Lethargy - Growing up or Vets?

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Lotsaquestions
Posts: 646
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 6:06 am

Lethargy - Growing up or Vets?

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Hey all,

As everyone probably knows Merlin is a very active little mutt. When he had his balls he was simply inconsolable with exercise, it was never enough, he was always wanting to go out again. Since his neuter he has 'calmed down' alot, but it is at the point where I'm wondering if it is 'normal'. My partner thinks he's just grown up (14 months).

Merlin's typical day is;

Wake up at 9am
Walk for 2-4 hours off lead at 10
Sleep until 3-4pm
Run around for a bit and play with my OH when he gets home until about 6-7
Sleep until 9-10
Play pen and sleep until 9am

I know 2-4 hours off lead sounds like alot, and it probably is. It is just I got used to it 'not being enough' for ages it makes me worry when he gets home and goes to sleep, instead of gets home and wants to do tricks / scent work like he used to. He also seems to be getting tired quicker in his scent work class on Sunday and his KC class on Saturday, whereas pre-ball removal he was nuts the entire way through. When he's off lead he is pretty much sprinting the entire time, he doesn't do walking. It also includes some fetch / tug / maybe some tricks if he looks bored / dog play and chase.

He's due in for his boosters, I am just trying to get the Irish Lady Vet he likes to do it since he started to take a dislike to the man (and men in general) after his leg fiasco. I'm going to ask for her to check his heart just incase, but wondering if I should ask for bloods. I do miss being able to do tricks with him, he just seems so bored with it lately and sleepy when I try. :(

As for his food we finally found a good one. Acana Cobb Chicken & Greens. We realised that it was the high level of protein in the Eden / Orijen / Wolfworthy foods that he couldn't tolerate. So his current food is 29% like his old foods.

Edit: I'll add the main reason I am worried is because he's not longer excited to go out for a walk. I am not sure if that is because we went in the car alot recently. But if he sees me get my treat bag & coat he runs away and lays down.
JudyN
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Location: Dorset, UK
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Re: Lethargy - Growing up or Vets?

Post by JudyN »

I'm so pleased you've found a good food at last!

As for his lethargy... you could try cutting his morning walk to maybe an hour and see if he seemed perkier later in the day. Jasper's pre-walk routine is often to whine and pester, then lie flat on the floor till I'm practically out of the door. Which is a problem if he's lying in front of the door :lol:

Maybe dogs go through the equivalent of an adolescent phase where they just want to sleep all the time, retreat to their rooms and grunt at their parents? Jasper did go through a phase of being very lethargic when he was young - maybe around the same age. I had tests done including bloods, everything came back normal, and in the end the vet suggested that he might have seasonal affective disorder :shock: People we know who we met on walks even said that he didn't seem himself. Then one day he simply got his mojo back. I suspect he may have had a virus which wasn't picked up in testing and eventually cleared.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
Posts: 646
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 6:06 am

Re: Lethargy - Growing up or Vets?

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Interesting about SAD. It has been really boggy and rainy lately and Princess Merlin doesn't really like his paws getting wet on soggy pavements (but muddy puddles are great... weird dog). Maybe he is a bit down about the weather. He does refuse to go onto our garden grass at the moment because it is soggy.

I kept him in all day on Wednesday to see if he perked up. He did play a bit more but he still took himself away and had a sleep for most the day. Not much difference to if he'd been out all morning. He went out that night to the woods for 1.5 hours and came back and slept again.

At training he has been a bit 'take it for leave it' some days, which is unusual as he used to pull me into training wiggling his backside like it was about to fall off. Then at his scent class he was bored out of his mind and just went through the motions as slow as possible. Thing is it isn't predictable or consistant, which is why we haven't rushed to the vets. Last training session he was nutso again and tried to steal someone elses sausages, whilst picking up every single toy down distraction alley before going into his bed. One before that he could barely be bothered to get out of his bed!

I would say he isn't lethergic in the sense where you know something is wrong, he just seems a bit lazier. Maybe they do go through the sleep all morning grunty teenage phase just before adulthood! It is easier than the nutso teenage phase I guess. I will ask the vet for the normal checks of his heart and if he doesn't improve in the next few weeks I'll ask for bloods. I would rather avoid the bloods if I can as he is already very sensitive about handling after his leg issues.
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