What can I do to help my dog with sleep apnea? A Complete Guide

In addition to sleep apnea, dogs can also suffer from insomnia and restless leg syndrome. We have resources on these disorders in humans. To learn more about how they may be affecting your dog, check out our sources below.

Some dog breeds with short noses (the fancy term is brachycephalic), like bulldogs and pugs, can suffer from complications due to obstructed airways.

If your dog suffers from allergies, whether seasonal, caused by foods, or due to toxins in his environment, his allergies could inflame his airways to the point of blocking them off. A visit to his veterinarian is important because your vet can diagnose his problem and either prescribe a hypoallergenic diet or give him a prescription that will help his condition.

Julia joined Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. in 2011 with a background in sales, marketing and customer service. She is currently the vice president of marketing and operations and enjoys the opportunity to educate and interact with those looking to improve their health through better sleep.

Losing weight can significantly reduce or eliminate sleep apnea. Your veterinarian can assess your dog’s weight and recommend diet changes if your dog is overweight or obese.

Health Problems Caused by Sleep Apnea

You should not ignore the dangers of sleep apnea as without treatment, it can increase the risk of fatal health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, stroke, and heart disease.

Dog owners share a lot with our pets (sometimes whether we want to or not): our homes, our furniture, our food, etc.

So, what can you do for a dog that has sleep apnea? At this point, neither CPAP nor an oral sleep apnea device is available for dogs. Surgery might be an option, but its success rate in humans is low enough that it’s probably not worth exploring. So we’re left with some of the common home remedies for sleep apnea.

Obesity is another risk factor for sleep apnea in dogs (as in humans). If your dog is overweight, it might be a good idea to put them on a diet, increase their exercise levels, or both. In fact, doing activities with your dog is a great way for you to get more exercise, too.

Weight loss and exercise are the most promising home remedies for both humans and animals. You can also try to reduce the amount of allergens in your home to help your dog breathe a little easier. Positional therapy could work: if you notice your dog snores more in a particular position or place, encourage them to sleep differently. This might mean getting them a new bed or kicking them out of yours. Teaching your dog to play a wind instrument is probably a long shot.

In humans and dogs who suffer from sleep apnea, snoring may be accompanied by frequent, abrupt awakenings in which the sufferer seems to be choking or gasping for air. This is because sleep apnea results in repeated episodes in which breathing stops during sleep.

How To Help Your Dog Sleep At Night – Simple Vet Tips

You may be surprised to learn that dogs, like humans, can suffer from sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. While snoring is sometimes just innocuous nighttime noise, it can also be a warning sign for an underlying problem. Sleep apnea can be pretty serious for your pooch. The most severe cases can result in death, but even a mild instance can disrupt your dog’s sleep.

Common causes of sleep apnea in dogs include allergies, being overweight, and obstructions in the dog’s airway and nasal passages.

If your dog suffers from allergies, whether seasonal, caused by foods, or due to toxins in his environment, his allergies could inflame his airways to the point of blocking them off. A visit to his veterinarian is important because your vet can diagnose his problem and either prescribe a hypoallergenic diet or give him a prescription that will help his condition.

Like humans, dogs suffering from sleep apnea are often overweight or obese (read more about how to find out if your dog is overweight). During obstructive sleep apnea–the most common form of sleep apnea–tissue in the back of the throat collapses into the airway, blocking the breath. This soft tissue includes the tongue, soft palate, tonsils, and adenoids. When you fall asleep, your throat muscles relax, which can cause the tissue to sag into your throat. When the airway is entirely blocked, an apnea occurs. Excess fat and tissue in the throat and neck can increase the obstruction.

Losing weight can significantly reduce or eliminate sleep apnea. Your veterinarian can assess your dog’s weight and recommend diet changes if your dog is overweight or obese.

Some dog breeds with short noses (the fancy term is brachycephalic), like bulldogs and pugs, can suffer from complications due to obstructed airways.

Like with humans, it can be difficult to diagnose obstructive airways. A company called PetPace has developed a smart collar very similar to the home sleep apnea test (HST) devices used by many sleep centers to monitor dogs’ activity and sleep. The collar records data such as activity, respiration and sleeping positions to aid vets in diagnosing their patients (learn more about the smart collar device here).

In the case of diagnosed obstruction, your veterinarian may need to perform surgery to allow your dog to sleep better.

In addition to sleep apnea, dogs can also suffer from insomnia and restless leg syndrome. We have resources on these disorders in humans. To learn more about how they may be affecting your dog, check out our sources below.

Worried that you or a loved one (human) may have sleep apnea? Find out more about testing for sleep apnea.

Julia joined Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. in 2011 with a background in sales, marketing and customer service. She is currently the vice president of marketing and operations and enjoys the opportunity to educate and interact with those looking to improve their health through better sleep.