You want a good night’s sleep for your Husky.
But…
How can they sleep if they can’t even relax?
You exercise your Husky daily but they’re still restless.
What’s worse is they want to go outside.
Don’t worry, I got you covered.
In this article, you’ll discover:
- Causes of restlessness in Huskies.
- The right sleep environment that Huskies need.
- 5 things that keep your Huskies knocked out at night.
- How restlessness can be a sign of more serious problems.
- And so much more…
Table of contents
Why is my Husky restless at night?
Your Husky is restless at night because of dementia or anxiety. But, parasites can also prevent them from relaxing. Pain from arthritis and gum disease makes them restless as well. In other cases, they’re restless due to lack of exercise, insomnia, chocolate poisoning, and constant peeing.
9 reasons why your Husky is restless at night
#1: Dementia
Your Husky might be restless because of dementia as it’s one of its symptoms.
This is when your Husky has a decrease in mental function. Dementia mostly happens when they reach their golden years.
Other symptoms of canine dementia include:
- Anxiety.
- Irritability.
- Lethargy.
- Confusion.
- Appetite loss.
Experts diagnose dementia in Huskies using observation in behavioral changes. Vets have behavior-related questions that the dog parent answers.
Sample questions include:
- Their amount of playtime.
- How frequently they sleep.
- The commands they know.
The vet will evaluate if there are major changes in these activities. Huskies with dementia can’t perform these tasks like they used to.
#2: Not enough exercise
And here’s the big question.
“Why isn’t my Husky sleeping despite exercising every day?”
If you do an hour of morning walks, you might want to do more exercises.
Yes, morning walks with your Husky can make them tired. But, they’ll regain their energy back after a few hours.
Why? Because they sleep during the day too. They’ll have the same energy back at night which makes them restless.
And by exercise, most people think of physical ones. But, they don’t know that mental exercises are as draining.
Huskies are very active. And if they don’t have the right amount of exercise, they might have…
#3: Anxiety and phobia
A Husky who’s anxious or afraid might not be able to fall asleep during the night. Phobia can also be a factor.
So, what’s the difference between these two?
Anxiety is when your Husky is nervous because of something that might happen. They think that something scary or bad will come to them during nighttime.
Phobia is when your Husky is heavily afraid of something. They don’t expect the trigger to come but when they see it, they rattle.
Your Husky can have a phobia of anything as long as they have a bad experience with it. Sound phobia is the most common reason why your Husky can’t sleep at night.
Some of these sounds include sirens, fireworks, and noises from huge trucks.
#4: Tapeworms
Tapeworms can make your Husky restless.
For Husky puppies, tapeworms can be dangerous because it can cause lack of growth, anemia, and stomach problems.
For adult Huskies, tapeworms don’t cause serious health issues. But, this parasite shouldn’t be overlooked because it can make your Husky restless at night.
Adult tapeworms have rice-like segments they use for reproduction. These are found on your Husky’s feces or anus.
These segments make your Husky scratch and scoot their bottom to the ground. Don’t expect your Husky to sleep when their bottom is itchy.
In some cases, your Husky might scoot because of impacted anal sacs. Please contact your vet if this occurs.
#5: Chocolate poisoning
A lot of dog parents know that feeding your Husky chocolate causes death. What they don’t know is the time needed for signs to occur.
It will take 6 to 12 hours before signs of chocolate poisoning show up. And when it does, these can last up to 72 hours.
So, if your Husky ate chocolate in the morning, they might feel restless at night.
Here are other signs:
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Seizures.
- Heart failure.
- Increased thirst.
Warning: It only takes 1 ounce (28 g) of chocolate to poison a 50 lb. (22.7 kg.) dog. And the darker the chocolate, the more poisonous it’s for your Husky.
#6: Fleas and ticks
Flea and tick bites can cause inflammation to the point where they can’t resist scratching it.
Instead of sleeping, your Husky will bite and scratch the flea-infested area. But, this isn’t the worst thing ticks and fleas can do.
They can carry tapeworms and other diseases. You can even catch some of these.
Here are some of the disease both humans and Huskies can get:
- Tulameria.
- Babesiosis.
- Lyme disease.
- Anaplasmosis.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
A female flea can lay up to 2,000 eggs in 1 hatching while a female tick can lay 3,000 to 6,000.
#7: Insomnia
Insomnia is rare for dogs. But this can cause restlessness nonetheless.
Most of the time, insomnia happens because of stress and anxiety. But, anything that disrupts your Husky’s sleep can cause insomnia.
Here are some triggers that disrupt your Husky’s sleep:
- Itch.
- Injuries.
- Stress and anxiety.
- High energy levels.
Do not underestimate unfamiliar sounds and smells. It can cause insomnia to your Husky too.
Your dog can get obsessed with a new smell or sound and refuse to sleep until they know what it is.
If you move to a new location, your dog might get restless for a few days due to alertness.
Check out also: 7 Reasons Why Your Husky Won’t Sleep At Night + 3 Tips
#8: Arthritis
Your dog can’t relax at night if they experience pain somewhere in their body. Most of the time, this pain can come from arthritis.
Your Husky will feel restless when they have this condition. Their spine and joints mostly are in constant agony.
Your Husky is most likely to have arthritis if they’re old or obese. Sadly, arthritis has no cure.
What vets can do is provide pain medication for your Husky.
Arthritis can cause staggering pain to your Husky. There are times they can’t even walk.
In fact, arthritis is one of the most painful conditions any Husky could have. And because of the constant pain, there’s nothing else to do but euthanize the dog.
#9: Gum disease
Just like arthritis, gum can cause excruciating pain to your Husky. It’s very common too.
Over 80% of dogs have dental disease before 3 years old. Gum disease is the most prevalent dental disease.
If gum disease worsens, it can cause your Husky organ failure due to the buildup of bacteria and toxins.
Some people think that dogs always have bad breath. But no, bad breath is a sign of gum disease.
Your Husky might also eat less because of their painful gums. It’s not because they have a lower appetite, it’s just harder to chew food when they’re in pain.
Bonus: Constant urination
Your Husky can get restless if they need to excrete waste. And they can’t just soil themselves inside your house.
One reason why your Husky pees at night is because you feed them late. After handling their “business”, they won’t be restless anymore.
But, if your Husky pees constantly, it can indicate kidney disease.
You can know if a Husky has a kidney disease based on the color of their pee. A normal Husky will have a transparent yellowish color.
Orange pee can indicate that your Husky has pancreatic problems. Red pee means that blood is present in your Husky’s urine.
5 tips on what to do if your Husky is restless at night
#1: Cater to your dog’s needs
Having a Husky is a responsibility that goes beyond feeding and walking them.
Health should also be a priority.
Some of their health needs are:
- Dental care.
- Vet consultations.
- Monthly deworming.
- Anti-flea and tick control.
These three must be included in your budget so your Husky can relax at night. Make sure to have the right budget for these 4 every month.
For the 3 items, it includes dog toothpaste, deworming tablets, and anti-flea and tick shampoo. But, there are other options that do the same things like these three.
#2: Exercise them right
Your Husky might be restless at night because you don’t give them the right exercise.
Some Huskies get enough exercise by walking them for 1 hour in the morning. But, other need an extra 1 hour of walk during the late afternoon.
If you walk them during these hours, they will also do their business. This means they won’t need to pee once they’re in their crate.
Exercising can also prevent anxiety because it produces endorphins. These are chemicals that make you and your Husky less stressed.
Mental exercises can tire them too. And the best mental exercise you can do with your Husky is teaching them new tricks.
Teaching them one command once a day for 15 minutes will surely drain their energy.
#3: Watch their feeding time
As we all know, your Husky won’t sleep if they need to poo. They won’t have to do their “business” at night if you feed them at the right moment.
The best time to feed them is 2 hours before exercise.
This way, they have the right energy to play with you but at the same time, will have the energy exerted at the right time.
You should also keep water and food bowls away from their sleeping area. Obviously, they might eat the food if it’s located in the same place they sleep in.
#4: Use medications
Medications are also a great help in making your dog sleep during the evening. One of the most common medications for restless and anxious Huskies is melatonin.
This is a supplement that can help your Husky sleep. But, make sure they’ve already eaten because it can cause vomiting if taken with an empty stomach.
There were limited trials for melatonin but there’s anecdotal data that this supplement can treat sleep, breeding rates, and even hair loss.
NSAIDs can also work for Huskies with arthritis. Some examples of NSAIDs are aspirin and carprofen.
Warning: Never take NSAID without a vet’s advice. Ibuprofen is also an NSAID but it shouldn’t be taken by dogs.
#5: Make them comfy
Your Husky is restless mostly because of discomfort caused by medical problems.
But, you should also not overlook the place they sleep on, especially the bed.
Before buying your Husky a bed, make sure they’re good for arthritic and operated dogs.
If the bed is excellent for these conditions, a normal Husky would feel comfortable with this as well.
You should also place your Husky somewhere that has no critters or sounds they can get phobias on.
Establishing a nightly routine can also prevent restlessness. This way, your Husky’s biological clock does the work in keeping them relaxed.