# 6 month old puppy sleeps all the time



## ncis (Feb 17, 2013)

I have a six month old beagle lab cross and he is a wonderful dog. The last couple of weeks I've noticed he's sleeping a lot more, spending most of the day sleeping until he has to go outside to do his business. He's not really interested in playing inside or fetch anymore either. We play tug of war a bit but he seems uninterested pretty quickly. 

His stool has also been a bit runny pretty consistently. I brought him to the vet and they gave me some probiotics but otherwise said he seemed fine. He also has only been eating about 2 cups of food a day, when he used to eat three or more. I've been giving him some canned pumpkin to try and harden his stool a bit and it works sometimes. When we go out I take him for at least a 15 minute walk in the morning, in the afternoon he gets a 30 minute run around the park and then a short 5-10 minute walk, the same in the evening. I think he's getting enough exercise, but maybe I'm wrong? I know beagles and labs are both usually pretty high energy pups, does he need more time outside maybe? 

When we do go outside he has energy and will run around a lot and play, is he just growing up fast or is there something to be worried about? Any suggestions for other ways to play that might interest him?


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## cmoorewv (May 27, 2012)

Is he going through a growth spurt and/or teething? I have noticed with babies and kittens that during a period of rapid growth they sleep a lot more. I don't know if this holds true with pups-It's been ten years since I've had one, but it seems plausible. And I have seen here on the forum that teething can cause runny stools. If he doesn't snap out of it I'd take him to the vet again. I noticed that you said he's eating less, though. That wouldn't seem to happen with a growth spurt. Maybe the pumpkin is making him less hungry for his other food. I don't have any experience with beagle pups. The last pups I had were St Bernards and my female is almost 11. As long as he's running and playing I wouldn't worry too much, but keep an eye on him.


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## minnesnowta (Sep 30, 2012)

Was this activity change sudden? Or did he gradually become a couch potato of sorts? No change to diet? Wasn't neutered recently? There are a lot of factors in activity level change.

I have noticed with the puppies I have raised that when they are teething they often have a runny stool, aren't interested in toys and chews and just seemed lethargic. I just gave them lots of cold carrots, celery sticks and ice to chew on. Cooper slowed down after he was neutered. I also cut down his food intake at 6 months from one cup, three times a day to twice a day. As long as your dog is drinking water and eating I wouldn't be overly concerned yet. 

Every dog is different too. Cooper is the laziest Aussie I know, but the breed is known to be a high energy dog.


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## Well Balanced Pet (Jan 15, 2013)

Not to sound like a plug but fatigue can be a sign of Calcium deficiency. It's at the top of the list of common health issues we have diagnosed. http://wellbalancedpet.com/pethairanalysis.html Maybe try a little supplementation and see if it helps.


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## alexlucas (Feb 4, 2013)

A healthy six month old beagle lab generally plays hard like racing around, playing with toys or attacking another pet playfully or even you. After they get tired, they take a good nap and start all over again. It's a good idea to take your puppy and perhaps get some worm pills should this be the case.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

For an adult dog, they may play in the morning and evening, then sleep during the day and night, especially if you aren't home. Teething could be an issue at 4 - 6 months. If he has recently been runny, then something has changed - change in food, treats, worms, illness ?


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## Kobismom (Dec 17, 2012)

Kobi it hitting 5-1/2 months and we've noticed he's either "on" or "off." He's either passed out 6 ways until Sunday or he's a barrel of energy and needs a long visit to the local dog park, where he can wear himself out. There's no inbetween.

We've noticed a lot of teething going on, with some lightly bloody toys as he chews on his toys, and it seems every morning when he wakes up in his crate, he's either gained weight or grown more, so we're guessing his listlessness is the result of the teething and growth spurts. The vet has checked him out and physically, he's fine.


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## alexlucas (Feb 4, 2013)

Ive read that tiredness and sleepiness are symptoms of worms on dogs. Have you tried deworming?


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