Have you ever noticed that it looks like your beagles’ eyes appear to be open while sleeping? This can spook a lot of dog owners, but it’s actually more normal that you might think. Technically, their eyes aren’t actually open (in most cases), and what you’re actually seeing is your dog’s third eyelid.
Many animals, including dogs, have an extra eyelid called the third eyelid in the inner corner of their eyes under the lower eyelid. It is a light pinkish tissue that keeps your dog’s eyes moisturized when they are sleeping and not blinking.
However, this third eyelid should remain in its retracted position in the inner corner of your dog’s eyes when they are awake, which is why you usually only see it when your dog is asleep. It might seem to you that your beagle is winking sideways while sleeping. But in actuality, they are closing their third eyelid, while the top and lower eyelids are open, which creates the illusion that you can see the white of their eyes.
There are some cases though where your beagle is sleeping with open eyes, and one of the most commonly associated medical conditions that accompanies this is a seizure. Seizures come along with difficulty breathing, and jolting motions. For this reason, it’s important to be able to tell the difference between a seizure and the third eyelid.
Is It Safe For Beagles to Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
Generally, it’s safe for your beagle to sleep with their eyes open, just like humans. If their eyes are actually open and it isn’t just the third eyelid presenting itself, you may want to monitor it as long term exposure can lead to keratitis or dry eye syndrome. These are completely normal side effects, and can be warded off with vet-approved eye drops from time to time.
It’s believed that this third eyelid is actually an evolutionary advantage, as a way to ward off predators by fooling them into thinking that the dogs are still awake, even when they’re sleeping. For this reason, this trait is hard wired into dogs, and shouldn’t be something you try to discourage or bother your dog about.
As long as you keep an eye on your dog through the night and monitor them for seizures, they’re perfectly safe to sleep with their third eyelid showing, or even with their eyes entirely open.
How Does The Third Eyelid Work?
All types of dog breeds are born with the third eyelid, which is also medically referred to as the nictitating membrane.
The function of the nictitating membrane or palpebra tertia is to protect the eyeball and keep it moist while the dog is sleeping. The nictitating membrane is translucent in snakes, birds, and reptiles, but in dogs and cats, it is more opaque. The third eyelid is drawn across the eye in almost all the animals, and instead of moving up and down, it moves horizontally over the eye.
The color of the nictitating membrane varies from very clear to cloudy in different breeds of dogs. The third eyelid is responsible for almost 50% of your dog’s tears and also helps to distribute the tears over the surface of the eyes.
The function of this membrane is akin to that of regular eyelids and keeps any debris from sticking to your dog’s eyes. Your dog can’t rub their eyes the same way as we humans do, so the third eyelid acts like a wiper blade to help clean their eyes.
The third eyelid also has some limpid tissues that can help fight off infections.
There are medical complications that can arise from the third eyelid as well. Sometimes this third eyelid can develop a disorder called the “cherry eye“, or a protrusion of the tear gland. This is a congenital condition and bulldogs, cocker spaniels, and beagles are the breeds that are most frequently affected by it.
When the tear gland protrudes, it can irritate the surface of the eye and can cause recurrent conjunctivitis. The gland will also not produce tears effectively, causing the surface of the eye to become dry and red (like a cherry). This is often one of the rarer reasons that beagles tend to have red eyes.
Surgery is required to put the gland back into its position in this case. Sometimes the prolapsed gland is replaced and not removed as it predisposes the eyes to a low volume tear production. The “cherry eye” disorder usually affects both of the eyes, but not necessarily at the same time. The second eye may get infected after some time from a few weeks to months.
The third eyelid may be a small and practically invisible organ but is vital to your dog’s healthy vision.
Sleeping With Open Eyes and Seizures
There is a difference between dogs sleeping with their eyes open and having a seizure. There are several ways to determine if your dog is dreaming peacefully or is having a seizure.
When your dog reaches the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, it starts dreaming. If your dog is dreaming in its sleep, it will look soft, relaxed, and at peace. It may also experience slight twitching when it starts dreaming or even vocalize little yelping sounds. It is easier to wake up a dog from a dream, and the eyes will notably be moving around in different directions, hence the name “rapid eye movement”.
But if your dog is having a seizure, it will have a wide-eyed empty stare accompanied by involuntary body movements, pain, and it some cases foam at the mouth, accompanied by excessive drooling. Seizures are mainly an abrupt episode of abnormal brain activity that involve loss of body control. Beagles are one of the most predisposed breeds for seizures of all dogs.
There are several causes of seizures in dogs, such as environmental, genetic, illness-related, and sex. Male dogs are particularly more susceptible to seizures than female dogs. Before the onset of an actual seizure, you may notice a period of altered behavior in your dog. Your dog may hide, appear anxious, or get more aggressive and start growling.
How to Care For Your Dog During a Seizure
It can be an utterly frightening experience as a pet parent to see your canine having a seizure. You may notice a lot of physiological changes happening to your dog during a seizure, such as a difficulty in breathing, frothing at the mouth, involuntary cry, or losing control of the digestive system.
When you notice your dog going through a seizure, it is best to let the episode run its course and not get interrupted. Try to remain calm. It might be scary for you to watch your dog in this condition, but your dog is unconscious and oblivious to the seizure. What you can do for your his safety is that you can move away any objects from around your dog, such as a piece of furniture, so that it does not end up hurting itself by flailing into something. Don’t put anything in your dog’s mouth. Avoid touching it completely. Its jaws may convulse, and it may inadvertently bite you out of instinct.
If the seizure lasts for more than five minutes or if your dog has two seizures in a row, then you should be prepared to call your vet. When the seizure is over, your dog may come to you looking completely disoriented, unconscious, and may have difficulty in walking. Reassure your dog as it does not know what has happened and time the length of the seizure. Usually, seizures last for a few minutes, but if they continue more than that, your dog may be at the risk of overheating.
The longer a seizure lasts, the higher its body temperature will rise, making it difficult for it to breathe and can also damage its brain. It’s best advised to turn on a fan and put some cold water on your dog’s paws following a seizure.
If your dog isn’t diagnosed with epilepsy and experiences a seizure for the first time, you should take your dog to the veterinarian who will prescribe medicines to control the seizures and discuss the other possible treatments.
If your dog has yet not been diagnosed for seizures, your vet will check for the possible causes of seizures, such as ingestion of a toxic substance, a head injury, low blood pressure, and rabies.
Final Thoughts
Always keep your eyes peeled for your dog’s peepers. Eyes are called the windows to the soul and sometimes they can be the most significant clue whether or not your beagle is having a seizure or just enjoying a dream. Your dog’s eyes will be able to help you figure out what exactly is going on.
If your beagle sleeps with its eyes open, what you see is almost always its third eyelid that protects their eyes from harm. If you have any questions about your dog’s eyes during sleep, consider consulting a vet to be sure that there isn’t another medical problem going on.