The last thing any pet owner wants to see is their furry friend in visible pain and discomfort due to an illness of some kind.
You just know something’s wrong because your normally energetic and playful pet is now just content to let the day pass by while lying down on their bed.
The good news is that we can help our pets by taking them to the veterinarian and securing prescriptions of the drugs that can treat their ailments.
Antibiotics are among the drugs that a veterinarian may prescribe to your dog so they can finally be freed from the disease that is causing them such a great deal of discomfort.
As the pet owner, you should be fully aware of the effect that antibiotics can have on your dog.
Make time to find out the kind of impact that antibiotics can have on your dog beyond treating their disease.
Will antibiotics cause your dog to feel tired? That’s an important question you should find the answer to as your dog begins their treatment regimen.
By finding that answer, you can prepare better for the things that could happen to your dog. Continue with this article to learn more about the effects that antibiotics have on dogs.
Do Antibiotics Make Dogs Tired?
Will your dog feel tired after you give them their required dosage of antibiotics? You should not be surprised if something like that happens because of the aforementioned impact that antibiotics are known to have.
Once the antibiotics start to settle inside your dog’s body, you may notice your pet looking tired earlier in the day and it’s important to remember that what you’re seeing is a common side effect of their medication.
Another important thing you must keep in mind is that the antibiotics you’re giving to your dog do not have any sedative or tranquilizing effects. Your pet is tired because they are trying to fight off the bacterial infection and that is understandably taking a lot out of them.
The antibiotics may also not be the only cause of your dog feeling more tired than usual as the illness they are currently dealing with could also be contributing to that.
Antibiotics are formulated to treat infections that are caused by harmful bacteria residing in your pet dog’s body.
They are powerful drugs that specifically work by either damaging the bad bacteria or stopping them from multiplying and eventually spreading.
It’s also worth noting that antibiotics can vary in terms of potency, with some only targeting specific bacteria and others taking out numerous types of bacteria.
Given how antibiotics work, it should come as no surprise that they can cause numerous side effects.
How Long Can A Dog Be Tired For When On Antibiotics?
We now know that dogs may feel tired after taking the antibiotics prescribed to them by the veterinarian, but what will that really look like?
To be more specific, you may be wondering about how long your pet may be affected by the increased fatigue stemming from their antibiotic regimen.
Although we want to give you a solid number so you can prepare yourself better, that is not something we can do for this particular matter. The best we can say is that the increased fatigue will linger for a few days.
Monitor your dog’s fatigue levels during that time and look for anything changing because changes could mean that something more serious is affecting your dog.
If their increased fatigue persists for weeks instead of just a few days, that means your pet is probably dealing with something different. You must act immediately by taking your dog to the veterinarian so the new issue affecting them can be properly identified.
Fatigue or lethargy that lasts for more than a few days is potentially symptomatic of a new ailment or it could also be another side effect of taking antibiotics.
Your dog may be experiencing an allergic reaction to the medication they were taking so now they have to suffer through additional side effects.
It’s important to immediately communicate any concerns you have regarding the antibiotics to the veterinarian so they can adjust the treatment regimen if needed.
Should I Be Worried about a Dog Being Tired When on Antibiotics?
Pet owners should know that dogs feeling and looking more tired after starting their regimen of antibiotics is perfectly normal and nothing that should raise flags.
This kind of increased fatigue will manifest itself in the form of more frequent napping, longer sleep duration, and a general lack of energy. You do not need to worry if those are the only fatigue-related changes that you have observed in your pet.
However, worrying is warranted if your dog starts to show more serious fatigue-related symptoms after they start taking the prescribed antibiotics.
You can tell that your dog is experiencing more serious health issues if their regular movement starts to slow down noticeably.
Some dogs may also become confused and disoriented easily and it may even seem like they are struggling to deal with their surroundings.
Try calling out to your dog as well to evaluate their current condition. Take action quickly if your dog is not responding to you or their immediate surroundings.
What should you do if your pet dog appears confused and unresponsive in addition to being extremely fatigued? The best thing you can do for them at that point is to bring them back to the veterinarian for further evaluation.
The veterinarian will be able to formulate a new treatment plan if the antibiotics are actively harming your pet dog.
Conclusion
Do antibiotics cause dogs to feel tired or is that just a misconception? Throughout this article, we’ve determined that fatigue is indeed a real side effect that dogs may suffer from after taking antibiotics, but it should still be a relatively mild change that clears up quickly. Fatigue that lingers for weeks and causes your dogs to present other symptoms is no longer normal and it is something you must address as soon as possible with the help of a veterinarian.
