Is my dog hallucinating?!

[Malteser71]

I have an 18 month old dog who has been acting strangely at night for the past week.

The issue always happens in the evening and always in the living room. He will spring up from the floor as though he’s been startled. One evening he was on my knee and he acted as though something had poked him, jumping off my knee. Tends to happen when he’s snoozing.

Last night was different - he jumped up and acted as though he was watching something on the floor, looked really frightened (tail right between his legs, I’ve never seen him do that before). He spent a good five to ten minutes looking worried and either backing away or approaching this unseen thing on the floor, tentatively sniffing, before coming to lean against me.

It wasn’t fly snapping (I looked that up!).

Has anyone experienced similar?

Thank you

My guess would be possible epilepsy/seizures.

It might be an idea to get him a check up...

But is there any chance there’s mice or something? As in it could be something he can smell under the floor?

My dog did exactly this at the same age! He'd be sleeping and then jump and and attack my husbands feet before looking really confused. It was terrifying. We thought he was really aggressive and would need to be put down. He was the loveliest dog but his sleep starling was every night and it made us scared to have him in the room. Thankfully he grew out of it after about six horrible months.

If it's always in the same room and at the same time, could it be something like a heating pipe coming on and scaring him? Perhaps a high pitched noise?

Or, like PP, could it be mice/rats?

Thanks for your replies. It’s a solid concrete floor and he’s searching various bits of the carpet that are in full view. Last night it was the part of the carpet along the curtains, but there’s nothing the human eye can see.

How would a vet check for epilepsy?

Ghost

Probably can see or smell fleas/mites and doesn't like it either that or a poltergeist