Dog refuses to eat!

1. Indigestion.

This problem is accompanied not only by a refusal to eat, but also by loose stools, vomiting, lethargy, and anxiety. Diarrhea is a dangerous condition that quickly leads to dehydration, so doing nothing is a bad strategy. If you see that the dog is not feeling well, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

2. Diseases.

Refusal to eat can be one of the symptoms of viral, parasitic diseases and diseases of internal organs. Unfortunately, sometimes the disease is practically not expressed and it can be detected only on examination.

If your dog is feeling fine but refuses food for more than three days for no apparent reason, be sure to take him to the veterinarian.

3. Unsuitable food.

Appetite may worsen due to changes in diet. It doesn’t have to be a complete food change. Perhaps the products were not fresh enough or the dry food was stored in an open package and “weathered”. Or perhaps you offered your pet a dish for lunch that he categorically did not like, and he demonstrates his protest? Make sure you are offering your pet the right, balanced, quality food.

4. Wrong diet.

The diet is not only the quality of the feed, but also the combination of products, the volume and number of servings, feeding time. For example, if you use balanced dry food as the basis of the diet, but at the same time feed the dog food from the table, then this is a violation of the regime. Due to improper feeding, the pet’s metabolism worsens, and this affects its eating habits.

5. Stress.

Stress is a very common reason for not eating. It’s not scary if the dog was worried about the move and skipped dinner on emotions. But if the pet is very worried and skips several meals, the problem needs to be addressed.

Eliminate the cause of stress as soon as possible and contact your veterinarian for a sedative for your pet. This will help bring him to his senses quickly and without negative consequences for the body.

Intense physical activity and an abundance of new information can also be reasons for a temporary refusal to eat.

6. Medical procedures.

Refusal to eat is a normal reaction to a vaccine or injection, to medication, and during the recovery period after surgery or therapy.

The main thing in such a situation is to monitor the condition of the pet together with a veterinarian. In other words, keep your finger on the pulse.

7. Certain conditions: teething, growth spurts, molting, estrus, etc.

Appetite may decrease if the puppy is teething, if he has growth spurts, if the dog is shedding, if she is in heat or is about to give birth … This is normal, and you should not worry. Over time, appetite normalizes.

In the absence of appetite, the dog may not eat for several days without harm to health. But if she refuses water for at least one day, this is a serious reason to contact a veterinarian!

Conventionally, the reasons for refusing food can be divided into two groups: dangerous and non-dangerous.

Dangerous cases include cases when, in addition to refusing to eat, there are other symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, apathy, or any other changes in behavior. In such cases, you should immediately contact your veterinarian. Delay is dangerous!

Non-dangerous reasons are when the dog feels good, when his behavior remains the same, despite the decrease in appetite. In such cases, it is worth considering what exactly provoked the refusal of food. Perhaps the dog didn’t like the new food or the new bowl smells badly of plastic? Or maybe she just can’t stand the heat?

Watch your pet. If he is healthy, the fasting period should not last more than a couple of days. In other cases – rather to the veterinary clinic!

Friends, we wish your pets delicious healthy meals and excellent appetite!