Why Your Dog Not Eating Food: Common Reasons and Solutions
If your dog not eating food and has additional symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or lack of energy, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. To encourage your dog to eat, try hand feeding, heating its food, or adding water to soften it. For more details on potential medical reasons and solutions, visit The Kennel Club’s guide on why dogs won’t eat.
How do you feed a dog that is not eating?
Try rotating through several alternative dog foods. Try a few different flavors, mix dry and wet food, or switch between dry and wet to see if the other food appeals more to your dog. Make sure you make any gradual changes not to upset their stomach.
Why does the dog stop eating food?
Your dog may not eat for many reasons: if it is in pain, feeling anxious or stressed, sick, or nauseous if its medication has side effects, or sometimes just because it doesn’t like the food you serve.
Reasons why your dog won’t eat food
1..Dental problems:
Dental problems can often lead to loss of appetite. As with human teething pain, your puppy may not feel like eating if there’s something wrong with their teeth, so it’s a good idea to check your dog’s mouth for anything stuck in their teeth or gums.
Bad breath, loose teeth, or excessive tartar build-up are signs of a more significant dental problem. If you notice any of these, see the vet immediately.
2..Environmental change:
A change in environment or routine can upset some dogs and cause them to stop eating. If your puppy has recently experienced a stressful event, this may be the cause.
Usually, once the initial anxiety has passed, dogs will return to their regular eating habits. Try some of the tips below to encourage them to eat, and be sure to call your vet if they still won’t eat after a few days.
3..Medicine:
The same goes for vaccines or new medications—from time to time, they can temporarily cause dogs to lose their appetite, but this should fade within a day or so. As long as your puppy is not on a hypoallergenic diet, some chicken and rice can sometimes help reduce the appetite caused by medication.
4..Overfeeding:
Sometimes, there may not be a medical or behavioral problem that causes your dog not eating food. They might not be hungry!
Giving dogs too many treats and overfeeding them normally is surprisingly easy. Remember that the recommended amounts on food packaging usually overestimate a typical dog’s needs.
Try keeping a list of how many meals your dog gets in a day (and make sure no one else in the house is hiding their food!). As always, talk to your vet if you’re unsure how much to feed your dog.
5..Picky eater:
If our dog doesn’t sniff at everything but only refuses a few foods, it’s a good comment that nothing is wrong. You will have a picky eater for your hands. This problem is often seen in dogs fed various foods that usually get table scraps or are fed at inconsistent times.
Puppies are notoriously fussy eaters. If you notice that your new puppy refuses to eat, it does not mean your dog is sick. New puppies take in a lot at once – they may need time to adjust to their new life, and you may need to experiment with their food.
If dogs are used to eating human food regularly (such as high-fat, savory slices of cheese or salami), they may turn their noses up at the blender, hoping that something better will come later.
6..Food quality:
If your dog suddenly stops eating its favorite brand of food after years, first double-check that the food hasn’t gone off.
Open a new pack to see if your dog will eat it. Sometimes, dry kibble can get mold that we can’t see, but dogs can smell. The ingredients may also vary, so trying a different flavor may be worthwhile.
7..Absence of owner:
Some dogs won’t touch their food when you’re outside but will start eating as soon as you walk back in the door. Dogs are pack animals by nature and may feel more comfortable eating when you are at home. If this is the case, try to ensure you feed your dog at least 10 to 15 minutes before you leave so they have time to finish eating before you go for the day.
If dogs are used to eating human food regularly, they may turn their noses up at them.
Tips for feeding your dog not eating food again:
If you and your vet are sure your dog’s lack of appetite is not due to a medical problem, try the tips below to entice your dog to eat.
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Try rotating through several alternative dog foods
Try a few different flavors, mix dry and wet food, or switch between dry and wet to see if the other food appeals more to your dog not eating food. Make sure you make any gradual changes not to upset their stomach.
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Add a tasty topper or mix to their meals.
Mix in a little human food to see if that does the trick. Good options are plain chicken, fish, slightly low-sodium beef/chicken broth, steamed or boiled butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or pumpkin. Just make sure you don’t give them any ingredients that are harmful to dogs, such as onions or garlic.
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Heat the food
Even humans love a nice, warm meal. Add a little warm water, just a tablespoon, or briefly pop the food in the microwave. Double-check it’s not too hot so your pup doesn’t burn its tongue.
