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A dog suffering from narcolepsy has melted hearts all over the internet, after a video of him taking a nap while playing with his sister went viral on social media.
In the clip, shared on TikTok earlier in August by the pets' owner, under the username Toastthenarcolepticdoodl, the goldendoodle called Toast can be seen briefly playing with his sister, Laney, before quickly starting to feel tired and having to take a nap there and then.
The heartwarming clip comes with a caption that says: "Play is very triggering, but he is having fun!" His owner then explained that Toast suffers from narcolepsy and cataplexy, both conditions that make him feel excessively sleepy.
His owner told Newsweek: "Toast is doing wonderful in his foster home! He is obsessed with his foster fur sister Laney! Laney is a 4-year-old mastiff mix we adopted in 2019. Laney has proved to be a main source of support for Toast, anywhere she goes he is by her side! We are overwhelmed with the kind words of the TikTok community and we are hoping to bring awareness to the joy special needs animals can bring to our lives."
According to VCA Animal Hospitals, narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system that affects primarily young dogs and cats, and is often linked to another neurological disorder called cataplexy, which results in temporary muscle paralysis and loss of reflexes.
"A narcoleptic episode involves sudden collapse and loss of movement. The pet literally falls asleep, often while physically active, then wakes up abruptly and proceeds as if nothing happened. Episodes last a few seconds or several minutes and often occur when the pet is eating, playing, or excited. Neither is a fatal disease, but both merit attention," the website says.
Even though this event isn't painful for pets, owners are still advised to be vigilant and to provide them with comforting words as soon as an impending attack can be identified.
The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across TikTok. It has so far received over 1 million views and 87,100 likes on the platform.
One user, Christina Marie, commented: "Other dog is like 'damn, bro we napping again?!'" And queenbmizell said: "My aunt had 2 mini teacup poodles. they had narcolepsy, excitement triggered them big time. lived long, happy lives tho."
Jacsmcompton wrote: "It's almost like you can hear him say: hold on, I'll be right back." And Carlita Lou added: "The other dog like 'I'll just lay here with you in solidarity."
Lolox said: "I love how the other dog knew how to behave at every moment, waiting for his friend to be better to start playing again."
Update 8/31/23, 11:24 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the OP and new pictures.
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About the writer
Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Life & Trends reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on everyday ... Read more