You’ve heard the saying: “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”
Our canine friends are known for their hearty – and, sure, sometimes indiscriminate – appetites.
So, when they stop eating, or show less interest in what’s in their bowl (and when) – it can be concerning for pet owners.
“The thing with a dog not eating is that it can mean so many different things,” says Dr. Wendy Zimmerman, DVM, of Doylestown Veterinary Hospital. “It’s not easy to pinpoint a reason for a loss of appetite.”
The silver lining? Occasionally, if a dog doesn’t want to eat, it’s as simple as that: they don’t want to eat. We tend to think of our canine friends’ feline colleagues as the more finicky household pets. But that’s not always the case.
“Dogs can be picky,” Dr. Zimmerman says. “Maybe you’ve switched their food recently or maybe they’ve eaten the same thing for a long time and, you know, they want a change. Many dogs are just picky eaters throughout their lives. It’s just who they are.”
That being said, pet owners should never just assume that’s the situation.
If a dog has historically been a good eater and suddenly ignores their food dish or the dinner bell – well, “that’s definitely something to talk to the vet about,” Dr. Zimmerman says.
While it is tricky to pinpoint the cause, there are some common culprits:
- Pain: Start at the source. A dog may shun meals because their teeth are troublesome. Says Dr. Zimmerman: “They may have dental disease, and it becomes painful to eat.” But discomfort in the mouth is not the only suspect. Pain in any part of the body can cause a dog to distance itself from regular routines – especially meals.
- Bellyaches: “Sometimes dogs don’t want to eat because their stomach is upset,” Dr. Zimmerman notes. This can be accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms, like vomiting or diarrhea. Or not. “Occasionally, dogs might not eat at first because they’re nauseous.”
- Stress: A loss of appetite may even be psychological. “Maybe their routine is out of whack, or something stressful is going on in the house,” Dr. Zimmerman says. Dogs may turn from food temporarily after enduring a stressful event. “Some dogs have a change of appetite and can be a little picky with their food after their owner has been away for a while.”
- Systemic disease: The most worrisome reason for a lack of appetite in dogs, and the primary driver for seeking a veterinarian’s assistance and advice, is the potential for conditions impacting a number of our pets’ organs and tissues, like kidney disease or cancer. “These things may not be super obvious to an owner,” Dr. Zimmerman says.
Dr. Zimmerman notes that several other conditions, such as thyroid disease, toxins, and even intestinal obstructions may be to blame – but are less common if for no other reason than they are frequently accompanied by other telling symptoms, like lethargy and severe vomiting.
What Should I Do If My Dog Doesn’t Want to Eat?
As you may have guessed, the solution to a dog’s absent appetite is often entirely dependent on the cause.
Assuming a dog is not exhibiting other bothersome symptoms, pet owners can try a few home-based tactics to restore their pet’s interest in mealtime.
Dr. Zimmerman often recommends introducing a bit of bland food. “Some boiled chicken or poultry baby food that has been warmed in the microwave to bring out the smell” can be effective, she says.
However, if after a day or two, a dog is still not showing interest in eating, a call to the veterinarian is in order.
“I take it pretty seriously when dogs are not eating,” Dr. Zimmerman says. “It may or may not be anything, but at minimum, we can provide supportive care measures and start the process of determining what could be going wrong.”
Dental disease is simple to spot on an exam, she says. Should the kidneys be the cause, or some sort of metabolic function, or low thyroid – blood tests can swiftly shed light on the situation. “These are easy things to figure out,” she says.
“The important thing is not to ignore it,” she stresses. “It’s fine to try some nursing techniques and baby your dog at home for a day or two. But then the easiest and best thing is to make a call to your vet. Getting to the bottom of things involves some investigation.”
Dr. Zimmerman says educating pet owners is crucial – and reminding them that there is no such thing as a dumb question.
“Because so many things can cause a lack of appetite and because it could sometimes warrant more definitive treatment or diagnosis, having that relationship and feeling open about bringing your dog in is so important.”
“I think some pet owners often feel they’re overreacting, especially if there are no other symptoms,” she continues. “But it’s never wrong to double-check and make sure our pets are OK. The best thing to do is figure out why it’s happening in the first place.”
