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| Your dog does not eat? - What you can do about it ? |
When dogs refuse their food, it can have many causes. Not all of them are serious. If there is a suspicion of a disease, a veterinarian should be asked for advice, in other cases, the lack of appetite may disappear by itself. Sometimes the food is simply to blame for the refusal of food because some dogs do not eat everything. For owners it is always a cause for concern: their dog does not eat. But what is the reason? And how can you help your animal companion? In our guide, you can read an overview of possible causes. We will help you find the reason and solve the problem.
When your dog suddenly won't eat - checklist for acute cases
Your dog looks at you with wide eyes and suddenly refuses to eat? This behavior may indicate an injury. Please open the mouth carefully and take a good look at the dentition, teeth, and gums:
- Does your four-legged friend have a foreign object in his mouth?
- Has he broken a tooth?
- Has your dog injured the roof of his mouth or gums?
- Are his gums inflamed?
If you answer "yes" to one or more of these questions, take your animal friend to the vet.
Note
Loss of appetite in dogs is often a sign of disease. Triggers can be bacterial infections, kidney problems, tumors, and other diseases. If you do not know why your dog is not eating, you should consult a veterinarian. This is especially important if the refusal to eat is accompanied by acute symptoms such as fever, nausea, or vomiting.
There is no acute medical reason?
You have already ruled out that an acute medical reason is to blame for the reluctance to eat? Now you can consider other less urgent reasons why your dog is not eating. These are, for example, the following:
1. the four-legged friend has been brought up to be a fussy eater.
People often build up a very close bond with their companion on four paws. They want only the best for him and spoil him accordingly. This is usually the problem. Because dogs are very intelligent and like to test mistresses and masters. So you can unintentionally teach your dog to be a fussy eater by spoiling him too much.
Many feeding-related problems are unfortunately homemade. Dog owners want to do something good for the dog. In the end, this good-natured behavior quickly takes its revenge. Your dog will not eat properly or be fussy if you maintain the following feeding culture:
- Mix treats in with the usual meal.
- Feeding variety (wet and dry food, barfing, wet food).
- Feed a lots of treats
- Give leftovers from the table.
2. you change the type of food too often.
As a dog owner, you are responsible for the optimal nutrition and eating behavior of your dog. Surely you will ask yourself if your four-legged friend longs for variety. You will hear from other dog owners that you don't want the same food every day either. Contrary to this popular belief, dogs are not designed for a varied diet. They have a very sensitive gastrointestinal tract and can react to any change of food and mixed feeding with digestive problems such as diarrhea. So, the wrong diet can be a reason why your dog eats poorly.
If you offer your dog too much food and he gets to know too much, your four-legged friend will determine his eating behavior himself. It can quickly happen that your dog no longer eats his dry food without wet food. Or you have to buy a new type of food every week. It also happens that your dog only eats the high-calorie treats and refuses the main meal. This unbalanced feeding leads to deficiency symptoms. You can avoid all this by teaching your pelt nose good eating behavior from the beginning.
3. your puppy does not eat because he is in the change of teeth.
As with children, the milk teeth of quadrupeds are replaced by the teeth that remain. This change of teeth takes place between the 4th and 7th months of life. Depending on the breed of the dog, this time can vary. If the permanent tooth grows, this exerts pressure on the milk tooth and the root of the milk tooth dies. If the milk tooth falls out, the permanent tooth has a free path to grow.
With many four-legged friends, this happens undetected, so that you as the owner do not notice anything. However, the change of teeth can also cause severe pain. One accompanying symptom is a reluctance to eat. No wonder - when you have a toothache you don't feel like eating, do you?
Your dog does not eat? - What you can do about it ?
Feeding tip for the change of teeth
Your young dog does not eat because he is in the process of changing teeth? Then moisten the dry food with lukewarm water. That makes the dog food easier to chew. In general, chewing supports your dog during the change of teeth. Therefore, also give him chew toys. Often you will find loose milk teeth in the toy or on the floor afterward. Also, offer him his usual meals, even if your dog refuses his food. And spoil the puppy additionally with strokes.
4. the young dog is in the Flegelphase and pubescent.
Adolescents go through puberty - your four-legged friend the so-called Flegelphase. Between the 7th and 11th months of life, your pelt-nose is in this is a difficult age. A time that often brings owners to their limits. During this phase, your dog may suddenly stop listening to sit, down, or here and stop eating.
Your dog does not eat? - What you can do about it ?
What is the flailing phase?
Similar to pubescent teenagers, your four-legged friend will test his limits and show "petulant" behavior. He will also test these limits at his meals. The dog does not eat or eats poorly during his puberty. He does this in the hope that you, as the owner, will take pity on him. If you then give in and exceptionally give him something from the table or the refrigerator, your pubescent dog has achieved his goal.
You will get through this nerve-wracking time with patience, consistency, and love. Be dominant, but cordial! Put his usual meal down and give your dog 15 minutes to eat. If the meal is unaccepted within 15 minutes, remove the bowl.
Very important: Afterwards, there are no treats, sausage, or goodies - even if your four-legged friend is standing in front of you with big googly eyes. Otherwise, you are acting inconsistently.
If the problem persists, you can repeat this feeding ritual for a few days with a perfectly healthy dog. Some quadrupeds are very persistent in this regard and pull off this "power play" for several days. Nevertheless, keep the upper hand and show the pubescent dog who is the boss. Otherwise, undesirable behavioral problems may result.
Important.
Of course, you should make sure that there are no medical reasons for your dog not eating enough.
5. the social environment changes
Dogs are more than pets: they are family members. For this very reason, your four-legged friend will notice very quickly if anything in your social environment changes. Do not underestimate how sensitive and social your pet is. Dogs react very emotionally when you, your partner, or other important caregivers are on vacation or away. Many dogs grieve during this time - many downright howls, have no appetite, or in the worst cases, both.
Note: Four-legged friends have a high emotional and social attachment to their familiar environment and caregivers. A sudden change can cause the dog not to eat and drink. Stressful situations include moving to a new home, death of a family member, separation of the owner from the partner, and separation of the animal from siblings or mother. Sensitive dogs sometimes do not eat their meal until all family members are home.
6. the reluctance to eat is hormonal due to heat or false pregnancy.
Your dog is not eating? She may be in heat or pseudopregnant. Do you have a male dog that is currently scenting a female in heat in the neighborhood? Female dogs are in heat once or twice a year. The heat is divided into three different phases and lasts about 21 days. During the second phase, the peak phase, the readiness to mate is enormous both in dogs. The bitch herself tends to be reluctant to eat during heat due to hormones. It can also happen that during this period your male dog does not eat.
7. your dog does not eat because he is full.
Your four-legged friend gets a lot of treats - for example, when you practice tricks with him or guests are there? Then it may happen that your dog is not hungry and does not want to eat his usual food. After all, sausage, cheese and other tasty treats are much more delicious.
Note: Your beloved four-legged friend no longer eats his usual meal so joyfully and seems listless? Many dog owners then think that their four-legged friend needs variety. Often dog owners then make a mistake and buy a new type of food. However, dog food is usually not the reason why the dog does not eat. He may have no appetite due to the summer heat, too many treats, grief, or quite often the change of food. It can lead to an unwillingness to eat if you change from barfing or juicy wet food with preservatives and sugar to high-quality dry food. Your furry friend may also be used to different food from the breeder. However, most four-legged friends get used to the new feeding method very quickly and just need a little time.
Checklist to prevent food cravings
Establish the following feeding rules together with your family:
- Try to keep fixed feeding times - this promotes the formation of important digestive enzymes.
- Let your four-legged friend eat his meals in peace.
- If your four-legged friend does not eat his food within 15 minutes, the bowl will be taken away again. You should not pay much attention to him during this process.
- If your four-legged friend refuses one or more meals, do not reward him with treats. That would be counterproductive.
- Do not feed the dog from the table and do not give him leftovers. This can cause digestive distress.
- Give treats only in moderation and plan them in the daily food ratio. Otherwise, the animal will gain weight quickly. Especially in growing dogs, this can lead to developmental problems and secondary diseases.
- Avoid frequent changes of food and variety in the bowl, as this can also lead to fussy eating behavior.
Conclusion
There can be various reasons why your dog does not eat. It is important to distinguish between acute medical and behavioral feeding problems. If there is an injury, a visit to the vet is usually unavoidable. If you own a puppy or young dog, there is a good chance that the reluctance to eat is behavioral. For example, your dog is not eating because he is in the teething or flailing phase. Often, unfortunately, the problem is inbred. Teach your dog proper eating habits. Feeding rules are recommended. Change the type of food only if your dog needs a different type due to his age, activity, or health condition.