All In The Family: Maine Mother & Son Charged in Massive Drug Bust

Why Your Dog Won't Eat: Causes & Solutions - WebMD

Whether you've had pet dogs for years or you've just adopted your first puppy, it can be very distressing when your dog won't eat. There are a variety of reasons for loss of appetite in dogs. It's important to determine the cause in order to design the best treatment plan.

The first thing to keep in mind is how you're judging your dog's appetite. If you're concerned because your dog isn't eating as much as the guidelines state on the food you purchase, remember that these are only averages. Many perfectly healthy dogs eat only 60% to 70% of the amount stated on the packaging.

Because loss of appetite in dogs can indicate illness, it is important to seek veterinary care if you notice changes in your dog's eating habits. It is especially important to respond promptly to a refusal to eat in dogs that usually eat well.

Even though most dogs can go a couple of days without food with no significant bad effects, it is best to address the problem as early as possible.

Just like in people, there are a variety of reasons dogs might refuse to eat. These include:

Illness. A decreased appetite in dogs is often a sign of sickness, especially if your dog is exhibiting other symptoms at the same time. Although a loss of appetite in dogs doesn't necessarily indicate serious disease, prompt veterinary attention is important because it could be a sign of significant illness, including cancer, various systemic infections, pain, liver problems, and kidney failure.

Dental disease. Your dog may not want to eat because something in its mouth is causing pain. Have them checked for a broken or loose tooth, severe gingivitis, and even an oral tumor. Sometimes things can happen below the gum line that cannot be seen like a tooth root abscess 

Recent vaccination. Fortunately, vaccinations are available for many serious and contagious dog diseases. Although these injections have saved the lives of millions of pets in the past 100 years, they do sometimes have adverse effects. The majority of these are minor and brief, including a temporary loss of appetite in dogs.

Travel and unfamiliar surroundings. If your dog's appetite was fine until you went on a trip with them or moved to a new location, it may be that your dog won't eat because of traveling or the unfamiliar surroundings. Some animals may get motion sickness, and others become nervous or uncomfortable in new places.

Pickiness or behavior issues. Some dogs are just picky, or their refusal to eat may be caused by feeding them in situations where they aren't comfortable, such as around an aggressive dog or from a bowl at an uncomfortable height. Because a decreased appetite in dogs may be caused by illness, never assume that your dog is picky without investigating other possibilities first.

What you can do to help when your dog won't eat will depend on what you and your veterinarian determine to be the cause of the problem.

If your dog's loss of appetite is caused by illness, the vet may recommend a prescription diet to meet your pet's nutritional needs while the underlying disease is being addressed. Sometimes these diets are not particularly tasty, especially if your dog is used to regular treats or people food. If your dog is already ill, never starve your pet in an attempt to force it to eat the prescribed diet. Instead, talk with your veterinarian about alternatives. In more severe cases, your vet may prescribe appetite-stimulating medications, recommend syringe-feeding a liquid diet, or insert a feeding tube.

If your dog's decreased appetite is a behavior problem caused by pickiness or a discomfort with mealtime, rather than the result of a medical condition, there are a number of things you can do to encourage your pet to eat.

These include:

Cutting back on treats.

Feeding your pet on a regular schedule, usually at least twice a day.

Making mealtime a fun time for your pet, such as by playing with a toy that dispenses food or rewarding your dog with food for doing a trick.

Taking your dog for a walk before mealtime.

Changing your dog's feeding situation. If you normally feed your pet with other animals, try feeding them alone. Or try using different bowls or plates at different heights to see what your dog prefers. (You might even put a few pieces of food on the floor next to the feeding dish.)

Trying a different kind of food, such as canned food if you normally feed your dog dry food.

Add a bit of warm water to your dog's kibble to make it more appealing. 

Why Is My Dog Not Eating? A Veterinarian Explains The Reasons

Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners' links. This content is created by TIME Stamped, under TIME's direction and produced in accordance with TIME's editorial guidelines and overseen by TIME's editorial staff. Learn more about it.

There are many reasons your dog might not eat. They can range from simple explanations to serious complications. To complicate matters, just because your dog isn't eating, doesn't mean they don't have an appetite. A dog with a dental or other oral issue, including injury, may not be able to eat but is still hungry.

Other conditions can cause a dog to lose their appetite because they don't feel well. To avoid making the situation worse, work with your veterinarian for a solution instead of trying to fix it yourself.

Possible reasons your dog isn't eating Non-medical causes

Picky eater: There are various reasons for a dog being truly picky, such as having access to food all day or preferring human food and treats. If your dog is being picky but is doing well otherwise and will eat human food and treats, you can try other dog food brands. Otherwise, it's best to have an exam to rule out medical issues like a dental problem.

Food is stale or expired: Check the date to make sure the food isn't expired. If it's dry food and the bag has been open for more than 6 weeks, it might be stale, especially if the bag isn't kept sealed.

Stress or anxiety: The stress of a new home, boarding, travel, change in humans or animals in the home, and owner schedule changes can all cause a decreased appetite.

Summer: Some dogs may have a decreased appetite when the weather is hot.

Medical causes

Pain: Any cause of pain, such as dental pain, pain after a surgery, or joint pain, may potentially result in your dog not wanting to eat.

Medication side-effect: Did your dog start a new medication or supplement? If so, call your veterinarian. Some medications are best given with food and can cause digestive upset if taken on an empty stomach. Other medications may need to be given on an empty stomach but can still cause digestive issues.

Vaccination: Did your dog just get vaccinated? If so, this could be a reason they're feeling under the weather.

Infection: Infections can affect any part of your dog's body including blood and bone infections. These can range from an infected tooth to a digestive tract infection—including parvo virus or an intestinal parasite—or a respiratory infection. Some regions of the United States can have infections that are common to that area, e.G. Valley Fever in the desert southwestern U.S., Histoplasmosis in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, and hookworms on the east coast.

Food intolerance or allergy: If your veterinarian suspects your dog has a food allergy or intolerance, they'll likely recommend a dietary trial with a food for allergies or sensitive stomach.

Swallowed objects: Some dogs like to swallow objects, like parts of toys, and sometimes they can get stuck in the digestive tract.

Medical conditions: This could mean an underlying organ issue that may be temporary or chronic, poisoning from plants, foods, medications, or chemicals, or even cancer.

Multiple simultaneous causes: Dogs can have multiple reasons for not eating. For example, a diabetic dog whose blood sugar isn't regulated may not feel well due to high blood sugar, dehydration (despite increased thirst), and possible infections, such as dental and/or urinary.

What to do if your dog won't eat

What to do depends on a dog's particular situation. For puppies, not eating is more urgent than for a healthy adult with no other health issues.

Puppies

Puppies can quickly become dehydrated and/or have low blood sugar, known as hypoglycemia. This is especially true for toy breeds and puppies who are still nursing. If your puppy's appetite goes down even a little, or if they skip a meal, call your veterinarian that day for what to do.

Adults

If your dog is a known picky eater, you can try different dog foods or temporarily offer plain cooked, skinless, boneless chicken breast with white rice. You can also add canned food to their dry food, adding warm water to their food, and cutting back on treats. If you have multiple dogs, try feeding the dog that's not eating well separately.

For dog's who are seniors and are being fed from a bowl on the floor, try raising the height of the bowl to see if that's more comfortable for them.

But if an older dog isn't eating properly, try not to spend a lot of time trying a variety of things like switching to another senior dog food. Older pets are more likely to have medical conditions such as problems with the kidneys not working as well as they should. Some of these concerns may require special diets—so it's best they see a veterinarian.

If your dog's decreased appetite along with other symptoms, call your veterinarian. They can let you know if the situation is safe for you to wait for a scheduled appointment or if it's a possible emergency. For example, you may have a dog whose breed is more prone to bloat, which is considered a medical emergency.

If you're scheduled for an appointment that's not on the same day, your veterinarian may also let you know what you should and shouldn't do in the meantime and what to do if your dog's symptoms, such as in the middle of the night.

How long can a dog go without eating?

If they're still drinking water, a healthy adult dog can go about 3-5 days without food but that doesn't mean you should wait that long before contacting your veterinarian. If your healthy adult dog is still not eating on day 2, call your veterinarian for advice.

A puppy shouldn't go a whole day without eating. For some, like nursing puppies and small breed puppies, even going several hours beyond their normal meal time can be harmful. Puppies are at an increased risk for low blood sugar, which can cause seizures.

When to see a veterinarian Generally well adult dog

If your adult dog isn't eating their normal amount but is still in good spirits, active, drinking their usual amount of water, and doesn't have additional symptoms, you can likely wait 48 hours before having them seen by a veterinarian. But given it can take days to get an appointment on a non-emergency basis, it doesn't hurt to call your veterinarian for advice.

Unwell adult dog

Call your veterinarian right away if your adult dog has known medical conditions and/or has any additional symptoms such as:

Lethargy

Weight loss

Drinking less (or more) water than usual

Vomiting, diarrhea or other changes in stool (including not defecating)

Drooling

Trouble breathing

Changes in urination

Let your veterinarian know what's going on so they can decide if you need an emergency visit or if your pet can wait to be seen.

Puppies

Whether a puppy is weaned or not, if they aren't nursing or eating their puppy food like usual, contact your veterinarian the same day, even if there aren't additional symptoms. Though all puppies are prone to low blood sugar, toy breed puppies are particularly at risk.

The information presented here is created by TIME Stamped and overseen by TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About Us page.

---