26 Jan Lethargy in dogs; A simple but very dangerous sign! (Part 1)

If your dog’s movements and walking are very slow, tired, or not as interested in playing as before, it’s probably not due to laziness. Dogs that are lethargic or unable to run and exercise may have an underlying problem, such as heart disease. Sometimes lethargy in dogs can be normal. For example, very hot weather may make the animal lethargic in summer. Likewise, as a dog gets older, he may become more lethargic because he develops osteoarthritis or other problems that cause pain or decreased endurance. But if your dog is young and suddenly becomes weak and lethargic, he may have a more serious problem to worry about, especially if you find that your dog is consuming less food or water. Drowsiness can be mild or severe, and sometimes it can be temporary. In this article, we will know the cause of the dog’s lethargy and the treatment strategy. So stay tuned.

Dog lethargy definition

Lethargy means that the dog’s movements are sluggish or sleeps too much. A lethargic dog may show no interest in walking, playing, or eating. Every normal healthy dog ​​sleeps about 14-15 hours a day. It means that every time you see him, he may sleep. Most animals play, eat, or walk when they are awake, but often they just like to sit down. So even healthy dogs can sometimes feel lethargic.

But rest and lethargy are different. If the animal doesn’t like to eat or react when you call him or is no longer bored with playing, walking or doing other things it used to love, he’s lethargic. If these symptoms last for more than 24 hours, you should look for a more important problem, especially if it’s accompanied by other symptoms such as digestive problems. For example, lethargy with a dog vomiting or blood in the stool or vomiting can indicate an acute problem.

A normal amount of sleeping

Dogs need a lot of sleep. But they’re usually different in terms of energy, activity and sleep. Therefore there’s no problem unless the dog’s behaviour changes from the past. Most healthy adult dogs usually sleep 12 to 14 hours a day, and the amount of normal sleep depends on many factors, including:

• Age
• breed
• Sex and sterilization
• Diet and number of meals per day
• Changes in the place of living
• The amount of activity during the day

The cause of dogs lethargy

Sometimes the cause of a dog being lethargic and sleeping too much can be related to physical stress and fatigue. It’s normal for some dogs to become lethargic after strenuous activity. For example, a dog may sleep a day or two longer than usual after playing in the woods or a long walk. But you shouldn’t ignore the long fatigue that lasts more than a few days. Lethargy, weakness and fatigue are common symptoms of various dog diseases. but the problem is that these symptoms aren’t clear, meaning that many different diseases can numb the dog. A dog’s lethargy can range from simple issues such as muscle aches to alarming important problems such as angina pectoris. This problem can have many causes, so here we have to mention only the most common causes. 

• Infectious problems and various viruses, including distemper, cannabis, parvovirus, and pneumonia (the diagnosis is usually accompanied by lethargy in the dog)
• Metabolic diseases such as heart, liver or kidney problems
• Hormonal problems such as diabetes and hypoglycemia, Cushing’s disease and hypothyroidism can cause severe lethargy.
• Canine parasitic diseases (such as heartworm)
• Tumours
• Anemia (usually caused by parasites such as fleas or intestinal parasites)
• Anything that causes pain or discomfort, such as osteoarthritis
• Fever
• Dog diarrhea
• Side effects of some medications: If your dog is taking a new medication and is lethargic, be sure to consult a veterinarian.
• Food poisoning (for example, garlic and onions or poisons sprayed on plants. Also, you should always be careful that dogs don’t have access to things that you throw in the trash)
• snake bite
• Anal problems
• Trauma
• Malnutrition
• The cause of anorexia and lethargy in dogs, which is accompanied by symptoms such as coughing or fainting, is probably high blood pressure in the lungs.
• Obesity: Overweight dogs usually move less
• Dog lethargy is usually normal after vaccination, but if it persists, call your veterinarian for advice.