A dog’s appetite can change in an instant. Like humans, they can lose their appetite and love for food. While a dog losing its appetite for a short while is not dangerous, a prolonged duration of refusing to eat may be alarming. 

If your dog stops eating for quite a while, it is important to determine the cause of this and take the right steps to fix it right away. Dogs need to maintain their diet, and it’s all up to you to make sure they get the nutrition they need.

Why Do Dogs Stop Eating?

Dogs stop eating for a variety of reasons. These range from their emotions to their environment. Nevertheless, knowing the reason is an important part of managing your dog’s diet. By understanding the causes, you can take the appropriate steps to help your dog get its appetite back. Here are some of the reasons why your dog stops eating:

Medical Issues

Sickness can be the major reason why your dog stops eating. Your dog might be suffering the effects of the disease or illness and loss of appetite might be one of the symptoms. Diseases from microbes can severely affect your dog’s appetite as these pathogens may cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract. 

Dental issues such as complications in the gum and teeth can also make your dog lose its appetite. The immense pain that comes with dental problems might prevent your dog from wanting to eat its favorite food. These can be noticed when your dog drools a lot and has difficulty chewing.

Changes In The Environment

A new environment can change a dog’s appetite due to the stress that comes with new surroundings and elements. These changes include:

Transferring Homes

Changing homes might make your dog stressed from the new environment it has to get used to. Dogs get comfortable after a while, and since it was accustomed to their old living situation, a change could make them lose their appetite and worry about anything that crosses their mind.

New Family Members

New members in the house, such as new pets, can increase the activity going on in your dog’s mind, making it lose its appetite. Your dog might be emotionally overwhelmed to see a new dog, cat, or maybe even a frog.

Changes in Feeding Habits

Feeding your dog at different times may affect your dog’s appetite. It’s important to feed your dog at consistent times to ensure that it gets used to eating. 

Traveling

Long trips and vacations can mess up your dog’s appetite and make it stressed. Especially if it’s their first time, dogs tend to eat less when they’re exposed to a new environment or activity. Some dogs also get sick from the constant motion of being in a car. It’s important to be with your dog at these times.

Dietary Changes

Sudden changes in food and the amounts given to them might be the cause of why your dog stops eating. Transitioning to new food should be done gradually to avoid any complications such as loss of appetite and stomach pain.

Age

A dog’s age can be a factor in why it stops eating. Their needs can change over the years and this can lead to a loss of appetite. Changes in the body as time passes by can also affect their appetite. Less pronounced senses can make them less interested in their food and health conditions that arise from age can prevent them from wanting to eat. 

Medications and Vaccinations

Medications and vaccinations can have significant side effects that can impact your dog’s appetite. However, the good thing is that these side effects of appetite loss should not last for a long time. 

Still, it is important to consider these side effects as a potential cause for your dog’s loss of appetite. Adjusting your dog’s medication should be first addressed with your veterinarian in the event you feel this is the reason why your dog stops eating.

Behavioral Issues

A dog’s behavior can have the answers as to why it stops eating. From mental problems to stressful situations, a dog’s appetite can be affected by their mental state. They can experience stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma, which can significantly alter their appetite. Due to the mental toll these behavioral issues take, your dog would choose to lie down rather than eat.

Food Issues

Your dog might not like the food you are serving. It may be spoiled, rotten, cold, or maybe just plain bland. Dogs love fresh and savory food which consists of proteins such as chicken and beef. Sometimes, they are picky eaters who won’t eat wants on the table. They would rather wait for some food they like than eat the food ready for them.

What Happens When My Dog Stops Eating

Your dog might experience a multitude of effects when it stops eating for a prolonged duration. Here are some of the effects when your dog stops eating:

Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most noticeable effects of a dog losing its appetite for a prolonged duration. It’s a state that is very concerning when it comes to your dog’s health. When dogs lose weight, their muscles start to weaken, and a decline in their physical health. This reduces their ability to do physical activities and increases the chance of injuries.

Weakness and Lethargy

Weakness should be expected when your dog stops eating. Without any nutrients for energy, your dogs will find it hard to move. A dog requires energy, vitamins, minerals, and calories in order to grow and gain energy. A lack of food intake leads to less nutrient absorption which makes your dog weaker and easily tired. 

What to Do When My Dog Stops Eating?

There are lots of options for when your dog stops eating. A prolonged habit of not eating may be concerning and might require expert help. But if this only goes on for a few hours, a few home remedies might do the trick. Here are tips when your dog stops eating:

Feed by Hand

The first thing you can do when your dog refuses to eat is to manually feed it by hand in small amounts. This encourages them to eat, especially because they know you are there to help them.

Offer Different Food

A reason why your dog stops eating might stem from the food. Dogs are picky eaters who have preferences in their diet. Try giving a different meal but still with the nutritional benefits it needs. A simple meal of boiled chicken and rice can go a long way. 

Canned food is also a good option as they are formulated to stimulate a dog’s appetite. Lots of options are available on the market, and these are some of the best choices for dog food:

• Purina’s Pro Plan Puppy Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food: This dog food offers a good amount of protein and fat with no artificial additives that could create complications in your dog’s diet.

• Royal Canin’s Small Adult Dry Dog Food: This dog food is great for small adult dogs as it offers good amounts of proteins and fat while also providing a variety of vitamins that are essential for the growth of young dogs.

Warm the Food

Warming the food can make it taste fresh and stimulate your dog’s appetite. Dogs prefer to eat warmer food as it can be more pleasing to their noses. Heating it to a good temperature increases the chance that your dog will eat. 

Move to a New Area

Your dog might be eating in a place where it feels stressed and overwhelmed. Try transferring its bowl to a different location around the house. Anywhere with a good amount of space and moisture would mean a big difference in improving your dog’s appetite. Make sure to also give it lots of space and time to eat.

Play With Your Dog

Regular exercise and playtime can be good for your dog’s health and appetite. Exercise can make your dog hungry and stimulate their want for food. This is a natural way of helping them get the appetite they have lost. 

Call Your Veterinarian

If nothing seems to work, try contacting our veterinarians. These experts can closely examine your dog for any outlying problems regarding its appetite. Depending on their findings, they can recommend the best food and snacks for your dog to improve its health and appetite, as well as any medications that could be useful. 

Most importantly, their advice on feeding your dogs can go a long way in helping your best friend eat.

Conclusion

What your dog eats is important to its overall health and well-being. But ensuring it eats is an entirely different thing that needs to be taken seriously. A dog’s appetite can mean the difference between a healthy and a sick dog. As their owners, we should carefully monitor our dogs and ensure they get the nutrition they need.