RLS in animals?

fredsoct · Post by **fredsoct** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:24 am

Is there any reported cases of RLS in an animal? :?:

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:19 pm

I'm not sure how that would really be diagnosed, since you need to be able to talk to someone to determine the basis for diagnosis.

john_a · Post by **john_a** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 12:45 pm

Do you see parkinsons in animals? I'm not sure, never seen/read about it, but it must happen, probably in equal proportions. We had a dog that used to fidget a lot.

fredsoct · Post by **fredsoct** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:14 pm

my question comes simply from observation
I am visiting some friends in SD and their dog paces continuously in the evening while she is calm in the morning. As the day progresses she begins to pace.

We talked about adding some iron to her diet.

john_a · Post by **john_a** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:33 pm

Probably won't help, but certainly give it a try.

Does the dog show any signs of behavioural disorders?

(I know this may seem like a weird question, but it may be relevant).

fredsoct · Post by **fredsoct** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 1:54 pm

Just the constant pacing - for hours.

john_a · Post by **john_a** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:11 pm

Distemper meds? Maybe you should ask the vet, the poor dog seems awfully agitated.

HeatherB · Post by **HeatherB** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:47 pm

Is someone leaving the house at night? If so it could be separation anxiety.
Also, as strange as it seems, the dog could be afraid of the dark.

Neco · Post by **Neco** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:31 am

Yeah there are really a lot of reasons for this.

The number one thing to look at could be pent up energy.. Is the dog walked regularly at all?

Seperation Anxiety, afraid of something, many many reasons that are all good things to look into.. Although if it were anxiety of some kind and there are no vocalizations, I would find that extremely odd..

I don't know if they have found parkinsons in animals.. but due to the way we test drugs before testing them on humans, I'm sure they did their best to find a way to give it to them..

Parkinsons is real easy to diagnose if the physician is educated, and has distinct traits.

Reall though, before you add anything to an animals diet consult the vet or try to resolve some of the suggestions brought up here.. Iron can still be dangerous if improperly given, and can cause the dog all kinds of GI track discomfort if humans are any indication

SquirmingSusan · Post by **SquirmingSusan** » Thu Sep 18, 2008 10:13 pm

Zach wrote:I don't know if they have found parkinsons in animals.. but due to the way we test drugs before testing them on humans, I'm sure they did their best to find a way to give it to them..

LOL, Zach.

I don't know if they'll ever diagnose dogs with RLS, but it sure sounds like that dog has it.

My dog, the big one who takes up half of my bed, definitely has something akin to PLMD. Or maybe she's just dreaming of chasing squirrels or something, but the legs sure do jerk and kick.

jasteen · Post by **jasteen** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:07 am

i have not heard of it but my 10 yr old said he couldn't stop his legs from moving the other night. that is scary i pray he doesn't have this ...rls. good luck everyone in our struggle.

Post by **ViewsAskew** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:00 am

Kids often get it, so it is really important to listen to them. There's some great info about kids and RLS in the SPecial Populations section of the board.

I hope he doesn't have it...but if he does, you are in the right place to get help for him.

john_a · Post by **john_a** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:33 am

I had it when I was a kid, I wrote about it here. http://bb.rls.org/viewtopic.php?t=6261