Mary Allen
Loss of appetite in dogs is rather uncommon. Nevertheless, there can be very harmless reasons if the four-legged friend only partially empties his bowl or even ignores it.
This article on eating habits explains how you can get to the bottom of your dog’s reluctance to eat and what tricks you can use to bring your dog back to normal eating habits.
In a nutshell: When the dog refuses its food – but eats treats
If a dog no longer wants to eat its food, the reasons are usually harmless. Especially if he still accepts treats without hesitation, wrong training is usually the problem. You should definitely correct that.
In addition, stress, overfeeding, or toothache can also lead to your dog refusing food.
You can learn how to train your dog correctly from the start and what you can do if training mistakes nevertheless creep in by taking a look at the dog training bible.
That’s why your dog refuses his food
Most dog owners complain more about their dog’s gluttony than the opposite. But a lack of appetite always has a cause, which can lie in mistakes in your training or in your health.
Good to know:
Don’t worry: a healthy dog can easily go several days without food. So if you’re training against a downright stubborn person, they won’t take any damage.
Trained behavior
As is so often the case, the problem lies more with the two-legged than the four-legged end of the leash.
Let’s be honest: We humans also prefer sweets to potato soup. Why should your dog be any different?
There are also “pleasure eaters” among dogs who are not satisfied with ordinary, average food and would prefer to eat rabbit ears, cubes of horse kidneys, or dog biscuits.
On the one hand they respond very well to food rewards in training, but with enough self-confidence they can also start to become demanding. They then see the food in the food bowl more as a supply that they have anyway and that they eat when times are bad.
This behavior is encouraged by the fact that you also generously reward the success with the training bites. In addition, it saturates the dog, so that even less resourceful dogs are simply no longer hungry after larger training sessions.
But treats are always okay: after all, we humans also usually get a dessert in our stomachs.
A similar problem arises when a dog starts eating again after a period of lack of appetite. If he notices that the master and mistress react enthusiastically out of relief, he may prolong the bad eating in order to keep the attention.
Uncertainty
Not every dog is a leader, but some find themselves so low on the pecking order that they don’t dare eat until they’re sure everyone else is done.
The phenomenon “I can’t if you’re looking” not only leads to feeding problems with them, but also causes a lot of stress.
Wrong feed or wrong amount of feed
Overfeeding can also result from feeding the wrong amount of food. When dogs get older, they no longer want and need as much food as they did when they were young. Even lazy sofa-seaters don’t need the amount of food an agility champion needs, and a German Shepherd’s portion can feed a Chihuaha for several days.
Also, not all dogs like all flavors. Even if they enjoy eating rabbit droppings, moldy rat remains or unidentifiable things from the bushes, they may find carrots, kidneys or certain grains inedible.
Sometimes it’s just the consistency that puts them off. This is often the case when changing food, especially when switching from dry to wet food or vice versa. Some dogs prefer jelly, some prefer gravy – and for some, bone-dry is just crunchy enough.
Health problems
If your teeth hurt, your teeth are loose or your gums are inflamed, chewing also hurts.
Even if the stomach, the esophagus or other parts of the body cause pain, the dog sometimes does not know what to do other than avoid the pain by refusing food or by telling the owner.
After surgeries that require anesthesia, some dogs take longer to get back on their feet and develop an appetite. It is particularly important here that the veterinarian’s feeding instructions are followed so as not to cause any complications.
In the case of an intestinal obstruction, the food is also refused, but the dog will not eat the treats here either.
Miscellaneous
When it’s hot, large dogs in particular often don’t want to eat anything, just drink. This is normal and nothing to worry about.
Even bitches in heat or apparently pregnant are so hormonally overwhelmed during the first heat that it masks hunger.
How to get your dog eating normally again
Sometimes your dog’s hunger strike will stop by itself. Loss of appetite caused by the weather, hormones or anesthesia usually disappears without a trace.
Even when changing food, you can wait and see whether a few days of getting used to the smell, taste and consistency will normalize your dog’s hunger again.
Tip 1: Feed the right amount
On the package of your dog food you will find information from the manufacturer about how many grams are recommended for your dog. This is often at intervals, e.g. dogs from 12 to 18 kg receive 400 g daily.
The following applies: If your dog is more like 12-13 kg, he will also get a little less than 400 g, if he is more like 18 kg, he will get more. If your dog is already overweight, the ideal weight applies, not the actual weight.
You can also use the following rule of thumb: Dog’s weight x 2.5% = recommended amount of food in grams.
In addition, of course, very active dogs, pregnant bitches and malnourished dogs need more food than sofa princes or old dogs.
Also, don’t forget to adjust the amount of dog biscuits based on your dog’s size and age as well. Make sure you’re not overfeeding treats every day. Take treat breaks on the days you don’t exercise or exercise a little, and replace some of the rewards with his actual food.
Important:
For young dogs and dogs with a higher feed requirement, you should feed them in several small portions if possible. This reduces the risk of gastric torsion.
Tip 2: Feed the right food
If your dog refuses his food, speak to a veterinarian about diagnosing any intolerance. It is possible that your four-legged friend simply cannot tolerate certain ingredients and avoids this discomfort by refusing food.
Try to encourage your dog to eat again with new food. However, be careful not to offer a new variety every day, as this can also lead to stomach and digestive problems. Also, there will not necessarily be an immediate improvement on the first try.
Let him get used to it and be patient.
Tip 3: Proper training
Being nitpicking shouldn’t pay off. This applies in particular to re-introducing the dog to eating “real” food.
You can make the actual food a little tastier for a dog that is obviously only keen on the treats and therefore refuses its food. Adding some chicken broth, a few cubes of feta cheese, or a few spoonfuls of yoghurt with honey makes the food bowl that much more enticing.
However, you must not add the tasty additive later if the dog is already ignoring the food and looking at you expectantly. So he only learns that he has to wait long enough.
So refine the feed right from the start – and also slowly sneak out the extras.
As a further adjustment, you should train for a while with his dry food instead of treats. So it is no longer worthwhile for the dog to wait hungry for training.
The most important thing is that you remain consistent no matter how stubborn your dog may be. In the worst case, he can go several days without food.
Tip:
Dog food can also be left for a few hours and show the dog what it could have. Wet food in particular should be thrown away after half a day, as it not only dries out but can also become mouldy.
Tip 4: Check-up at the vet
In any case, have your dog’s dental status checked and speak to your veterinary practice about the possibility of diseases or intolerances.
If your dog not only stops wanting his food, but also stops responding to treats, he could have more serious health problems.
Tip 5: Recognize and avoid stress
Stress-sensitive dogs need more than one bowl to eat. Move the feeding area to a quiet spot where it can feed undisturbed by humans and other animals.
Observe your dog to determine the source of his stress. Because every dog is different. Some want to feed in silence and some just not next to a higher-ranking animal.
Other stressors are often more difficult to avoid. If your dog is suffering from mental stress after a breakup, a move or the death of a friend, time is often the only thing that will help.
Conclusion
The fact that a dog sometimes does not eat is no reason to panic. Especially if he continues to accept treats. Then you probably just made a mistake in training that you can easily correct, or you should change the amount or type of food.
However, refusal to eat can also indicate toothache or stress and must then be treated by a veterinarian.
If you patiently approach and solve the problem with him, it will help you both and strengthen your bond. The dog training bible tells you how you can do this and what other training mistakes you should avoid. This way you and your dog remain an unbeatable team!