Having a dog that does not want to eat can be frustrating and feel hard to handle, especially when you as a pet owner are trying the twelfth type of food and the dog just sniffs the bowl and walks away. Here we explain some possible reasons why your dog is not eating and what you can do about it.
My dog is not eating - is the dog ill?
If a dog that has previously eaten well suddenly stops eating, it is important to book an appointment with your vet to rule out illness as the cause. The reasons why your dog is not eating can be many, and depending on what the vet finds during the examination of the dog, both blood tests and other diagnostics may be needed. Possible explanations can be problems with the stomach and intestines, pain somewhere or problems with the teeth. If the dog's appetite has gradually decreased over a longer period, or if the dog has lost weight or has other symptoms, you should also consult a vet to investigate the underlying cause.
My dog is not eating - is it normal?
Several dog breeds (the labrador …) have an enormous appetite and eat everything that ends up in the bowl or falls to the floor. Other dog breeds can be more naturally picky. The dog preferring to eat once a day, or for example only wanting to eat in the afternoon, does not have to be a problem. As long as the dog keeps its weight and muscle mass, is alert, healthy and happy and has a shiny coat, you normally do not need to worry that the dog is getting too little nutrition, and you can accept that the dog eats a little less or wants to eat less often than you expect. Some dogs also have periods when the appetite naturally decreases - for example, it is not unusual for young male dogs to eat a little less during the period when the hormones play tricks on them, when they are completely focused on other things and food becomes less interesting. Female dogs can also have a poorer appetite during the period when they are in heat. As long as the dog is still alert and healthy and does not refuse food several days in a row, you do not need to worry about the dog eating a little less during certain periods.
My dog is not eating - is it just picky?
As a pet owner of a picky dog that is not eating, it is easy to become desperate and change dog food often, or give the dog something else to eat between meals just so it eats something at all. Many times, however, you are doing the dog a disservice and spoiling it so that it starts to expect leftovers and other treats instead of its food. If you have the food out all the time, it can also make the food less interesting, since the dog knows it can always eat when it wants. In this situation, some of our tips below can help. Remember to make an honest assessment of the dog's body condition too - if the dog is overweight, well, then it is not very likely that it is actually getting too little food.
My dog is not eating - what can I do?
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Rule out illness
If the food refusal comes on suddenly, if your dog does not eat at all for several days or if you notice other symptoms besides the dog not wanting to eat, the recommendation is to book a vet visit to rule out illness as the cause of the dog's poor appetite.
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Change feeding routines
If you always have the food out, try changing the routines so that you only serve the dog's meals twice a day, and give slightly smaller portions each time. Give the dog 10-15 minutes to eat, and then remove the food until it is time to feed the dog again. It is then important that you as a pet owner are consistent and do not give the dog lots of treats or other food during the day, but instead let the dog get hungry for the next serving.
Sometimes you simply need to change food, but doing so too often without being consistent in your feeding routines above can also make the dog get used to the variety and wait for something better to come along soon.
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Try these tricks to make the food more interesting or tastier
For some dogs it can be enough to top the food or mix in a few small pieces of something the dog finds extra tasty. If you serve dry food, you can also soak it a little before feeding, since some dogs prefer that. Warming the food a little so that it is lukewarm also makes the food smell more, which can make some dogs keener to eat.
Increasing the dog's exercise and activity can also lead to increased appetite in dogs that simply use too little energy to become hungry. You can also combine the activity with using the dog's food as a reward, or play with and hide the food to give the dog a task to perform in connection with feeding, or serve it in an activity toy or maze food bowl.
8 quick tips for picky dogs:
- Rule out illness as the cause
- Make meals less frequent
- Do not have the food out all the time
- Reduce the portions
- Change the food
- Top, soak or warm the food
- Make feeding active with search exercises or toys
- Increase the dog's exercise
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