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Is she already full? Sick? Or why is my dog not eating his food anymore? These are some of the questions that will go through your mind when you notice your dog’s feeding bowl is still top-filled as you left it. Of course, the pooch might not be feeling hungry but it’s good to be sure of it.
Naturally, dogs have a strong appetite that makes them devour anything you offer them. They are voracious eaters, which of course, is a great thing as it ensures your furry companion remains fit and in good health. When you realize, though, her favorite kibble that you poured in the morning is still intact, it should give you the jumps if you do care. This comes as it can lead to malnutrition, which can then predispose your dog to a number of different issues.
Reasons Why Your Dog is Not Eating His Food
Inappetence [or else lack of appetite] is a condition that can get your canine due to a variety of reasons. These reasons range from medical and health issues to behavioral and the quality of food you’re offering. As such, you have to be very careful in discerning the real course so as to make sure you get to tackle the real problem.
Some of the most common reasons that can make your dog stop eating his food anymore include:
Medical/ Health Reasons
When your dog refuses to eat his food completely, a good guess is that he is having a health issue. This definitely is far more concerning as a dog is just like your 3-month toddler who can’t tell you where they’re in pain. Hence, you’ll have to play your odds correctly and discern the issue to tackle it soon before it has a long-term effect. The following are some of the possible health reasons to make your dog lose appetite.
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Dental Issues:
This is one of the main reasons that can make your dog stop eating his food all of a sudden. It can happen due to an object getting stuck in the canine’s teeth, causing damage on the roof of the mouth. A broken or loose tooth can make your dog feel pain with every bite, hence, making her avoid putting anything in the mouth.
Also, if your dog has swollen gums due to an injury or conditions like oral tumors/ gingivitis, he might be unable to eat as well.
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Upset Stomach
After dental issues, an ailing tummy is another key reason that can make your dog stop eating his food suddenly. The gastrointestinal issue mainly occurs when the animal has eaten something he shouldn’t have.
Almost every dog is a fan of the trash bin. So, if he ingests a seemingly tasty but “foul” foreign object, he’ll probably experience some stomach pains, causing unrest an inability to eat. Other stomach-related issues that can cause inappetence include food allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, obstruction of the gastrointestinal system, and even Diarrhea. What to give a dog for upset stomach and vomiting
Other Health Issues
This one includes issues ranging from muscle injuries to organ dysfunctions, including kidney or liver disease. With the injury to muscles or ligaments, the inflammation can be so severe to cause a temporary lack of appetite. The condition, though, is most common in young and middle-aged dogs.
On its end, organ dysfunction is a more pressing issue as it can damage the performance of your dog [including appetite] in a big way. Though rare, some of the organ dysfunction issues that can get your dog include heart failure, kidney disease, and liver disease.
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Vaccinations and new medications
Just like with humans, the canines’ health care has improved over the years. New vaccines and medications have been introduced to help keep potentially dangerous diseases at bay. While serving their role, nonetheless, some of these medications may bring unwanted side effects like nausea and temporary loss of appetite.
So, your pooch may lack the need to eat for that day and even the next one, but the effects will soon wear off.
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Age
When a dog starts to age, they usually become less active and eat only little to maintain their weight. It’s a common phenomenon, so, it shouldn’t concern you much if he is still in good shape. However, if the condition of your senior dog is not very pleasing to the eyes, consider taking him for a checkup.
When animals and even people start to age, their immune system becomes weak, making them susceptible to a variety of diseases.
Behavioral Reasons
If your veterinarian concludes your dog has no health issue, the other reason that can cause him not to eat his food is behavior-related. The reason is not as alarming as those from health issues since the behavioral loss of appetite means your dog can still eat. Only that he is not willing to due to a number of reasons. They include:
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Pickiness
Usually, pickiness a condition that dogs learn, rather not born with. It’s most common in smaller dogs that have been offered a range of foods or extra offerings, such that they’ll always waiting for something better. Since they’re also like humans, dogs may develop their tastes over time, making them enjoy certain flavors and stay from others.
Particularly if your dog gets table scraps, his pickiness can even be worse and he may turn down his kibble if he feels it less tasty.
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Disinterest in Food
This one is almost like pickiness but instead of favoring specific flavor, the pooch doesn’t eat his food due to a recent illness. Let’s say it was his normal kibble that caused some discomfort, the dog will become weary and he may hesitate using it again. It’s just like how we say every animal has its defense mechanisms, so he may have a hard time trusting his food again.
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Food Quality
That’s right. Your dog can turn down her meal if she feels it unsatisfying. This includes food that has gone rancid after you failed to store it properly. Particularly with the kibble, the dry food can have mold that the naked eyes can’t see but the dog can sense.
Also on the food quality, some dogs despise kibble with palatants others those rich in fiber. Palatants are those coatings added to improve the appearance or flavor of extruded kibble and sometimes not all dogs love them. High-fiber foods, on the other hand, are usually less palatable and that’s why your canine can lack appetite if that is what you’ve provided.
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Excessive Treats
If your dog does well in his physical training or understanding simple commands, the use of treats is the best way to reward him. It shows a bit of extra love and can even help boost their motivation. However, offering these extras every time your pup flash his lovable eyes can lead to overfeeding and overreliance on them. The treats will teach him to rely on them for his sustenance rather than his food. Dog won’t eat his food but will eat treats.
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Boredom
If your mom keeps on offering you rice from Monday to Sunday, you surely will become bored and with no appetite. The same goes for a dog, whereby you feed him the same brand and flavor of food years after years. Even if the dog food was his favorite, he’ll eventually start avoiding it. of course, you may find he’s eating some to sooth his rumbling tummy but still it may not be enough if your dog is active.
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Stress
Lack of appetite is one of the main signs of a dog with stress. The stress can be from the introduction of new animals or people or even relocation to new environments. Particularly if he’s shy, your pooch will mainly focus on what’s going around him rather than the desire for food.
What to Do When Your Dog Is Not Eating His Food
While there are others, those are some of the main reasons that can make your dog stop eating his food. Since the furry friend is already part of your family, it’s not appropriate for you to just sit there and wait. The rule of common sense always dictates that you first find the source to a problem, then, you solve it out.
Therefore, after discerning what has curtailed your dog’s appetite, the next step is to try coming up with a positive change to it. The various ways you can do this include:
Monitoring: more than before, keep an eye on how your dog act towards his food and the rest of the daily routine. If you notice no changes in 24-48 hours, now play detective and physician by checking your surroundings and your dog’s body.
Physical examination: of course, it does help as you get to discern if it’s an issue you can solve all on your own or from a professional. If it’s the belly, press it to check for firmness from bloating or hard lumps. Just in case, you can comb through the dog’s fur to see if you can find any parasites. Then, have him open his mouth and look for stuck objects or any obvious signs of dental pain, including swollen gums loose teeth, or bleeding.
Consider professional assistance: if none of the monitoring and physical examination has provided outcomes, consult your veterinarian for a more thorough examination. The vet will even conduct necessary tests to find the underlying health issue, which even might have been bothering your pet for months.
Change up the diet:
Even if your dog has or doesn’t have health issues, check for any signs of mold or rancidity in his food. Give it a good smell if it’s wet/ homemade food and if you note any chances of it going bad, change immediately.
If you have been offering your dog the same brand/ flavor of food, consider mixing with something new or switch with one having similarly nutritional content.
Provide a more palatable diet: This one you can do by either discerning what your pooch loves most and pour it for him. Or else, you make the food that he’s refusing more palatable by mixing with his favorite or by warming up with bone broth. You can even provide your dog with canned food as it has a higher fat content and more moisture.
Exercise your dog: it improves your dog’s metabolism and stimulates appetite, mostly if you do it before meals.
Now Develop and Maintain Good Habits
Your dog not eating his food is a condition which you shouldn’t take lightly as it can be from a serious underlying issue like periodontal disease. It can also be from the pooch’s pickiness, so, you shouldn’t give yourself a headache at first sight of it either.
To be sure, it’s best to thoroughly monitor and examine your dog, including even with the help of a professional veterinarian. After that, now establish and maintain healthy habits as it’s the key to solving behavioral and even health-related loss of appetite. If it’s gastrointestinal upset, for instance, the issue can occur from ingesting spoiled food or garbage. You can train your pooch to keep off the bin or else keep it in a way he won’t access the trash inside.
If the issue is with the treats, then, reduce the amount you’re providing your dog with. This will help ensure your little friend doesn’t hold off on eating his normal food for them and minimize the chances of pickiness. You can even consider providing a safe space where the shy dog can be eating alone in comfort if his lost appetite is from stress. Hope you got the idea, why is my dog not eating his food anymore?.
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