Just like humans, dogs age and go through stages of life leading to their senior years. For dogs this is around the 6-7 age range and will be when they start greying around the muzzle and sleeping a lot more. In this article we will cover some of the reasons for this behavior and others that older dogs start to show as they age.
Older dogs are known to sleep and sleep and sleep until they hear the crinkling of their favorite treat package. This is normal behavior and what else would you expect from something that's getting into their senior ages. Dogs are no different from any other animal in the fact that when you get old it becomes harder and more tiring to do things.
Some older dogs may be ready to play and others may need more time napping on their dog bed. This can be due to many factors including arthritis, increased stress, and even a change in daily activity patterns. These things can make a older dog need more sleep and they may even need as much as a puppy.
Arthritis can make it a struggle to do simple activities like getting up and down stairs, getting in and out of bed, and even just walking. Because it is hard to do these things it takes more energy and concentration making them more tired the more they do. Arthritis can be hard to deal with as an owner and can make the dog seem unlike themselves. A good memory foam dog bed can help their joints lessening the severity over time while giving them a place to sleep comfortably.
Stress and anxiety can increase tremendously as dogs age for seemingly simple tasks they have been doing all their lives. As dogs age their senses can become lessened including eyesight and hearing which can lead to your dog feel uncomfortable where they used to thrive. Some ways you can help your dogs anxiety and stress is to introduce CBD which is a THC free non psychoactive compound derived from hemp and is 100% safe for dogs. This CBD compound can reduce anxiety as well as having many other benefits.
Older dogs can also be known to sleep more when in times where their daily schedule changes from what they are used to. This change can leave them confused and uncomfortable making them want to not do anything until it is back to normal. If you have an older dog it can also be hard for them to control certain things like bladder and bowel control. It is important to keep them on a routine where you trust them to not make a mess.
Older dogs take a little more time to care for and this may be due to the fact that they just move a little slower. It can be hard and tiring for them to do tasks that they used to accomplish with ease and this may mean they sleep more. This is not the only reason for increased sleep however, it could be illness that has led to this behavior. It is important to contact your veterinarian for any concerns you may have with a senior dog as well as routine checkups.
BuddyRest was founded on the idea of supporting older dogs and based our first products on helping joint pains in dogs. We know dog sleep science and hope this blog helped you out.
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