She’ll Eat When She’s Hungry
This is what I kept hearing, and it’s true – your dog will eat when she’s truly hungry.
If your dog skips a meal or two or is having a hard time adjusting to a new situation, she might start eating when things settle down.
Just keep offering food in different forms. She’ll eat when she’s ready — and this might take a while! Be patient and keep trying!
While this is true, that doesn’t mean just wait it out. Try to address your dog’s underlying concerns, such as physical health or stress level. This will often help bring your pup’s appetite back more quickly.
She’ll Eat If The Food Is Yummier
As a dog sitter, I frequently care for dogs that seem uninterested in their food. Some dogs just don’t eat well when their owners leave — they miss them! However, dogs will have a hard time turning their noses up at truly drool-worthy dinners.
If your dog won’t eat when she’s left alone, it could be related to separation anxiety. While skipping a meal or two probably won’t hurt your dog, it’s unwise to leave this separation anxiety untreated. Get help from a separation anxiety specialist to make your dog feel better.
Try making dog’s dinner better by drizzling tuna, olive oil, or egg over the kibble. Just be sure not to create a picky eater by spoiling your dog too much!
Other times, condiments won’t cut it and you’ll have to change the entire entree with a new brand of dog food. Some dogs will only be interested in eating higher quality dog food — and why not?
They probably deserve it! Be careful, though — the most expensive food could still be gross to your dog!
Something as simple as adding tuna or switching to a new brand of food can work wonders when it comes to fattening up a skin-and-bones dog.
If your dog is really struggling to pack on the pounds, don’t worry about creating a picky eater. Just feed her what she’ll eat to get her healthy. You can always wean her off of the ultra-tasty food later.
With Naomi, we tried about five different types of food with different protein sources. Nothing was working, except for treats. She wouldn’t eat her food but would take treats gladly.
Eventually I realized that the problem wasn’t the taste — it was that the treats were hand-delivered.
Reasons a Dog May Have Trouble Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight
There are a variety of reasons why owners might want to learn how to fatten up a dog, and why a pooch may have trouble putting on weight, including:
Picky Eaters. Some dogs are just plain picky about what they eat — these dogs want the good stuff and are willing to hold out for it!
Sick or in Pain. Illness, pain, and/or stomach issues can also cause dogs to eat less than their owners would like. If your dog skips a meal or two because of a stomach bug, you might not need to panic. But if your dog is chronically turning up food, then it might be time to visit the vet.
If your dog is normally a voracious eater and suddenly isn’t interested in food, get in to the vet as soon as you can.
In the nearly two years I’ve owned my dog Barley, he’s only turned up his nose at his breakfast once. I took him to the vet, and it turned out he had a raging infection from a small cut on his leg. If I’d ignored it and gone to work, things might have taken a turn for the worse.
Stressed. When dogs are stressed or depressed, they may pass up on food. People can be the same way! If your dog won’t eat after a stressful event or doesn’t eat when she’s alone, this might be the culprit.
Whatever the cause of your dog’s dinner distress, we want to help our underweight dogs get to a healthy weight.
FAQ
How can I get my greyhound to gain weight?
What can I give my dog to fatten him up?
…
5. Feed High-Quality Calories
- Stella & Chewy’s Meal Mixers.
- Honest Kitchen Goat’s Milk.
- Nature’s Logic Bone Broth.
- Tripett Canned Tripe.
What is the best food to feed a greyhound?
- Hill’s Science Diet Perfect Weight Dry Dog Food – Vet’s Choice. …
- Royal Canin Dry Dog Food. …
- Hill’s Science Diet Adult Dry Dog Food. …
- Iams Adult High Protein Dry Dog Food. …
- Purina Pro Plan Adult Shredded Blend Dry Dog Food. …
- Wellness Complete Health Dry Dog Food.