These periods of sleep are punctuated with waking up to check their environment and scan for changes dangers. Sleeping an hour or so more than a younger dog is common for older dogs and not necessarily a sign of health problems.
Why is my puppy sleeping so much.
Why my dog is sleeping so much. The reasons why your dog is sleeping a lot may be due to the following. Age Dog Breed Stress and anxiety Activity Level Thyroxine deficiency Diabetes Bacteria infection Viral infection. Your dogs sleeping is interfering with eating or drinking.
Its hard to rouse your dog in the morning. Your dog falls asleep suddenly even in the middle of play narcolepsy. Your dog wakes up suddenly or in a state of fright or stress.
The increase in sleep comes with other physical symptoms such as. If your daily walks have reduced or you arent spending as much time playing with your dog as usual it might be worth considering boredom as a reason theyre sleeping so much. Try a new training regime feed them using the best dog puzzle toys or getting a dog walker to take them out for a lunchtime stroll.
If your dog has kidney failure it can cause lethargy and over-sleeping. You might also notice increased drinking and urination appetite loss weight loss vomiting or blood in the urine. Some dogs with kidney problems also have a chemical smell to their breath and may stumble when walking.
Some of the big ones in older dogs are hypothyroidism an underactive thyroid heart disease and arthritis. If you notice that your dog is sleeping more than normal keep a sleep log and make an appointment with your vet. Dogs can suffer from REM Behavior Disorder.
It is marked by intense activity during your dogs sleep. This disorder can be more difficult to spot if you have a dog that dreams frequently. If your dog has excessively eventful and physically active dreams very frequently you may want to.
If your dog simply sleeps a lot that is not necessarily abnormal says Liff. Though if your dog starts to sleep more than normal that can be a cause for concern Another cause for concern is if your pet is unable to get comfortable. This could indicate possible orthopedic issues or respiratory distress.
Why Is Your Dog Sleeping So Much. How Much Sleep Is Normal. Now this may sound a bit surprising but the grown-up dogs can actually rest for as much as 12 hours out of 24.
This varies with the type and breed of the dog. The bigger breeds will in general need more rest than the other breeds. A few breeds are usually sleepier.
A dog sleeping more than normal who also shows a decline in appearance and appetite may for example be suffering from age-related illness such as kidney failure. A dog who sleeps more than normal and also displays mobility issues may be suffering from arthritis. Sleeping an hour or so more than a younger dog is common for older dogs and not necessarily a sign of health problems.
As with humans the older a dog is the lighter their sleep and the more time they need to spend resting to feel rejuvenated. If your rescue dog is still sleeping too much even after an adjustment period its a wise idea to get them checked out by a vet. A change in an older dogs sleeping patterns could be a sign of canine cognitive dysfunction CCD which causes behavior changes similar to sundowning due to dementia in people says.
So much so youre going to wonder if theres something wrong with your new dog and whether your puppy is sleeping more than usual or normal. Why is my puppy sleeping so much. Puppies sleep a lot and it is normal behavior for them to sleep between 18 to 20 hours a day.
Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Is Sleeping More Than Usual Age And Breed. Age is one of the main factors in how much your dog will sleep. When your dog is a puppy they play hard and sleep hard.
Older dogs also tend to need more rest. Large breeds like mastiffs St. Bernards and Great Pyrenees dogs may also clock more zzz s.
Dogs have a more scattered sleep pattern within a 24hr. Period consisting of short naps throughout the day and a long sleep during the night. These periods of sleep are punctuated with waking up to check their environment and scan for changes dangers.
Dogs do enter into REM quicker than humans. The most common posture that dogs use to sleep is lying on their sides with their legs extended says Dr. This means that a dog is relaxed and comfortable and shows a level of trust with his surroundings.
Coren explains that a dog will often start to dose in lion pose and then slump onto his side once he falls into a deeper sleep. A dog thats sleeping a lot more and not eating simply could just be going through changes related to aging. Metabolism slows down as a dog gets older and this could lead your dog to sleep more often instead of being active and playing.
Aging brings physical changes that affect appetite and your dog will be eating less as he gets older. There are three major things to consider when youre wondering why your dog sleeps so much. Some dogs just need more sleep like older dogs and puppies.
Big dogs tend to sleep more. Dogs only spend 10 of sleep in REM compared to 25 for a human. Dogs need more hours to get the same quality of sleep.
So whats the deal with my.