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There might be various reasons why your dog isn’t eating its food. From medical to behavioral, we look at a couple of major reasons why your dog might not be eating. Loss of appetite or decreased appetite in dogs can stress dog parents, and there might or might not be a medical condition. It would be best to ignore Anorexia or loss of appetite for longer than a day. It might signal an underlying issue behind your dog not eating its food.
We list a few reasons dogs don’t eat their food to help you understand the issue better and seek medical help if required. We will talk about behavioral issues and issues with food in this article.
Reasons Why Your Dog Isn’t Eating
While there might be several reasons why your dog isn’t eating its food, here are the most common ones:
- Behavioral
- Food issues
- Medical
Behavioral Issues For A Dog Not Eating Its Food
Fear, stress, or anxiety can cause dogs not to eat. Stress causes might differ for dogs compared to what humans stress about. Small things might cause your dog stress and result in it not eating. Changes in your pooch’s routine, environment, having new people/pets, loud noises, traveling, storms, or fireworks might be some reasons that cause your dog stress and anxiety. Things as simple as changing the location or time of your dog’s meal can stress out your pooch, and it might not have its food.
Try giving your pooch a calming supplement after consulting your veterinarian to relieve your dog of stress and anxiety.
If you have another pet in your home, your dog might feel intimidated and not have its food. There are instances when dogs don’t eat when humans or housemates are around. Try separating your dog while eating so it eats and finishes its food. If stress or anxiety is the underlying reason for your dog not eating food, it will go away in a day or two. However, you might sometimes require medical intervention to treat stress or anxiety in dogs.
Food Issues
There might be issues with the food you offer your dog. The food might be spoiled, stale, expired, or old. Some dogs, like Labrador Retrievers, are not selective and might eat anything in sight, others, like Yorkshire Terriers, might not. If your dog likes particular food and has started not having it, check its expiration date. Ensure to store the food in airtight containers and seal it. You should always throw away expired food as eating that might make your dog sick. If you use canned food, you can cover it with its lid or plastic wrap it and keep it in the refrigerator.
Many parents believe their dogs get bored of their food after having it for a few days. However, it is not true. Dogs will continue having the same food if they like it and will not get bored. If your dog is tired of eating the same food, try giving it a few treats or human food before giving it the same food again. Mix the food with dog treats for the best results.
Remember that switching foods can lead to an upset stomach in dogs. It can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, or decreased appetite.
Medical
There might be plenty of reasons medically why your dog isn’t eating its food. However, we name a few for your help.
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