What this means
Every dog has its own usual stamina, so the most useful comparison is with the dog itself: whether a walk that used to be easy now looks hard. Notice how soon it stops, whether the breathing is laboured, whether it looks for shade and whether it needs a long break.
Pay particular attention to breathing. Fast, heavy or noisy breathing after little effort, coughing on a walk, or blue or pale gums mean this is more than ordinary tiredness. Notice too whether your dog has become dull, put on weight or seems to feel the cold.
Tiring can come from many places, so no single cause explains it. Tell your vet how long it has gone on, how much effort brings it on and what else has changed. If you can, count your dog's breaths while it sleeps calmly and show the figure to the vet.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
-
Heart disease
A weaker heart cannot deliver as much blood as the body needs during movement. The dog stops sooner, breathes harder or coughs after effort.
About the condition: Heart disease -
A heart valve problem
When a valve does not seal properly the heart works harder, especially in older dogs of smaller breeds. A cough, fast breathing and reduced stamina are typical.
About the condition: Mitral valve disease -
A shortage of thyroid hormone
A slower metabolism can cause dullness, weight gain and reluctance to move. The dog may sleep more and feel the cold.
About the condition: Hypothyroidism -
Collapse after exercise
Some dogs weaken or collapse during intense play or running even though they felt well beforehand. They recover after a rest.
About the condition: Exercise-induced collapse -
Excess weight
Too much weight makes movement and breathing harder and loads the joints. The dog overheats and tires sooner when it moves.
About the condition: Obesity
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- How far into the walk your dog stops or lags behind
- Whether the breathing is fast, noisy or laboured
- Whether your dog coughs on a walk or at night while lying down
- Whether the gums look pale or bluish
- Whether your dog has put on weight, become duller or feels the cold
- Whether the breathing rate at rest, asleep, is faster than before
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if your dog has tired easily for more than a few days, or if you also notice a cough, fast breathing, a change in weight or dullness. If your dog is struggling to breathe or collapses, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Heart disease Heart This is an umbrella term for various conditions in which the heart muscle, the valves or the heart rhythm stop working as well, making it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body. Some are present from birth, others develop with age, and they can go a long time without any noticeable signs. During a check-up the vet listens to the heart and decides whether further tests are needed.
- Mitral valve disease Heart The mitral valve separates the left upper and lower chambers of the heart, and in this disease its leaflets gradually thicken and stop closing tightly. As a result, some blood flows backwards with every beat, the heart has to work harder and over time it enlarges. The disease develops slowly with age, and a vet may hear a heart murmur long before an owner notices any change.
- Hypothyroidism Hormones and metabolism Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland produces too little of the hormones that regulate metabolism. Because these hormones affect almost the whole body, a shortage gradually slows many of its processes. The changes come on slowly, so they are easy to mistake for ageing or simple laziness.
- Exercise-induced collapse Nerves and muscles Exercise-induced collapse is an inherited disorder in which, after intense and exciting exercise, a dog's hind legs suddenly weaken and it can no longer walk. Between episodes the dog seems completely healthy and it recovers after rest. A genetic test exists, so breeders can screen their breeding dogs.
- Obesity Hormones and metabolism Obesity is a condition in which too much fat builds up in a dog's body. The extra weight strains the joints, heart and breathing, raises the risk of diabetes and other diseases, and makes it harder for the dog to move and enjoy an active life. Weight creeps on gradually, so it is easy for an owner to miss, and a vet can help assess the dog's body condition.
- Babesiosis Parasites Babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by microscopic parasites that settle in the red blood cells and destroy them. In Lithuania it is spread by the ornate dog tick, so it is worth every dog owner knowing about. It can become life-threatening within days, so the dog needs a vet immediately.
Body systems: Heart Hormones and metabolism Nerves and muscles Parasites