Why Your Old Dog Won't Sleep at Night—and What You Can Do

Pain as a Cause of Dog Insomnia ... Another possible reason for why a senior dog is restless at night is pain, especially cancer, which Dr. Dodman says is the ... iStock.com/svetikd BeWell>Wellness>WhyYourOldDogWon’tSleepatNight—andWhatYouCanDoAboutIt WhyYourOldDogWon’tSleepatNight—andWhatYouCanDoAboutIt Haveyoudiscoveredthatwhenitcomestobedtime,you’refarmoredog-tiredthanyourdog?Ifyourolddogwon’tsleepatnight,itmaybeindicativeofsomeunderlyinghealthproblems. Thegoodnewsisthattherearesolutionsthatcanhelpsomeseniordogsgettheresttheyneed. “Alldogs,butespecially seniordogswhoexperienceachangeinsleepbehavior,specificallywakingupatnight,shouldbeexaminedbytheirveterinariansoonerratherthanlater,”saysJanetTobiassenCrosby,DVM.“Iwouldcheckinwithyourvetafteranightortwoofdisruptedsleep,dependingonhowupsetyourdogisandothersignsseen.” WhyanOldDogWon’tSleepatNight “Sleepdisruptionscanbefromavarietyofcauses,oftenmedicalinnature,”Dr.Crosbysays.“Causesrangefromgastrointestinaltrouble tourinarysysteminfectiontoearlystagesofdementia.” NicholasDodman,BVMS,MRCVS,DACVB,sectionheadandprogramdirectoroftheAnimalBehaviorDepartmentofClinicalSciencesattheCummingsVeterinaryMedicalCenteratTuftsUniversityinNorthGrafton,Massachusetts,distillsthepotentialmedicalissuesfurtherintotwocategories: Caninecognitivedysfunction(CCD),alsocommonlyknownascanineAlzheimer'sordementia Pain DementiaasaCauseofDogInsomnia “Justlikepeople,asdogsgetolderthereisanincreasingfrequency[ofdementia],”Dr.Dodmansays.“Ifadogmakesitto18or19,there’sagreaterchancetheyhaveit.Oneofthecardinalsignsisnotsleepingatnight.” Becausethere’snotestforCCD,diagnosiscanbetricky.Essentially,it’sadiagnosisofexclusionwhenothercauseshavebeenruledout,Dr.Dodmansays. Atriptoyourveterinariancanhelpdeterminecauseofyourdog’sinsomnia,andruleoutothers.Thisisoftenaccomplishedthroughperformingaphysicalexamination,bloodworkandaurinalysis,Dr.Crosbysays.Afterthosetestshavebeencompleted,yourvetmayrecommendmoreextensivetesting. “Youdon’tdoabonescanorMRIwillynilly—onlyafterstandardtestshavebeendone,”Dr.Dodmansays. SymptomsofcanineAlzheimer’s,orsenility,thataffectsleepincluderestlessness,disorientationandconfusion.Andtheremaybeindicatorsduringtheday,too,includingreducedappetite,weightlossandlackofenergy.IfadogdoeshaveCCD,petparentscanimprovetheirdog’squalityoflifewithdiet,medication,supplements,andcognitiveenrichments.Unfortunately,thereisnocuretoCCD,whichisoneoftheparallelstohumanAlzheimer’s. Learnmoreaboutdogdementiatreatmentshere. PainasaCauseofDogInsomnia Anotherpossiblereasonforwhyaseniordogisrestlessatnightis pain,especiallycancer,whichDr.Dodmansaysisthemostcommoncauseofdeathinolderdogs. “Tumorsswellandgrowandpushthingsaround,”Dr.Dodmanexplains. Andifadogisinpain,thatpaincanbeworseatnightbecausetherearenodistractions,Dr.Dodmansays. Painprimarilypresentsastheseniordoghavinganxietyatnight,solookforthesamesignsasfear,whichincluderaisedhackles—thatis,thehairona dog's backandneckstandingonend—andenlargedpupilsduetoincreasedadrenaline.Dogscanalsosalivatefromextremefearordistress.OthersymptomspetparentsshouldmonitoraretuckedtailsandwhatDr.Dodmancalls“whaleeye,”wherethewhitesofthedog’seyesarevisible. Learnmoreaboutsafepainmanagementoptionsforseniordogs. Sleeplessnessmayalsobecausedbyseizures.“Seizuresarenotaswellsuppressedastheyareduringtheday,andareespeciallycommoninolddogs,”Dr.Dodmansays. Learnmoreaboutseizuresindogshere. EnvironmentalCausesforDogInsomnia Anychangeinanadultdog’sbehavioriscauseforconcern,saysPatMiller,CBCC-KA,CPDT-KA,directorofPeaceablePawsDogandPuppyTraininginFairplay,Maryland,andshouldbediscussedwithaveterinarian.Butsometimes,insteadofamedicalcausefordoginsomnia,therecouldbeexternalfactorscausingthesleeplessnessthatcanbeeasilyresolved. Ifyourseniordogisrestlessatnight,consideranyexternalchangesthathaveoccurred,including: Changesinthehouseholdroutine Newnoisesoutsidethatmaybedisturbingyourdog Newhouseholdmembers Reductioninyourdog'sdailyexercise/activitylevel Thosenewnoisesmaybeseasonal.Forexample,Aloudsnowplowcanaffectyourcanine’sabilitytosleepandleadtoyourolddogpacingatnight,saysDr.Dodman.Anotherdogwasdisturbedwhentheirhouse’sheatingsystemkickedin,causingsleepissues,Dr.Dodmanalsorecalls. DogSleepApneaandDogNightmares Peoplewhosufferfromsleepapneamaybeinclinedtothinkthattheirolderdogwithsleepissueshasdogsleepapnea.Butthismayprovenottobetheissue.Sleepapneadoesn’tnecessarilyoccurinolderdogs,butitdoeswithbrachycephalicdogs—thatis,dogbreedswithflatfaces,likePugsandShihTzus—especiallyifthey’reoverweight,Dr.Dodmansays. Somethingelsethatcanaffectadog’ssleepatanyageisnightmares.Thisissomethingour12-year-oldBullTerrier,Medusa,experiences.Withsomeyelpsandtwitching,itseemsfairlymildandwewakeheruprightaway.Dr.DodmansaysEEGsdemonstratebrainwaveactivityincreasesduringREM,thedreamingphaseofsleep.DogswiththeconditionREMbehaviordisorder(RBD)physicallyactoutwhat’sgoingon,insteadofdreamingquietly,displayingthesymptomsyouwouldexpectofanightmare. Ifyounoticeyourdoghavingnightmaresregularly,theCummingsSchoolofVeterinaryMedicineatTuftsUniversityrecommendsspeakingwithaveterinarianandbehavioristtodetermineandaddresstherootcauseofthenightmares. TreatmentsforDogInsomnia Onceyoudeterminewhyyourolddogwon’tsleepatnight,youcanbeginexploringpossibletreatmentswithyourveterinary. Forexample,yourvetmayprescribeAniprylforadogwithCCD.OtherprescriptionsforCCDincludeAriceptandNamenda.Ontheholisticside,Huperzine-A,aherbalextractoffirmossusedtohelpsomepeoplewithAlzheimer’s,canpotentiallybeusedtotreatcognitivedysfunctionandseizuresindogs,perastudybytheCummingsSchoolofVeterinaryMedicine.Butyoumustconsultyourveterinariantogettheproperdosageofthisnaturalremedyforyourpetanddiscusssideeffects. Ifyouandyourvetdeterminethecausetobeenvironmentallybased,trytoestablishanighttimeroutineforyourdog. “Dogsloveroutine,somedogsmorethanothers,”Dr.Crosbysays.Inconjunctiontoyourownhumanschedule,“Providestructure[toestablishanighttimeroutine]oncepossiblemedicalproblemshavebeenruledout,”shesays. “Iamalsoabigfanofthe Adaptilcollarfordogswhomaybeanxiouswithascheduledisruption,thunder,travelorotherstresses,”Dr.Crosbysays.Thecollarreleasesacalmingpheromone,formerlycalleddog-appeasingpheromoneorDAP,whichcanhelpeaseastressed-outpupsufferingfromenvironmentallybasednighttimerestlessness. Millerhasfurthersuggestionsfortheenvironmentalsleepdisturbances:“Trytoreturntheenvironmenttoas‘normal’astateaspossible,”shesays.Increasing exercise mayalsohelpadogsleep,butMillerwarnsthatownersmustcheckwiththeirveterinarianbeforeincreasingexerciseforaseniordog. Youcanalsoattempttocounteroutdoornoisesbyutilizingawhitenoisemachine,Millersays. Ifyourolddogwon’tsleepatnight,yourveterinariancanhelpgettotherootoftheissue. “Seniordogsshouldbegettingatleastanannualseniorwell-petcheck-up,ifnottwiceayear,”Millersays.“Andifanysignificantbehaviorchangesoccurbetweenvisits,aconversationwiththevetisalwayswarranted.” Togetheryoucanhelpensureyourdoghasagoodnight’ssleepintheir dogbed andgreetsthemorningbright-eyedandbushy-tailed.Well,thatlastpartdependsonthebreed,ofcourse. Readmore: TheBestSeniorDogFood:7Best-RatedDietsforOlderDogs SeniorDogCare:ChangestoExpectwithanOlderDog 12WaystoHaveaHappySeniorDog By:ElizabethAndersonLopez Share: Published:November16,2015 UpNext WhatToDoWhenCockatielsFight Followthesepetbirdtipswhenyourcockatielsstarttobickerandfightduringthebreedingseason. Previous GuineaPigBodyLanguage BeChewyexploresguineapigbodylanguagefromjumpingandnosetouchingtosignsofstress. 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