeping sometimes).
You can give them a gentle, belly rub and talk to them to make them more comfortable.
But you should contact your veterinarian when you see your pet with a seizure for the first time or having seizures more often than usual.
To treat long-term seizures in dogs, your doctor may provide pain medication or other measures to improve health conditions.
Conclusion
Above are our shares about: Why does my dogs skin twitch when I pet him?
Physiological problems and mental and natural reflexes can all be the cause of this condition.
Depending on the reason, you need to have the appropriate additional treatment plan to prevent risks.
