Why Your Dog Won’t Eat - Causes and Solutions for Loss of Appetite in Pets
More often than not pet parents come across days when their dog just won't eat or drink.
From being lazy to vomiting, various signs can point to your pet experiencing a loss of appetite. Though each pup has a unique reaction to an illness or discomfort, there are few common symptoms dog parents can look for.
Important Discussion Points In This Guide
- 5 Common Signs of a Loss of Appetite in Dogs
- Reasons your Dog won’t Eat
- Tips to Feed your Dog when they won’t Eat
5 Common Signs of a Loss of Appetite in Dogs
- Refusing to eat
- Eating less than usual
- Being inactive
- Vomiting
- Losing weight
Anorexia is the medical term given for a loss of appetite in dogs. Different from the eating disorder in humans, a dog with anorexia can’t eat his meal because he has lost his appetite to do so.
Though anorexia could be a possibility, there are various other factors that could cause your bud a loss of appetite.
"Loss of appetite in dogs could be caused by underlying health issues"
Reasons your Dog won’t Eat
Stress or Anxiety
Yes! Dogs have anxiety too. A change in their environment or being separated from their pet parent for a long time could lead to possible emotional distress that causes them to lose their desire to eat
Dental Distress
Remember the time you had excruciating tooth pain and couldn’t move a finger. Well, your pup may be facing the same. Dental distress in dogs can be caused by a broken tooth, swollen gum, or even cavities!
Viral Infection in Dogs
Common in dogs, “viral infections” are usually transmitted through other infected dogs. An infection could lead to symptoms like diarrhea, cough and runny eyes. If you suspect viral infection, it’s best to contact your Vet.
Medication and Vaccines
If you have a newly vaccinated puppy at home or an adult dog under medication, it’s natural for them to have a decreased appetite.
Pain or Discomfort
From sore paws to an upset stomach, various reasons could cause a dog discomfort. And just like humans, when your dog is in pain, they can’t perform activities like they used to.
Fussy Eaters
Sometimes, dogs are just picky about their food! They can also easily detect when there is a change in their home cooked diet or favorite dog food brand.
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Underlying Health Issues
Loss of appetite is one of the many symptoms of a serious health issue (allergies, heart problems, digestive/kidney issues, etc) in dogs. As a pet parent, if you feel there is a serious issue behind your bud not eating his meals it is best to follow your instincts and get them checked with their Veterinarian immediately!
5 Tips to Feed your Pet when they won’t Eat
If you do find yourself in such situations there are certain tricks you can try at home to get your bud back to their favorite dog food.
- Have a calm and confident approach. Dogs can sense when their pet parent is stressed, so try to stay calm and confident when approaching them.
- Before their meal, take your pet on a long walk or for playtime with fun toys. This will make them sweat and get hungry!
- Try giving them warm wet food. Chuck the dry dog food to the side for a few days and warm up some wet food to lure your bud in!
- If your dog eats kibbles, try hand-feeding them. Do check out our collection of various dog kibbles for your bud!
- Don’t be pushy. Though it’s natural for a pet parent to be alarmed, don’t try to force-feed your dog! But if it has been more than 48 hours since your dog ate, call the vet immediately!
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Try out these tricks and let us know which one made your four-legged buddy run back to their favorite food!
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