Dog Not Eating? Tips To Get Him Chowing Down Again

If you have a dog not eating you are probably concerned and actually you may have good reason to worry. Dogs who normally have a great appetite that suddenly stop eating may have a serious underlying condition that is going to need vet care right away.

If on the other hand, you have a dog that is not displaying any outward symptoms and still seems to have a lot of pep and personality, then you’re probably dealing with a behavioral or environmental issue and you can treat that at home.

Let’s talk about the serious side first. A dog not eating, particularly if he or she has other symptoms like vomiting or constipation or passing blood in urine may be suffering from one of a number of serious conditions like bloating, liver disease, kidney failure, dental problems or even cancer.  All of these require immediate veterinary care as they can all be life threatening.

Dogs are pretty durable animals and can easily go a couple of days without eating with no ill affects providing they have water.  However if your dog was a good eater and just suddenly stops, you need to see a vet.  This is particularly important for puppies and older dogs.  Once the underlying cause is determined, your canine pal can be treated and get back to health.

There are other reasons that a dog may stop eating and these have nothing to do with disease.

If there has been a change in the environment, like a move to a new home or apartment, the dog may not have made the adjustment yet.  Put a favorite toy near the bowl and make a big deal out of serving up the food to distract the dog.

If your dog was normally fed by himself and is now being fed with other animals, or thee reverse, there has been a change in what he or she believes is the normal routine and this might put him or her off her feed.  This is just going to take time either for the dog to socialize or get over not being with the pack.

Vaccinations are important but occasionally there are unwanted side effects.  If you dog stopped eating shortly after receiving a vaccination, check with your vet and see if that is a known side effect.

With older dogs it may just be that it hurts to eat.  There may be problems with the teeth that make it hard to chew.  If the dog has developed arthritis in its neck, it may be painful to lean its head down to get the food.  In this instance try using a phone book to raise his bowl and see if that makes a difference.

Then there is the picky eater.  Just like humans, they can be a pain in the butt.  You can try mixing up the type of food but the best approach is to simply designate feeding times.  The bowl goes down for an hour twice a day and that’s it.  When the picky eater gets really hungry they’ll eat.

If you have a picky dog not eating you probably also have a dog that runs the house.  Dogs look for an Alpha and if you are not the leader in his eyes then he becomes the Alpha.

However, there are some things you can do to encourage that appetite.  Nothing works up a good appetite like a walk around the block or an intense ball fetching session in the backyard just before dinner time.

Cut back on treats.  What’s the point of eating that boring dog food when you can get a tasty treat anytime you want it just by acting cute?

Maybe your dog simply doesn’t like the bowl the food is in.  Try a plate or a different bowl.  It may be something as small as a recent change in dish detergent that is putting off your dog’s sensitive nose.

So if your dog is not eating try to figure out if it’s physically driven or just behavior.  If you think there may be an illness behind it seek help from the vet right away.  If not, it’s just a matter of getting the dog adjusted.