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Senior dog sleeping more, struggling to get up. Is it aging or pain?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

My dog seems to be sleeping more and having a harder time getting up from her bed. She's 7 years old, is this just part of getting older? Anything I can do?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on December 11th, 2017

Hi there! Your dog may be getting sore and arthritic, which would make it harder for her to get up when she's laying down. There are many possible treatments for arthritis in dogs, including pain medication, physical therapy, acupuncture, Adequan injections, laser treatments, specially-formulated foods, and a variety of supplements. It would be a great idea to have your dog examined by a veterinarian to determine if treatment is needed at this time and, if so, which treatment would be more appropriate. Please remember there are no safe over the counter pain medications for dogs, so you will need to have these prescribed by a veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and best of luck to you and your dog!

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