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My Dog is Acting Lethargic: Causes & How to Help

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My Dog is Acting Lethargic: Causes & How to Help

If your dog is slowing down, acting tired, or refusing to play like they used to, chances are they are not simply being lazy. Pets who act lethargic or show signs of exercise intolerance may have a serious underlying condition. In particular, this may be caused by a serious condition like heart disease. If your dog is acting lethargic or is simply less active than usual, it’s important to pay attention to these cues. Keep reading to understand why your dog might be exercise-intolerant and what you should do about it.

Possible Causes of Lethargy

It’s normal for some dogs to slow down a bit after heavy activity. For example, your dog may want to spend a day or two sleeping more than usual following a long day at the dog park or a rigorous hike. However, prolonged tiredness should not be ignored. Exercise intolerance is only one red flag for major issues like heart disease, but it could also signal a host of other problems, ranging from mild issues, such as muscle pain, to serious conditions like congestive heart failure. Vets Now lists several potential reasons why your dog is acting lethargic:

  • Infection or illness, including parvovirus or kennel cough
  • Heart problems
  • Liver problems
  • Diabetes or hypoglycemia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Parasites
  • Side effects of medication
  • Poisoning or trauma

The walking service and dog advice site, Wag!, adds that exercise intolerance in combination with other symptoms—such as a lack of appetite, coughing, or fainting—could also be a sign of pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs) or other cardiovascular disease.

Signs of Exercise Intolerance and Lethargy in Dogs

It’s usually fairly easy to tell if your dog is acting sluggish. Excessive sleep, low energy, lack of excitement, and delayed responses are all overt signs of a lethargic dog, says Vetinfo. Exercise intolerance can be harder to spot, especially if you don’t walk or play with your dog regularly. In milder cases, says Wag!, your pooch may simply not want to walk as far or play as much as normal. Coughing, heavy panting, or laboured breathing following physical activity might also signal exercise intolerance. Extreme cases might involve confusion, disorientation, a lapse in toilet training, a rise in body temperature, wobbliness, and even collapse.

What You Should Do to Help

If you notice that your dog is acting lethargic or isn’t tolerating their usual levels of exercise, it’s important not to force them to run. Follow their cues, and allow them to stop playing or cut their walk short if necessary. Keep a close eye on them, watching for other serious symptoms. If you notice any other worrisome behaviours, you should contact your veterinarian right away. If your dog doesn’t show any other symptoms, wait a day or two. If your pup’s energy doesn’t improve or their condition worsens, contact your vet. That being said, if they show extreme symptoms, such as fainting or collapse, get them to an emergency clinic immediately.

Diagnosing Your Dog

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Once at the vet, your dog will be thoroughly examined. The vet will likely look for any signs of lameness, injury, or pain, as well as any possible tumours. He or she will also perform blood and urine tests to check for underlying health conditions. It’s likely that your pup will also be hooked up to an electrocardiograph machine to check the electrical activity of their heart, and will be given chest x-rays to examine their heart and lungs. Your vet might also recommend an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to help diagnose your pup’s condition. You can help achieve a proper diagnosis by providing your vet with a list of any medications your dog takes, talking over the details about their diet and lifestyle, and mentioning any other symptoms or changes you’ve noticed in your pup.

What to Do After Diagnosis

Lethargy and exercise intolerance are symptoms of a problem, not a condition by themselves. The type of care your dog needs will depend on the condition with which they are diagnosed. Depending on the vet’s assessment, your pooch might recover and return to their former levels of activity. However, heart disease in dogs, as well as other progressive illnesses, may require changes in exercise and activity for the rest of their life. Talk to your vet about your pup’s condition and how much physical activity they can safely handle.

Alternatives to Exercise

If your dog is restricted from vigorous activity and exercise, it can be a challenge to control their weight. Because excess weight can exacerbate some ailments, this is a challenge that must be addressed. Depending on your pup’s diagnosis and treatment plan, your vet might place them on a special therapeutic meal plan that’s appropriate to their condition. Otherwise, talk to your vet about placing them on weight control dog food that can help them keep off the “puppy fat” in the absence of exercise. Making sure your dog is eating an age-appropriate dog food can also help manage their weight. Proper nutrition is also vital. If your dog is not receiving the right nutrients they need to keep their energy levels up, this could be a contributing factor to their lethargy. Be sure to talk to your vet about overall food recommendations even if they do not need a specific condition-based dog food.

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Age Considerations

Of course, it’s normal for dogs to slow down a bit as they get older. Joint problems, weight gain, and simply growing more tired with age are all factors that could cause an older dog to be less active. But older dogs are also more susceptible to the types of illnesses that cause lethargy and exercise intolerance; regardless of your dog’s age, if they are noticeably more tired than usual, it’s important not to chalk it up to just being a senior. These are potential red flags that should never be ignored.

A dog’s activity level can be a strong indicator of their health. That’s why as a pet parent, it’s important to pay close attention to what’s normal for your pooch so that you’ll be able to recognise when they are not acting quite like themselves. If you’re not in the habit of routinely playing with or walking your dog, start now so that you’ll be familiar with their normal level of activity. By acting quickly when your dog is acting lethargic, you could help catch a serious illness in its early stages and improve your pet’s chances of continuing to live a healthy, happy life.

Source: Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Six problems your dog’s diet could be causing

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You’ve played fetch, gone for a walk, dewormed, bought a new comfortable bed, and provided an endless supply of squeaky toys, and your fur-kid still seems a little down, which leaves you with that helpless feeling and no clue what’s wrong with them.

From rumbly tummies to skin allergies and changes in mood and behaviour, not being able to help them feel their best is heart-wrenching. However, half the battle is won if you’re confident that the food you’re feeding them on the daily isn’t the root cause of bringing them down.

Head Behaviourist at Dogtown South Africa, Gordon Banks, offers these helpful tips to better understand how your dog’s food and diet could lead to unwanted conditions:

  1. Unexplained changes in behaviour
    One of the biggest reasons for behavioural changes in dogs comes down to inconsistencies in their diet. To ensure that your beloved fur-child always feels their best, focus on feeding them a scientifically-formulated and balanced food that is nutrient rich and filled with high-quality proteins.

    Do some research on the various dog food offerings out there and stick to a specific, good-quality brand to prevent unexplained behavioural issues.

    “Nutrients in the food need to be balanced and in the correct ratio,” says Banks. “Any changes to a dog’s diet – whether it’s switching to a new brand or adding some home-made extras – can alter the balance of the food, resulting in both physiological and behavioural issues.”

  2. Depression, tiredness and irritability
    If you’ve noticed that your dog has become less playful and energetic, preferring instead to lie around or sleep longer hours, or perhaps even lashing out at you or family members, it’s time to investigate the nutritional content of their food.

    “An excess or deficiency in protein, carbohydrates, and fat content can all be attributing factors in behavioural disorders like depression, lethargy, irritability and aggression,” says Banks. “In addition, physiological disorders like obesity, cardiovascular problems, mobility, joint problems and neurological changes can also be attributed to improper diet.”

  3. Excessive weight gain or loss
    Too much food can cause breathing problems, joint issues and even heart disease, while too little food at meal times not only impacts energy levels but may also result in nutritional deficiencies.

    “It is vital that your dog receives the recommended quantity according to breed, size and activity levels. Not feeding your dog enough can leave them feeling irritable, and excessive feeding is also a contributing factor in unwanted behaviours like depression and aggression.”

    Be sure to check the back of food packaging for recommended daily portions or consult an expert for help. Look for products that mimic the ancestral diet of dogs as closely as possible, as these diets would not have included the quantities and additives found in many of today’s foods.

  4. Destructive chewing and ‘guarding’
    Dogs that chew up everything from your shoes to the living room sofa or tend to ‘growl’ and become territorial of their food are often stressed or even bored.  Stress and boredom are the most common causes of destructive chewing in domestic household dogs, but it could also be the case that they need more food at mealtimes.

    “Most experts recommend feeding adult dogs twice a day to help with their digestion and stabilise their metabolism. Dogs that experience an empty stomach for a large portion of the day will often display these and other adverse behaviours,” Banks says.

  5. Stomach torsion
    Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus (GDV), more commonly known as stomach torsion, is when the stomach twists and dilates into itself. This causes excessively bloated tummies in dogs and puts pressure on the internal organs.

    “While feeding dogs just one meal a day in the morning might seem like a good way to get them to burn off the energy during the day, this also places their digestive systems at risk of being ‘overloaded’ with too much food in one serving,” says Banks. “This can lead to an inefficient processing of nutrients in the longer run, which gives them a greater chance of developing a stomach torsion.”

  6. Allergic reactions due to incorrect ingredients
    Animal protein contains essential amino acids required in a good healthy diet. A dog’s digestive system, by nature, is designed to process protein from meat sources rather than from grains, which are known to lead to skin irritation and eczema in canines.

    “Diets that include an excess or unbalanced amount of grain content can place strain on internal organs that are not intended to readily process it, and many allergies – skin related allergies in particular – can be attributed to a high grain content in the diet,” says Banks.

    A balance of protein, vegetables and good fat content is essential for ensuring your dog has the best chance at a healthy, happy life!

When your fur-kids aren’t feeling their best, start by taking a closer look at their diets, and be sure to look at the nutritional information on the pack before deciding which dog food to feed them. Look out for ingredients and related information on protein sources to ensure your pet receives the right amount of nutrients on a daily basis.

Field + Forest™ for adult dogs and puppies is a complete range of pet nutrition products for pet owners who want to feed their companions the best very that their money can buy. The grain-free signature recipe flavours come in Turkey + Duck, Salmon + Tuna, and Game + Lamb and the Protein Centric™, grain-free formulations, contain no less than 60% premium proteins where meat is the primary ingredient for a well-rounded nutritional diet for puppies and adult dogs alike.

Source: Field + Forest™