What makes dogs restless

We give this to Tampa with his dinner. Tampa sleeps in bed with us. We started shutting the door to our bedroom at night. This prevented Tampa from walking around the house pacing all night. For some senior dogs and cats, keeping them in a smaller area helps them from becoming confused about where they are. I had lost several magazines and some new books to his nighttime chewing. Tampa has arthritis in his legs and back. Arthritis is another possible answer to why you have a restless dog.

This condition causes physical discomfort, which can also make your dog not want to lie down. Both dogs are also on a supplement for joints. This can go two ways. Tampa is losing his hearing and it definitely makes him a little more anxious and more hyper alert and watchful to compensate. This is a big one for us. Tampa is constantly hungry — which is a problem.

He paces about every hour wanting food. This is not uncommon. A restless dog might be hungry due to a health issue, not getting enough food or not getting the right kind of food. Again, we went to the vet to rule out a medical condition and we are still going through the testing process. We already have an appointment with a specialist and will be doing an ultrasound.

Regarding diet, we did change Tampa to a special prescription diet because of concerns about his liver, which definitely made his hunger worse. We finally decided because we were feeding him so much less than the recommended amount that we would increase his food intake by giving him three small meals throughout the day, now feeding him right before bedtime. This extra feeding has helped his food anxiety. We also have tried giving him some pumpkin before bed, hoping the high fiber might fill up his stomach a little more without packing on the pounds.

We plan on talking to a dog nutritionist next to discuss his weight gain and hunger issues, and to adjust his diet to one that appeases his hunger more. Tampa was definitely experiencing increased thirst. Again, this is a restless dog issue caused by a medical condition. However, it turns out he had a urinary infection. If your dog has increased thirst, make sure this is the first thing you rule out with your veterinarian. Having to go to the bathroom at night happens to puppies, senior dogs and even adult dogs — hey, even us humans.

In our case, Tampa is a senior dog and sometimes 8 hours is too long for him to go without the potty. Getting up once to let him out is fine. We love him, and it gives us a chance for a potty break, too. Both puppies and senior dogs, small and short-haired breeds, plus brachycephalic breeds smoosh-faced dogs , are affected by heat and cold. If you have a restless dog, he could be either too hot or too cold.

Tampa is a senior dog, and we definitely noticed he went from being like a camel — not affected by heat at all — to being sensitive to it. At night, sometimes he would pant and get up to drink water. I started making the room a little cooler at night, which definitely has stopped the panting.

Dogster reader Lyn Holmes tells Dogster that she uses a hot water bottle in the bed for her Chihuahua, who sleeps with her. He has a bowl of water and a bowl of kibble down, and he will occasionally have a midnight snack, I get woken up by his crunching. Please see our article, Howling , for more information on the various causes and treatments for excessive vocalizing.

Some dogs start overreacting to things they once ignored, like the garage door opening or the newspaper being delivered. His sleep-wake cycles may be affected by cognitive dysfunction or other types of central nervous system disorders. Any medical problems should be treated first, and then, if necessary, you can gently retrain your dog to reestablish normal sleeping and waking hours. Try increasing his daytime and evening activity by giving him frequent walks, playing his favorite games, practicing obedience or tricks, and giving him food-puzzle toys and bones to chew.

You can also ask his veterinarian about combining your retraining with drugs to induce sleep or, alternatively, drugs to keep your dog more active during the day. Please see our article, Separation Anxiety , for detailed information on this problem and its treatment.

To find one of these experts in your area, please see our article, Finding Professional Behavior Help. Destructive Behavior Just as with other behavior problems of senior dogs, the underlying cause of destructive behavior needs to be determined in order to provide effective treatment.

Some destructive behaviors reported in senior dogs are pica ingesting inedible objects ; licking, sucking or chewing body parts, household objects or family members; and scratching and digging. For example, cognitive dysfunction might be considered in dogs with licking, chewing or pica.

Treatment of underlying medical problems and cognitive dysfunction may resolve some problems but not others. If your dog is suffering from anxiety, phobia or fear of particular things people, situations, objects, thunder, etc.

Please see Fears and Phobias below for more information. Fears and Phobias Sensory decline, cognitive dysfunction and anxiety can all contribute to fears and phobias.

The first step in treatment is to control underlying medical problems and cognitive dysfunction. I have this one at home. And my dog Lissa is crazy about it. All I do is throw it, then Lissa goes to fetch it. And once she has it, she nibbles on it. This could be a pet sitter or a dog walker. For one of my free days during the weekend, I like to get away from the city for a day.

Preferably not just walking her but also playing. Plus they have a lot of fun. And I get my peace of mind. By this, I mean feeding, walking, and sleeping routine.

Dogs love having a set-in-stone schedule. And you will too when you realize how much it can help you. The ticking clock will play the role of a heartbeat.

Precisely what the pup is used to. You can choose either of these 2 options and go with it for the first few nights. Your puppy was with their littermates until now.

But all of a sudden the pup is left all by themselves. And in an unknown place. That can be very stressful. To avoid your pup getting too stressed out, have them sleep in your room. That will already serve as reassuring. After spending several nights like that, you can start moving the crate further away. But do it step by step. If you suspect your dog might be reacting to a nocturnal critter, have your house checked. You might be surprised. This is a common and effective method of calming an anxious dog down.

It comes in different sizes. Panting is a normal behavior. Dogs sweat a little through their paw pads but they largely depend on panting to expel hot air from their lungs and draw in cool air to cool down, notes veterinary behaviorist Dr.

Certain medications, including steroids, opioids and thyroid medications can cause increased panting; and overweight dogs are also more prone to rapid breathing. Anxiety is another common cause of panting. A dog that is anxious tends to have his mouth open, lips pulled back and tongue in his mouth while a dog panting due to heat usually has his tongue hanging out of its mouth. Dogs may pant for a combination of reasons, including pain and anxiety or weight issues and medication side effects.

A physical exam can also help your veterinarian determine the root cause of chronic panting.