When you take your dog for a walk, you know youre going to stop at every bush, fire hydrant, mailbox and any other “marked” item along the route. And thats because dogs have highly sensitive sniffers. Their noses are constantly processing information left by other neighborhood dogs or critters that have passed through their turf with their amazing noses.
The link between a dogs nose and its brain is nothing short of astonishing. The canine nasal cavity (or olfactory lobe) is positioned directly behind the nose itself. It is lined with all kinds of tiny nerve cells that connect directly to the brain. Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory (also called odorant or smell) receptors depending on the breed compared to about 6 million in humans.
“When we diagnose or document anosmia in a dog, were doing it based on changes in behavior patterns or things they used to do that they cant do anymore,” says Dr. Sarah Moore, a veterinarian and professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. Moore also specializes in veterinary neurology and neurosurgery. She says it takes a very astute owner to pick up anosmia in dogs.
Scientists say a dogs sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than humans. Dogs have been trained to sniff for bombs at airports, to participate in search and rescue, and to even detect certain diseases, like diabetes and possibly coronavirus. But just like any other of the senses including sight, hearing or taste, that sense of smell can disappear for a whole host of reasons. If it does, it can be confusing for the dog and challenging to diagnose.
“Its quite hard, especially if its just one side of the nose,” she says. “If they can still smell out of the other it can be really difficult for the owner to realize theres something wrong.”
Changes to the Dog’s Sense of Smell
Your dogs sense of smell if his strongest sense, but even a dogs sense of smell can be impacted by the effect of wear and tear. The medical term for loss of smell is “anosmia” and it can be just temporary or permanent. Fortunately, in most cases, in dogs the issue tends to be more often temporary, rather than permanent, explains veterinarian Dr. Pete.
For example, an infection of the dogs nasal passages causing inflammation to the membranes responsible for carrying smell sensors may be a culprit, but so can an obstruction of the nasal passages. In some cases, loss of smelling ability may happen if something toxic or caustic happens to scar the dogs nose. Once these issues are addressed, the dogs sense of smell is likely to return.
As dog age though, their sense of smell may be diminishing, and any added issues affecting the dogs nasal passages may exaggerate this. Older dogs are more prone to develop polyp or tumors in their nose. Both of these can trigger dogs to breathe through their mouths which can impact their ability to smell.
Not to mention that older dogs are likely to have bad teeth, and when the roots of the upper teeth go bad, they can cause an infection affecting the dogs nasal passages, further explains Dr. Pete. In some cases, loss of smelling capability can occur due to a brain issue / tumor which the incidence of such conditions occurring get higher as dogs age.
What you can do: consult with your vet about your dogs loss of sense of smell. As mentioned, in some cases, there may be medical causes behind it.
It is always safest to consult a veterinarian as soon as you have concerns about your pup. Two days is the most that your dog should go without eating or without improvement in their appetite before you seek medical attention. Without adequate nutrition, your pup could get sick. While a routine change or stress issue may or may not resolve itself within this time frame, your pup should visit the vet to check for other underlying issues. If you detect any physical symptoms or find a wound or swelling in your dog’s mouth, visit your veterinarian immediately.
Most dogs are enthusiastic eaters, indulging excitedly at mealtime or enjoying lots of treats. As such, it can be very concerning for pet parents when a dog’s appetite suddenly changes, especially since dogs cannot communicate their feelings to us. Like humans, certain internal and external stressors can affect your pup’s eating habits and lead to a loss of appetite. Knowing how to monitor your dog’s food intake plays an important role in your dog’s overall health and can help identify any issues.
Look for any signs that your dog might be experiencing stress, such as unusual sleeping patterns (if you sense that your dog may be stressed, read our blog post about signs of stress in dogs here). Try to feed your pup in a quiet and calm space; they may be more willing to eat in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable.
Discovering the reason why your dog may not be eating will help you determine what steps, if any, should be taken. Some causes of reduced appetite are not a major source of concern; others should be given medical attention. Making slight changes in your pup’s mealtime rituals may fix the problem, but if the problem continues, it may be an underlying issue that should be addressed by a veterinarian.
If your dog is sick or injured, they may not have an appetite or may experience pain when they try to eat. Medical conditions such as infections or cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases can cause a reduction in or lack of appetite. If your dog has a tooth or gum injury, it may be painful for them to eat their food, causing them to refuse food.
Senior Dogs Habitual Behavior Problems
As dogs get older, they can develop food issues, which can lead to physical problems. It can also be really stressful for us if our dogs don’t want to eat. All dogs need to eat the highest quality diet you can afford—and as they get older, one that is easy on their digestive system. A dog’s appetite can decrease and his interest in food can decline as he enters his senior years. Some of this may have to do with a change in metabolism—things slow down in the body. Also, old dogs are often less active than they used to be so they aren’t burning as many calories, which would stimulate their desire to take in more fuel.
An older dog’s sense of smell and taste can change, which reduces pleasure in eating. We don’t know this for sure, but we do know that peoples’ sense of taste and smell become blunted as they age and they often lose interest in eating, which can become a health hazard. It can be a possible explanation for older dogs losing interest in food, too.
Senior dogs can also get finicky about eating. One day they decide they don’t like the food you’ve been feeding them and they refuse it. Now what do you do? I have had food aversion/disinterest/refusal problems with my dog, Maisie, who is eight (just over the “senior dog” borderline) but she suffers from Addison’s disease, which means stimulating her appetite is an ongoing challenge.
For many of us, this triggers anxiety that our dog is “going to starve” and we start to go off in the weeds to entice them to eat. First we sprinkle cheese on their food—which might work for a while, then it doesn’t. If you’re like me, you then switch to a different kind of cheese thinking the problem is Swiss versus cheddar. It isn’t! When cheese-changing doesn’t convince them to eat their dinner, you start putting some shredded chicken in with their dog food. That works for a while, until you realize the dog is mostly trying to pick the chicken out from the rest of the food. Putting human food enticements into your dog’s bowl to get them to eat their own food takes you down a slippery slope: it doesn’t take long before all you’re feeding is a rotisserie chicken with cheese meal to your dog—and feeling relieved she is eating it. (Many people with small dogs of any age wind up doing this, too.)
The problem with this solution to your dog’s inappetance problem is that you wind up feeding an unbalanced meal that does not have the correct amount of vitamins, minerals and fats which are essential to a dog’s overall health. Older dogs have even more need of eating smaller amounts of high quality ingredients—but supplying all the essential nutrients that will keep them healthy.
I found a perfect solution to making sure a dog will eat the food you’ve chosen as his diet: buy variety packs of Weruva dog food and use a spoonful as a tasty addition on top of the regular meal. You can also get some cans and pouches of Weruva cat food, which has stronger flavors and odors to appeal to cats, but it can also serve as a stimulant to an older dog’s appetite. As long as the basic diet is a dog food formulated for seniors or “all life stages,” then what you’re doing is increasing high quality protein by adding some of the human-grade Weruva, using different textures and flavors to make every meal a surprise. If you are concerned with weight gain, you can reduce the amount of the usual food somewhat to compensate for the added calories of the Weruva. If you have a small senior dog, he will do best by switching completely to Weruva and offering a different formula at every meal from the many dog foods they make from Baron’s Batch Variety Pack of grain-free canned dog food.
As dogs get older, their world narrows down: one of the remaining reliable pleasures is their meal time. Make every meal a celebration and surprise by stocking your pantry with some of the dozens of recipes of Weruva.
Note: If your dog has any medical condition—kidneys, Cushings, diabetes, Addison’s, seizure disorder, etc —check first with your veterinarian about adding the human-quality, high-protein ingredients in Weruva foods to his dish.