If your elderly dog doesn't sleep at night, you probably won't be able to fall asleep either, wondering why your furry dog is restless or nervous, walks from one side of the house to another, whines or comes to you every so often.
Dogs sleep around 12 hours a day, a figure that in the case of older animals can increase to 14 hours. During the day, you will notice that your dog takes short naps, but it is at night when dogs usually rest 8 or 9 hours uninterruptedly. If your older dog wakes up a lot during the night and doesn't get enough rest, it's important to look for the cause of his behavior in order to help him fall asleep and thus avoid he alth problems. In this article on our site we analyze the most frequent reasons that can explain why your old dog does not sleep at night
Pain
If your dog doesn't sleep at night, one of the first things you should ask yourself is if he is suffering from some kind of ailment. Among the most common pathologies suffered by elderly dogs are osteoarticular and mobility problems, such as arthritis and osteoarthritis, which especially affect animals very large or overweight breeds.
Avoid letting your dog sleep directly on the floor and Provide him with a good quality mattress or bed, thick and large enough so that he he can lie down in complete comfort. In the event of any symptoms of illness or pain, go to your veterinary center so that the professional can carry out a complete check-up on the animal and prescribe the most appropriate treatment. In the case of elderly dogs, an annual or biannual check-up is recommended, even if no obvious signs of disease are seen.
Vision or hearing loss
When dogs reach a very old age, both their visual and hearing abilities naturally tend to decline, just as it does in humans. In addition, an elderly dog is more likely to develop eye pathologies such as cataracts or keratoconjunctivitis, which affect the animal's vision.
If your furry has difficulty seeing or hearing clearly, it is possible that becomes disoriented more easily oracquire some fears or insecurities that prevent you from getting a good night's rest. In these cases, a visit to the veterinarian will be necessary, who will prescribe a treatment to stop or delay as long as possible the progress of diseases related to vision and/or hearing and provide the furry with a better quality of life.
Urinary incontinence
Urinary problems also tend to appear more frequently in older dogs. Urinary incontinence in senior animals can have several causes, such as the appearance of a mass in the urinary tract, neurological problems, urine infections, bladder stones, unwanted effects of sterilization, etc. Obviously, if the dog needs to urinate every so often, he will not be able to sleep through the night and will feel nervous and uncomfortable, especially if the incontinence is associated with some kind of pain
As always, we recommend going to the vet as soon as possible if symptoms of incontinence or pain are observed in the dog. In this case, the professional will carry out the relevant tests to identify the origin of the problem and be able to address it. At home, you can prepare a comfortable area for your furry full of underpads where he can go when he needs to urinate and gradually modify his walking routines to adapt them to his current needs.
Routine changes
Maintaining stable routines at home allows dogs to acquire some control of their environment, which translates into a greater sense of security and tranquility. In other words, if your furry friend knows what time he is going to eat, when he will go out for a walk or what time he should be home alone, he can relax more easily, because he knows that he lives in a predictable environment. Now, it is clear that it is not always possible to have fixed schedules, and nothing happens! Because dogs have a great capacity for adaptation, as long as their guardians help them to face new situations.
However, as dogs get older, this ability to adapt to changing environments and routines decreases, so that they find it more and more stressful. alterations in your daily life.
If you've recently moved, changed your work hours, someone has moved in or out of the house, or some notable event has occurred that has disrupted your routine, it's quite possible that your old dog isn't sleep at night because of feeling upset or anxious. This problem can be addressed with help from a canine ethologist and through a series of behavioral modification exercises.
Neurological causes
If your furry's insomnia does not seem to respond to any of the above causes, it is possible that he is beginning to develop a pathology known as cognitive dysfunction syndrome(SDC). CDS is a kind of canine senile dementia that appears in older dogs of any breed and produces symptoms such as insomnia, confusion and disorientation , vocalizations for no apparent reason, irritability, anorexia, incontinence and anxiety, among others.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a degenerative and chronic disease for which there is no cure. However, much can be done to slow the onset of symptoms or prevent their onset, such as:
- Keep your dog stimulated physically, socially and mentally (walks through green areas, training, interactive toys, puzzles, smell games, etc).
- Try to maintain some stable routines.
- Provide him a adequate and quality diet, with the help of a veterinary nutritionist.
- Adapt the house to your needs (reduced mobility, loss of sensitivity, etc.) and create comfortable and quiet spaces for your rest.
- Use the medication or nutritional supplements indicated by your veterinarian, if necessary.
As always, we recommend a visit to the vet and an ethological consultation to establish an effective treatment plan for your furry dog.
