Why Does My Dog Sleep So Much?

Is your dog either very young or an older dog?

Has your dog experienced stress recently?

Does your dog shows any signs of sickness?

Do the symptoms include hair loss, flaky skin, dull and thin coat, weight gain, muscle loss, a slowed heart rate, toenail and ear infections, and intolerance to cold?

Do the symptoms include excessive thirst, increased appetite, increased urination, weight loss?

Do the symptoms include fever, shivering, muscle tenderness, reluctance to move, increased thirst, changes in the frequency or amount of urination, dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, etc?

Did your dog eat something you are not sure is poisonous?

Does your dog have a high activity level?

Old dogs and Puppies need more sleep, and puppies may sleep up to 18 hours a day, and all this is completely fine. Puppies around four months up to a year old are only playful, and very active when awake. The puppies’ activities make them become easily exhausted and this may be the reason.

A dog that is going through psychological difficulties such as anxiety, stress, and boredom would sleep a lot. If your dog is stressed or feeling anxious, you will notice them becoming lethargic and they will doze off often. Helping the dog by giving it a routine with activities can stimulate and enhance it’s a mental and physical condition.

Your dog may be suffering from hypothyroidism. The under-secretion of thyroxine normally reduces chemical processes occurring within the cells of the body, especially those related to metabolism, consequently, the dog looks unhealthy. Older dogs are prone to hypothyroidism, in rare cases can be found in younger dogs too.

Your dog may be suffering from diabetes. The inability of the body to produce insulin in the amount needed by the body can affect the dog greatly due to the risk of hyperglycemia.

Few viral and bacterial diseases can exhaust dogs to the point of oversleeping. If you have vaccinated your dog for viral diseases like parvovirus, the culprit may be the bacterial disease leptospirosis. Dogs can get leptospirosis through direct contact with urine from other dogs or even human infected. It can also be transmitted easily through water and soil.

Parasites like roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, and whipworms can cause anemia in dogs. Anemia is a medical condition of reduced blood in dogs and one of the usual symptoms include sleepiness in dogs.

An untrained dog would eat anything if it feels is palatable.

Dogs that have tasks to hold their attention will spend most of the day activities, dedicated to completing those tasks. The number of sleep dogs needs also depends on what they are bred to do.

Some dog breeds are known for their long sleeping habits. Greyhounds, Bullmastiff, Chow, Saint Bernard, Bassett Hound, Newfoundland are widely known as being “lazy dogs” because of their sleeping habit. They can spend up to 18 hours a day sleeping.