Take These Steps to Minimize Your Dog's Circadian Disruption During Travel
+ additional tips to offset canine jet lag
The circadian rhythm refers to the physical, mental, and behavioral changes an organism experiences cyclically over a 24-hour period. Colloquially, it is often referred to as the biological clock.
In vertebrate animals, including humans, this biological clock exists in the brain. It consists of a large group of nerve cells that form a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Among other functions, the SCN controls production of the hormone melatonin in response to the amount of light the eyes receive.
Different species respond to this light input differently, and can be categorized based on their natural responses:
Diurnal species are awake during the day
Nocturnal species are awake at night
Crepuscular species are most alert during dawn and dusk, and
Arrhythmic species are those that don’t seem to operate in accordance with circadian rhythm
Humans are a diurnal species, being most alert during the light of day. In the evening, a person’s biological clock tells their brain to make more melatonin, causing them to feel sleepy.
While light and dark have the biggest influence on circadian rhythm, food intake, stress, physical activity, social environment, and temperature also affect it.
Canine circadian rhythm
Many wild canine species, such as wolves and foxes, operate along nocturnal, crepuscular, or arrhythmic patterns.
The domestic dog, however, operates differently. Like humans, domestic dogs are diurnal creatures, meaning that their bodies are naturally more alert and active during the day. The majority of their sleep and inactivity is recorded between the hours of 21:00 and 6:00, with periods of rest in the afternoon.
This circadian alignment and diurnal activity of domestic dogs is likely an adaptation that has evolved from their cohabitation with humans over thousands of years.
Similarly, physical, social, environmental, and cognitive-behavioral factors impact a dog’s sleep-wake cycle. For one, it's widely acknowledged that dogs, like humans, can experience disruptions to their internal clock when traveling across time zones. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that dogs experience the effects of “jet lag” when their routines are disrupted by travel across time zones.
Generally speaking, dogs tend to cope with shifting routines and time zones better than humans do, likely due to their naturally brief and frequent sleep-wake cycles.
However, for this species that thrives off of routine, the impacts of “time travel” are felt nonetheless, and some dogs are affected more than others. For example, senior dogs experiencing cognitive decline have overall reduced REM sleep, with increased REM sleep during the day and increased wakefulness during nighttime (opposite of normal). In these pets, where sleep fragmentation and altered sleep-wake cycles are already present, the impact of jet lag may be more severe.
How to tell if your dog is jet lagged
We can’t ask our dogs if they’re feeling jet-lagged, but some of the most obvious and common symptoms include disrupted sleep patterns, lethargy, or changes in appetite. They might sleep more than normal during the day or be bouncing off the walls, vocalizing, and trying to play outside at night.
When my dog, Luca, is jet lagged, the first thing I notice is that he begs for food at unusual times. If we’re flying far eastbound (ex: AMS to NYC), he always wakes up early begging for breakfast the next day. These signs resolve pretty quickly, and after 2 days or so, I find that he’s back to his normal routine.
Some of the signs of jet lag (particularly increased sleepiness / lethargy or a reduced appetite), can also be an indication of a number of other, more serious, conditions. For that reason, if you find that your pet is experiencing these signs for greater than 48 hours or that the signs seem to be worsening with time, seek veterinary attention. Jet lag should become better over time, not worse.
If you have a long-haul flight coming up, here are a few things you can do to ease the time shift on your pet and get them back to normal operating hours as soon as possible.
How to help your dog overcome jet lag
💊 Melatonin
In dogs, we use melatonin to treat a number of disorders including sleep and other behavioral conditions as well as alopecia (non-allergic hair loss).
Melatonin can be useful for pets experiencing cognitive decline or other issues that make them particularly susceptible to the effects of jet lag.
May also be helpful for treating travel-associated anxiety. This is a safer option for anxious pets than sedatives, which are typically NOT recommended for air travel.
The appropriate dose varies widely based on your pet’s size and condition, and many over the counter melatonin supplements may be too high for pets or contain unsafe additives, so check with your vet before administering anything.
🐕🦺 Maintain routine
Dogs thrive off of routine, so do your best to keep your dog’s routine consistent. Stick to regular feeding, walking, and play schedules as much as possible, even in the new time zone.
🔄 Gradual time shift
Before traveling, gradually shift meal times and exercise routines closer to the schedule of the destination time zone.
Following behaviorally active days, dogs, like humans, sleep more and experience earlier drowsiness and REM sleep. Depending on your flight schedule, carefully planning rigorous physical activity prior to travel may promote sleep in-flight and offset jet lag.
Different apps, like Timeshifter, help you modify your circadian rhythm in the days preceding travel via changes in sleeping and eating times, controlled light exposure, etc. As the same modifications are effective for dogs, these apps can help you in planning gradual routine shifts, so you and your dog can prevent jet lag together.
❗️NOTE: these apps often also include instructions on when to consume caffeine. Caffeine is toxic dogs, so make sure you pass on that one.
💡Control light exposure through outdoor activity
Exposure to natural light through outdoor activity can help regulate your dog's internal clock. You can try to control this prior to travel, and ensure your dog has exposure to bright light upon normal waking hour at your arrival destination.
🏡 Provide comfort and maintain familiarity
In humans, the “first night effect” is a well-known phenomenon where people experience less and lower quality sleep on the first night in a new bed/environment. Similarly, we know that dogs sleep better in a known, safe environment, spending a greater portion of the evening asleep and falling into REM sleep faster; while being in a new environment may reduce sleep time and sleep quality.
Stressful socio-emotional experiences have also been associated with altered sleep patterns and sleep quality in dogs. Travel can be stressful for your pet, particularly if your pet is traveling without you or alone altogether (such as in cargo).
Do your best to reduce stressors and provide your pet with comfort through warm and responsive emotional attunement, calming pheromone products, and through maintaining familiarity with beds, toys, and familiar scents.
If you take the above steps, you may be able to help your dog offset jet lag altogether.
Given their adaptability, dogs shouldn’t experience signs of jet lag for greater than 24-48 hours, and you should note increasing regulation as those days pass. If you note that your dog is experiencing signs 48 hours post-travel, seek veterinary attention.
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Have a safe flight,
Dr. Sami
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