Why isn't my dog eating? Causes and solutions to get them to eat

One of the moments dogs enjoy the most is mealtime, but if you've recently noticed that your dog isn't eating like before, in this post we'll tell you about the possible causes and solutions.

Why isn't my dog eating?

If you think that your dog isn't eating food, or if, after the usual "dinner call," your dog doesn't come running down the hall or approaches his bowl but doesn't touch the food, something is wrong. Dogs usually have a good appetite and are often trained with food, so if your dog isn't eating anything, it's an unusual symptom.

Reasons why my dog isn't eating

Below we detail a few factors why we believe your dog isn't eating anything:

- Age: If your dog is getting older, he may suffer from arthritis and it could be affecting his jaw, or he might be losing teeth, which means dry kibble isn't the best option for him to eat, as it will be difficult for him to chew. Therefore, we recommend consulting your vet to change his diet.

- Heat: The increase in heat in summer causes a lack of appetite in many dogs. We recommend introducing fresher foods, some homemade ice cream, ice with fruit... Above all, you must prevent your dog from suffering from heatstroke; make sure he is well hydrated at all times.

- Sickness: If your dog is sick or has an ailment, perhaps intestinal problems, it's even possible that a foreign object has become lodged and is obstructing his intestine. In that case, you'll need to take him to the vet immediately for an emergency check-up.

- Medication: If he is taking medication, one of its side effects may be loss of appetite.

- Sad: What to do if my dog is sad? If the end of the holidays has left him depressed or he has met new friends and misses them, he may be sad and therefore have a loss of appetite.

What can I do if my dog isn't eating?

Follow some of these tips if you see that my dog isn't eating food:

- Often their food can bore them; eating the same kibble in the same bowl every day can be a bit monotonous. We recommend varying their diet a little with a treat or including more flavorful food, a liquid supplement in the kibble... try to also vary their bowl; sometimes the color can change their mood.

- Use toys to make eating more entertaining: like the maze ball we have at tQel, the Mazee, a transparent ball in which to introduce food to make it more entertaining.

- Hide treats around the house for him to find. After all, dogs are hunters, and we suppress their instincts when we put food on a plate for them...

- We also advise you to keep his food in good condition. Sometimes we think that dry kibble, being dry, can be stored any way and can become stale.

My dog isn't eating much

We often believe that dogs don't notice things, but just like us, they feel the loss of a loved one, and that's why your dog isn't eating much.

If your dog isn't eating or drinking anything, you may even need to hydrate him.

If he has fought with another dog, he might still be a little off and not want to eat. Take him for a walk to try and socialize; positive reinforcement is very useful in these cases.

Have there been any major changes at home? A move, a baby at home, a new animal... try to maintain his daily routines for walks, meals, games... Make him continue to feel like an important part of the family...

As always, we recommend going to your vet as soon as you discover any unusual symptoms in your dog, especially if you see that your dog isn't eating anything.

We hope to have clarified a little more the reasons why your dog is not eating food.

See you in the next post!!

Discover all the fashion and accessories your dog needs on our website.