What to do when your dog wonât eat
What you can do to help when your dog wonât eat will depend on what you and your veterinarian determine to be the cause of the problem.
If your dogâs loss of appetite is caused by illness, the vet may recommend a prescription diet to meet your petâs nutritional needs while the underlying disease is being addressed. Sometimes these diets are not particularly tasty, especially if your dog is used to regular treats or people food. If your dog is already ill, never starve your pet in an attempt to force it to eat the prescribed diet. Instead, talk with your veterinarian about alternatives. In more severe cases, your vet may prescribe appetite-stimulating medications, recommend syringe-feeding a liquid diet, or insert a feeding tube.
If your dogâs decreased appetite is a behavior problem caused by pickiness or a discomfort with mealtime, rather than the result of a medical condition, there are a number of things you can do to encourage your pet to eat.
These include:
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It can be very concerning when your dog isn’t eating regularly. After all, a good healthy diet is a key part of a happy life. So what exactly is happening when your dog refuses to eat? Learn about some common, plus some lesser-known, reasons why your dog isn’t eating.
The most likely reason your dog isn’t eating runs parallel to the main reason humans don’t eat at times.
“They’re sick,” says Ann Hohenhaus, staff veterinarian at The Animal Medical Center in New York. “You don’t feel like eating when you have a fever. You feel like lying down and taking a nap. Dogs are the same. Often they have a virus, they don’t eat for a couple of days, and then they get better.”
However, if your dog is not eating and is either vomiting, having diarrhea, or both, contact your veterinarian within 8-12 hours. In the interim, you can try the following to spur their appetite:
Although many people believe that dental disease is to blame for a dog not eating, Hohenhaus affirms that it’s a rare cause. But she does note that if the dog has a tumor in their mouth, that might cause them to stop eating.
Has your dog recently been put on medication? That drug and/or regimen change might be upsetting their stomachs.
“Treatment of a disease can make you not eat,” says Hohenhaus. “Antibiotics can give you a stomachache. Some medicines make you nauseous.”
Potential culprits, she adds, are chemotherapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Rimadyl.
Just as a major life change like moving to a new city, changing jobs, or a breakup can affect your appetite, an upheaval in a dog’s life could affect their hunger as well.
Hohenhaus has even witnessed a dog patient stop eating after being re-homed following the death of her owner.
“She was on a bit of a hunger strike, and I think it was because her life was upside down,” says Hohenhaus. “There are two kinds of people. When your life is all upset, either you eat a lot, or you eat nothing because you’re distracted by what’s going on in your life. I would say the same is true for dogs.”
If it seems like your dog doesn’t eat or drink when you’re gone, but scarfs down their food when you arrive home, know that it’s probably not just your imagination.
“Dogs are pack animals. When you’re gone, their pack is not at home. They’re waiting for the pack to be there to eat,” says Hohenhaus.
Some dogs only eat during specific times of the day. Maybe your pup only likes to chow down at noon, or perhaps they only finish their bowl after the sun goes down.
No matter what your dog’s preferences are, eating at the same time each day is common practice. If they only eat during one time of day, it’s likely nothing to worry about.
“I have preferred times to eat, and dogs do too,” says Hohenhaus.
Your pup’s shift in eating habits might also be because the formula of their regular dog food has recently changed. To combat this potential issue, Hohenhaus suggests not always feeding your dog the same type of food.
“If you look at the bag and it says ‘new and improved,’ that might not be your dog’s opinion of that food,” says Hohenhaus. “What that means is the manufacturer has changed the food, and your dog might not like the new version. It’s good to have an alternative in case that food goes off the market, gets recalled, or it gets improved and your dog no longer likes it,” says Hohenhaus.
Another reason why your dog might not be eating? The food has gone stale. Check the use-by or expiration date on the bag or even just follow your nose. If it has expired or smells weird, throw out that food and buy a new bag. A good rule of thumb is to buy bags of dog food roughly the size of your dog. For instance, buy one five-pound bag for your five-pound dog.
“You probably shouldn’t buy a 50-pound bag of dog food for a five-pound dog because, by the time you get to the bottom of the bag, the food is going to be rancid,” says Hohenhaus. “If the dog food doesn’t smell good, you might want to start over again.”
Try rotating through several alternative dog foods
Try a few different flavors, mix dry and wet food together, or switch between dry and wet to see if another food appeals more to your dog. Ensure you make any changes gradually, to not upset their stomach.
What to do when your dog not eating food or drinking water l Tips on LOSS OF APPETITE l
It can be scary when your dog wont eat, or when your good boy or good girls just not acting like themselves. Discover the common reasons for a dog not eating below plus tips to get them eating again.
When a dog won’t eat, it’s normal for a caring dog parent like yourself to get worried. Knowing the reasons for a dog not eating in advance can help you to address the issue. Because not acting promptly can be life-threatening for your dog, here are the 6 most common reasons why a dog won’t eat, plus what you can do about it. Once your dog is eating normally again, check out our guide for feeding vegetables to dogs.