Top 10 Reasons Why Your Dog Is Sleeping a Lot More Than Usual

Do you think your dog is the laziest pet in the entire world because it sleeps a lot? Then let me burst your bubble: if your dog is sleeping less than eleven hours, it might be not having enough sleep. 

If your dog was not previously employed as some police dog or a sportsman, it should sleep around twelve hours on average. However, if your pet used to be lively and started sleeping too much recently, there might be something wrong with it.

The issues might range from stress to severe health problems, and you should always look out for the signs of the possible causes. In this article, we will discuss the reasons behind why your dog is sleeping too much and how you can detect those signs. 

Let’s discuss. 

Reasons Behind Your Dog Sleeping a Lot More Than Usual

Among all the pets, dogs are like the drill sergeants of the animal kingdom. They’ve got their meal times, play sessions, and nap schedules down to a science. However, if you notice a significant change in routine behavior, there might be psychological, physical, and/or health reasons behind it.

While it is wise to immediately take your pet to a vet, you need to observe it closely for a few days to note all the symptoms. In addition, your pet might be napping a lot due to environmental or physical changes. Here is a chart noting down all the reasons for your dog’s unusual behavior:

Reasons for Dogs to Napping a Lot

• Age
• Dog Breed
• Stress and Anxiety
• Regular Activity Levels
• Thyroxine Deficiency
• Diabetes
• Bacterial Infection
• Viral Infection
• Anemia
• Poisoning

Let’s take a detailed look at those reasons:

1. Dog’s Age

As mentioned earlier, a mature, healthy dog might be sleeping 12 - 14 hours a day. However, depending on the dog’s age, this can change. Older dogs and puppies need more sleep than the mature ones. Your puppy might sleep for 18 hours a day, which is totally natural for them. 

Puppies aged 4 - 12 months are often playful and active while awake. This can drain much of their energy and make them exhausted, so they take frequent long naps. On the other hand, older dogs might project lower energy levels and take naps whenever possible to preserve their energy.

2. Dog Breed

Depending on your dog's breed, you might see a huge difference in its sleep cycle. If it is a Saint Bernard, Newfoundland, Bullmastiff, or any other large dog breed, you might catch them snoozing up to 18 hours a day, keeping their majestic appearances. On the other hand, working breeds like Border Collies and German Shepherds have jobs to do and sleep less than other dog breeds.

Smaller breeds like Chihuahuas and Dachshunds might only get 12 -14 hours of sleep. They are very energetic and always busy ruling the roost. Moreover, some dog breeds like Greyhounds, Basset Hounds, and Bulldogs are masters of lounging, and you might always find them curled up on your couch, simply being couch potatoes.

3. Stress, Anxiety, and Boredom

If your pet dog is going through psychological difficulties like anxiety, stress, and boredom, you will often find it napping here and there in your house. The body of a stressed dog goes into overdrive, releasing cortisol, messing with its sleep cycle, and keeping it tossing and turning during the dark. Thus, they will take frequent snoozes during the day. 

Anxiety can be exhausting for your pet, and it might sleep a lot just to escape those anxious feelings. On the other hand, some dogs might sleep just because they have nothing better to do. As your pet is not getting enough physical or mental stimulation, it just naps like there is no tomorrow.

4. Activity Levels

You must have noticed that sometimes your dog goes from Zoomies to Zzz’s in no time. If your dog is a bundle of energy, they will run around obsessively like they just have several shots of espresso. The next moment, you will catch them napping to regain their energy.

On the flip side, dogs with low energy will sleep more due to boredom. While some dogs have a balanced activity level, they will display a healthy mix of playtime and naptime. They will play fetch with you and then go to their bed to fetch some more Zzz’s. 

5. Thyroxine Deficiency

Now, we are moving towards some alarming causes of why your dog might be sleeping too much. Thyroxine is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland, which helps convert food into energy.  If there is any issue with the thyroid gland for which it cannot produce enough T4, your dog will have less energy, and it will sleep for a longer time.

Apart from sleeping too much, your dog might project the following symptoms when facing thyroxine deficiency:

• Lethargy
• Weight Gain
• Dull Coat
• Hair loss
• Cold Intolerance
• Infections

So if you see any of those signs along with too much sleeping from your dog, take it to a veterinary center as soon as possible.

6. Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition in dogs that causes its body to produce less insulin. Without insulin, the body's cells cannot absorb glucose (sugar), making your dog feel tired and low in energy. As a result, your dog will be snoozing more than often it did before. 

Some additional signs you might observe are:

• Increased thirst
• Increased hunger
• Frequent urination
• Weight loss
• Lethargy

Keep an eye out to check for these signs. If you see any, consult a veterinary professional to know what steps you should take to bring your pet back into perfect health.

7. Bacterial Infection

Due to dogs' lack of hygiene compared to cats (cats are always better, aren’t they?), they can get infected by bacteria. As a result, their immune systems get involved to fight off those unwanted invaders. 

This fight can take away a huge portion of your pet’s energy, making it sluggish and tired. Some common symptoms you might also notice are:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Decreased appetite
• Discomfort

Take your dog for regular vet checkups to prevent such incidents. If you see any signs of bacterial infection, make sure to start treatment immediately with a professional’s advice.

8. Viral Infection

There are several types of viral infections that can cause your pet puppy to lose its energy. Here, we will discuss the two most common ones. They are:

1. Parvovirus
2. Infectious Tracheobronchitis

Parvovirus

Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral illness majorly affecting puppies before adolescence (between six weeks to six months old). Parvoviridae, a vicious virus enters in the body of your pet and affects its ability to absorb nutrients.

You might see your pet becoming dehydrated and weak due to the lack of protein, fluid absorption, and nutrients essential to your dog’s body. The best way to tackle this condition is to vaccinate your puppy at a young age.

Infectious Tracheobronchitis

This viral infection is also known as Kennel cough and is highly contagious. This airborne respiratory disease is highly treatable yet can be severe in puppies younger than six months of age.

Similar to parvovirus, infectious tracheobronchitis can be prevented by early vaccination.

9. Anemia

Dogs can also get affected by bloodsucking parasites. These parasites live in your pet’s body and reduce the presence of red blood cells. As a result, your pet will suffer from reduced blood, which is commonly known as Anemia. 

Some of the common parasites found in dogs’ bodies are:

• Roundworms: These are transmitted to a puppy through a mother’s uterus and also when milk is fed to her puppies. These worms are easily detected in dog stools.

• Hookworms: These can be dangerous for a dog because they latch onto the intestine and suck blood. Hookworms can also be transferred from a mother to a puppy. But dogs can get them from soil that is infested, too.

• Whipworms: These are intestinal parasites that cause severe irritation to the lining of the cecum and colon. They aren’t usually seen in the dog’s stool.

• Tapeworms: These are usually transmitted to dogs when they ingest fleas. In a dog’s intestine, tapeworms can grow anywhere from 4-6 inches in length. They are typically easy to identify and can be seen in the dog stool.