What causes partial anorexia dogs? Get Your Pet Thinking

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Why Is My Dog Not Eating?

The loss of appetite in dogs can be referred to as either inappetence or anorexia. Anorexia in dogs is not the same level of a medical condition as it is in humans. Doggy anorexia can be either partial or complete. Partial Anorexia is when a dog will only eat certain types of food, but not enough that can keep them healthy. If your dog won’t eat anything at all, you may be looking at complete dog anorexia. Pseudo-anorexia in dogs is another condition in which a dog wants to eat, but is unable to due to another ongoing issue.

Dogs who are not eating, usually do so because of environmental or behavioral reasons which are typically caused by stressors, or more seriously, an underlying medical condition that could require urgent care and even surgery. We will discuss some of the more common examples of each, and provide information on how your doggys issues can best be resolved.

Behavioral & Environmental Reasons Why a Dog Is Not Eating

There are many reasons why your dog wont eat anymore. Some minor causes can be environmental or behavioral issues such as separation anxiety when left alone for extended periods of time (this would likely cause the dog to refrain from eating only when left alone). Even the absence of a family member/owner can result in a loss of appetite. Inconsistently feeding your dog, or inconsistent sleeping hours could also be a quick and easy solution.

If your pup has stopped eating, changes in their typical environment could be the issue. You may notice a loss of appetite if your family introduces a new pet to their environment, drastic changes in weather, and other stressors that take your doggy out of their comfort zone.

How Do I Treat My Dog’s Anorexia?

Once any physical disorders or conditions contributing to anorexia have been addressed, there are several things veterinarians and pet owners can do to help address behavioral and emotional components of anorexia in their dog.

Make Food More Palatable

  • Make sure food smells good
  • Put dressing or canned food on dry food
  • Change brand of commercial food, try premium or gourmet brand or offer cat food
  • Try home-cooked or raw, high protein diets
  • Heat food up

    • Change Eating Environment and Situation

  • Change container; avoid plastic which may exude its own scent
  • Find a location where your pooch does not feel distracted
  • Take food away and present it again to evoke your dogs curiosity, as dogs are most interested in food when it is first presented.
  • Experiment to determine the time of day your dog is most likely to consume food.

    • Exercise

  • Work up your dogs appetite with a walk, work, or play

    • Pet owners may need to provide liquified food in a syringe temporarily to meet nutritional needs if required. There are also measures your veterinarian can take to resolve anorexia conditions in your dog.

  • Address underlying physical or medical conditions
  • Prescribe medications to stimulate appetite
  • Administer food via a feeding tube if your dog is experiencing severe malnutrition from anorexia
  • Provide intravenous fluids for dehydration, if this becomes an issue, and address electrolyte imbalance
  • Provide prescription diets
  • Spayed or neutered dogs tend to gain weight which is often a problem, but in an underweight dog may be beneficial

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    A common reason for dogs to visit the veterinarian is for the concern that “my dog is not eating”.  The medical term for not eating is anorexia.

    Sometimes canine anorexia is complete which means a dog will not eat anything and other times the anorexia is partial where a dog will eat but only if the food is augmented with more palatable things such as cooked chicken or beef or other table food. Another common scenario when a dog has partial anorexia or a decreased appetite and won’t eat his food but will eat treats.

    There are many reasons why a dog will not eat or has a decreased appetite. Below we will discuss some of these reasons and give you tips on what you can do at home and when you should see your veterinarian.