Vet Reveals There’s Actually A Scientific Name For Your Dog’s “Zoomies.”

Most dog owners will be familiar with the time of day when their pet starts running crazy circles around the house, affectionately known as “zoomies.”

Now a vet has revealed on TikTok that there’s a scientific name behind the frenzied, hyper behavior dogs display when they’re excited.

Katrina Warren – an Australian TV vet who co-hosts several popular television programs on the Seven Network – posted a video on her TikTok account to educate dog owners about the cause of their dog’s bizarre behavior.

The vet – also known as @drkatrinawarren on the social app – is also a 9Honey pet expert and regular guest expert on Australia’s Today Show, often posting training and behavior tips for her 47,000 followers on the app.

Explaining Zoomies, she revealed, “They are Fenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs). And that’s exactly what they are: short explosions of energy.’

The 15 second video – titled “Known?” — garnered over 20,000 views and over 400 likes, prompting many comments from owners who spoke of their own dog’s uncontrollable tendency to “zoom.”

Katrina, speaking of a video of a dog running in circles down a hallway, said, “Did you know there’s a scientific name for dog zoomies?”

“Very common in puppies and younger dogs – often referred to as ‘the crazy ones’ and I’m sure many of you know why.”

Some dog owners confirmed in the comments that FRAPs are indeed always present in their own doggies, and some were surprised to hear the scientific term.

One person said, “Oh wow, I didn’t know there was an official name for it!”

One user confirmed their own instances of FRAPs in their household saying “I just sit still and don’t move when my German Shorthair Pointer gets them hahaha.”

Another wrote, “My poodle is 15 this year and she’s still doing zoomies,” while a co-owner agreed, saying, “My 14-year-old is getting zoomies.” He thinks he’s still a puppy.”

Two commenters shared their own sentences about their dogs’ outrageous behavior, with one writing, “I call it psycho-puppy freak out,” while the other said, “Mine always does it after he pooped, so now we call she shit zooms.’

The vet explained that Fenetic Random Activity Periods (FRAPs) – or better known as ‘the crazy ones’ and ‘zoomies’ – are very common in puppies and younger dogs

Some dog owners confirmed in the comments below the video that FRAPs are indeed always present in their own doggies, and some were surprised to hear of the scientific term

José Arce, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, told Live Science that the bursts of energy “are natural and seen in many domestic and wild animal species.”

He continued, “FRAPs may seem random, but a few triggers are common in dogs. If an owner lets a dog out of its crate, the puppy may be zooming around to expend the energy it has built up during the day.”

The expert also explained that an owner coming home from work or running errands may prompt their dog to run around as a way of exercising after sleeping for a while.

Another common time FRAPs can occur, according to Arce, is some time after bathing — to release potentially nervous or irritable energy from the activity.

Zoomies are not particularly dangerous to dogs. The general advice with FRAPs if they do occur is to remove dangerous objects from sight at home and be vigilant on a walk

Arce has assured that zoomies themselves are not particularly dangerous to dogs – with serious injuries unlikely to occur.

The general advice with FRAPs is to keep dangerous objects out of sight at home and to be vigilant on a walk – keeping a firm grip on the leash so the dog doesn’t sprint away when the zoomies occur.

It is also advisable to consider allowing the pet to expend excess energy for an unpredictable activity such as sightseeing or a cliff walk.