grovercentervetWhy Is My Dog Not Eating? A Complete Guide to Canine Loss of Appetite
There’s nothing worse as a pet parent than taking away their dog’s favorite food, only to see the animal snubbing it and turning its back. Stomach is the chief motivator of a dog’s actions. Many breeds look forward to the time of day most of all – feeding time.
If a dog suddenly stops eating, medically this is called anorexia or inappetence and is an immediate smoke alarm that something is physically, emotionally or environmentally out of balance.
If your dog occasionally doesn’t eat, it may just be that he has an upset tummy, but if he refuses feedings for long periods of time, it could indicate a serious health issue. This guide will focus on some of the main medical and psychological causes for a dog loss of interest in eating, what signs to watch for that may signal serious trouble, and what you can do to get him eating without causing trouble.
There is a difference between being finicky and a lack of appetite.
It is important to pay attention to your dog’s food refusal behavior before tackling more complicated medical issues. There are two main types of dogs that do not eat: true anorexia and picky eating.
Picky Eating
If your dog refuses to eat his dry kibbles, but eagerly jumps up and gets chicken, commercial dog treats, or table scraps, then he is not truly experiencing a loss of appetite. Rather, they’re showing pickiness or preference in their behavior. They have found that if they wait and refuse their regular meals eventually you will have to give in to something more delicious.
True Inappetence
When a dog won’t eat anything, even high value treats, fresh meat, or their favorite treats, that’s a sign that he’s genuinely inappetent. This situation is almost always a reaction to an underlying physical illness, nausea, pain or psychological upset and needs to be monitored.
There are several important medical causes of not eating, and these are outlined below.
When they have a loss of appetite, it often indicates a digestive upset. The most frequently cited medical theories are:
- 1. Gastrointestinal Distress A dog will not want to eat if his stomach hurts, just like a human will not eat if he/she has stomachache. If they ingest something that is toxic or indigestible from the garbage (also referred to as “garbage gut”) or their commercial food is suddenly changed, gastrointestinal problems can occur. Roundworms, hookworms, and other intestinal parasites and parvovirus (a viral infection in young puppies) can cause gastrointestinal problems.
- Dental and Oral Pain In some cases, a dog may be very eager to eat but, when chewing, it causes excruciating pain. A dog may withdraw from their food bowl if they have advanced periodontal disease, fractured teeth, swollen gums, or a foreign object (such as a splintered stick) stuck in their roof of their mouth or their tongue.
- 3. Systemic System Illnesses Loss of appetite is one of the first signs of many serious, internal health issues. When diseases of the internal organs, such as chronic kidney disease, liver failure, pancreatitis or diabetes lead to metabolic wastes being deposited in the blood, there is extreme nausea and the complete loss of appetite.
- Vaccinations or medications in the last 2 to 4 weeks. It’s natural for your pet to experience a short period of inappetence if they’ve recently had a routine checkup at the clinic. Vaccines stimulate the dog’s immune system, and may make him feel a bit woozy or sick for the next 24-48 hours. Likewise, beginning new medications such as antibiotics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can cause their tummy upset at first.
Mind and Environmental Factors
Dogs are creatures of habit. They need routines and require a predictable schedule, and digestive issues are tied to emotional well-being. A dog refusing food may be stressing over a change in routine, anxiety, or medical problems (if all has been ruled out):
- A new home or a changed furniture configuration, even a mere change in the place where their food is served, can be enough to make an anxious dog feel too insecure to eat.
- Lack of a Family Member: Dogs suffer severely from being separated from their family. When the primary caregiver is away on vacation, on college or in case of death, the dog may show signs of grief and not eat.
- New Baby or Pet: When adding a new pet or baby into the household, the hierarchy is disrupted. Your dog may get too “scared” to approach the other pet if it is standing near the food bowl.
- Hot summer weather and extreme heat: A dog’s energy level will drop during hot summer months. They don’t consume as many calories to keep their body warm, so they may notice that their appetite is reduced overall.
Emergencies: when to contact the vet right away.
A normal, healthy dog does not need to be a cause for worry if he doesn’t eat for one day, but it does become an emergency if a dog that does not eat turns into a medical emergency. If your pet is in any of these high-risk categories, please don’t wait:
The Danger Evaluation Checklist
- Age Based Urgency: If your dog or cat is still a puppy under six months, he or she can have a blood sugar drop to a dangerous level (hypoglycemia) with just one meal. Call the vet right away.
- The 48 Hour Rule: If a healthy adult dog has been eating nothing for more than 48 hours, he needs to be taken for a medical examination.
- If the animal is not eating and has any of the following symptoms, take it to the vet immediately:
o Repeated vomiting or severe diarrhea.
o Abnormally drowsy, weak or unable to stand up.
o Dry or yellowish gums.
o Panting, whining or hunched back that indicate obvious pain.
o Outside eating followed by nonproductive vomiting or dry-heaving.
Safe At-Home Strategies to Encourage Your Dog to Eat
When your dog is behaving fine in all other ways, isn’t showing signs of an emergency, and you think maybe they’re just being picky or experiencing a little stress, consider the following safe options to make their food more appealing:
Warm Up Their Food
Food is the chief motivator for dogs and they select it mainly by their sense of smell. They can mix a little bit of all natural bone broth, warm, with no onions or garlic, into their kibbles and this can add a lot of flavor to the kibbles making them much more appealing to a pet that has some hesitation.
Add Bland Wet Food to the mixture
Your dog may have sore teeth or throat if they typically have hard kibbles. Consider a plain, easily-digestible diet of boiled, shredded white-meat chicken and plain white rice. If you have a little stomach upset, a scoop of plain (no pumpkin pie mix) canned pumpkin can help calm your stomach.
Improve the Feeding Environment
Ensure that your dog is totally secure whenever he eats. Offer them in a quiet room out of the way of noisy appliances, heavy traffic and other pets. Ensure that any multi-dog household has separate feeding areas with closed doors to avoid undue stress from resource guarding.
Conclusion
Loss of appetite in your dog is a definite sign for his need to receive some extra care and attention. These behaviours may be a reaction to a behaviour tantrum, anxious about a recent change in their home environment, or they may have an underlying medical condition such as dental pain or kidney problems.
With careful observation, a look for signs and symptoms, and communication with your vet, you can weather their picky eating and help your furry friend get back to its happy, healthy self.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A dog can go without food for how many days?
While a healthy adult dog can survive several days without food, they still need to drink water. If your dog doesn’t eat for more than 48 hours, however, you should make an appointment to get him to the vet to help rule out an underlying disease.
2. Does my dog not want to eat something that he does want?
This is typically a sign of picky eating and not a medical condition. If your dog won’t eat plain dog food, he knows you’ll give him a yummy treat instead, such as table scraps or a treat. To correct this, follow a rigid schedule and only offer foods that are not in their meal until they have consumed it.
3. Does stress or anxiety make a dog go on a hunger strike?
Yes, absolutely. Dogs can have a tremendous amount of situational anxiety when major life changes occur in their environment, like a new baby, moving to a new home, noisy construction or a primary owner moving away, which can lead to days of not eating.
4. What home remedy can I give a dog who won't eat due to an upset stomach?
You can give your dog a bland diet of boiled white-meat chicken (boneless and skinned) and plain white rice in equal quantities. Plain canned pumpkin also can be used to treat a mild inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract with a spoonful. Don’t use oils, butter or spices.
6. Is a puppy's refusal to eat more serious than an older dog's refusal?
In fact, a puppy not eating is a very serious problem. Puppy fat reserves are not as great as those of an adult animal. If they miss meals, their blood sugar level could drop into dangerous hypoglycemia in 12-24 hours and trigger seizures or collapse. If a puppy won’t eat, call the vet right away.
