Why is your dog not eating? Something goes wrong. If your dog loses its appetite.
It is normal to worry. There are several reasons why your dog may stop eating and it is good to know them, to avoid neglecting a worrying situation. Here are the five most common reasons a dog won’t eat.
Why is your dog not eating ? Here’s what could go wrong
The five most common reasons for your dog to lose his appetite are as follows:
- Stress
- Pain or illness
- Medical treatment
- A question of age
- Too many sweets
It is well known that a temporary loss of appetite is not frightening. As with humans, dogs are affected by the change of seasons and motor habits. The result? Temporary loss of appetite, lack of hunger. It is quite the opposite when your dog does not feel the need to drink. But what if the dog sometimes loses his appetite for a longer period?
1. Stress
The dog loves habits. For this reason, all the changes that occur quickly could be causing him stress. Have you recently changed the furniture arrangement at home? Or even: have you moved? ((In this case, you may be interested in the article Moving abroad with the dog
“Which of the habits you changed had a decisive impact on your dog’s appetite?”
If you can answer this question, you will have reconstructed why your dog is not eating.
2. Pain or illness
When your dog is in pain, whether for an operation right away or for a problem that you have not yet realized, he will lose his appetite. This is why we must always beware of sudden changes in the appreciation of food: sometimes they are important alarm bells.
3.Medical treatment
If your dog has had surgery and has been sedated, or been vaccinated, it is normal for his appetite to decrease. Don’t be scared, this is a predictable reaction. Only take your dog to the vet if the situation does not improve.
4.A question of age
As your dog gets older, some of his behaviors change. This also applies to his attitude towards food. The less motor exercise corresponds to a lesser appetite. Sometimes, dogs change tastes with age – be sure to indulge their new requests if this happens to you.
5. Too many sweets
Do you snack all day and then sit at the table for lunch without a big appetite? This could happen to your dog too. Repeatedly giving him snacks or cookies could ruin his appetite. When it comes to sweets: keep your dog a little… at full capacity. Speaking of sweets, don’t forget that chocolate is poisonous to dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions :-
What to do when the dog is not eating ?
When the dog does not eat there can be various reasons behind it, not always serious: often a dog that tastes completely different tastes to those it is used to may have a sort of rejection compared to what it was used to previously.
Sometimes it can also be a simple desire to change tastes, especially if you have not changed your diet for a long time.
In the case of a genuine prolonged lack of appetite, there may be more serious reasons, since anorexia is one of the most common symptoms of dog illness.
The first remedy to adopt is to give fixed times for the meal, that is to leave the bowl available to the dog for 15-20 minutes, and if he does not eat, remove it and propose it again only at the time of the next meal.
If the dog has not eaten for about two days, we can try to stimulate his appetite by varying the diet, perhaps moistening the croquettes by mixing them in a spoonful of a can (without exaggerating, because the digestion times are different).
Sometimes even discomfort to the teeth or nose can affect a dog’s appetite. If your dog hasn’t eaten for a week or more, then you definitely need to call a vet.
What to do if dog does not eat and vomits ?
If the lack of appetite is accompanied by vomiting, paradoxically it could be a less serious situation than you think: the dog may have ingested something, such as garbage, feces, spoiled or toxic food that may have caused gastrointestinal inflammation. Such situations usually resolve themselves in 24-48 hours. Insisting on a dry diet can facilitate the recovery of the animal in this case.
If the situation continues, the animal must be taken to the vet, since this state can also be caused by parasites (if whitish worms are identified in the vomit or in the feces, the dog must be immediately taken to the vet), infectious diseases (even serious ones such as canine parvo or distemper) or from a foreign body that it cannot expel.
Sometimes, in dogs with weaker immune systems, veterinary treatments such as vaccinations or pesticides can also cause this reaction in dogs, but it generally resolves within 24 hours.
What to do if dog does not eat and drinks a lot ?
When anorexia is accompanied by polydipsia (i.e. drinking much more than usual) in dogs, the cause could lie in the food, which could be too salty causing it to drink too much water and thus not have more space for food in the stomach. If it is a prolonged condition, however, it could be a symptom of something more serious, such as liver diseases such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or a tumor. Often liver dysfunction leading to anorexia and polydipsia can be side effects of some medications.
What to do if dog does not eat or drink ?
When the dog does not drink water in addition to refusing food, the problem can be more serious. If other symptoms such as diarrhea or nausea occur, the dog can experience rapid dehydration, which can be very dangerous in the case of puppies or older or sick dogs. A dog that does not eat or drink can have diseases of the digestive system, but also of the kidneys or heart. It is very important that the animal is rehydrated, so hospitalization may be required to allow for subcutaneous or intravenous rehydration.
What to do if dog is convalescing and does not eat ?
A dog recovering from veterinary treatment following an illness may have a loss of appetite and not want to eat. Especially after a dog has had to go on a forced fast for a few days, it may find it difficult to resume eating as he did before his illness.
You can take some precautions to ensure that the dog resumes eating regularly, such as using specific foods for convalescent animals, appetizing and with a pasty or even liquid consistency, asking for advice from the veterinarian.
Lightly heating the food stimulates their smell and consequently their appetite, but you must always be careful that they do not eat while it is too hot.
Sometimes you can help the dog to eat dry food by soaking the kibble in the water a little so that they become softer and easier to digest. Especially after particularly debilitating treatments, it can help to offer food to the dog directly from the hand.
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