We don't really like that people use us for this but every now and then people call our foundation for veterinarian advice even though we don't even have a single qualified medical veterinarian on our permanent staff: We can't afford one.
But this question is the one that we get asked almost as frequently as any other so I may as well address it here.
My dog isn't eating! help!
While there are exceptions and some seriously finicky eaters out there, even in our own kennels, for the most part dogs are particularly ravenous when it comes to mealtime. Most dogs eat the food like you are going to take it away from them and this is built into their DNA from thousands of years of dog-like creatures being in constant competition for food. Like my friend who had an obese sister used to say "if you don't eat fast, you don't eat."
For the most part and almost all of the time, your dog deciding not to eat one morning is nothing to get super worked up about but this doesn't mean you should ignore it.
First off, you should try to entice your dog to eat their normal food by adding something a bit more tasty to it. I always add a bit of shredded chicken or a bit of milk and mix it up on the table. Sometimes the table mixing can be all it takes because the dog thinks it is YOUR FOOD and that's always tastier than their food, isn't it?
There are a lot of reasons why dogs can all of a sudden decide that their favorite part of the day is something they don't want to do and much of it is similar to a human decision. Maybe they had a bad dream, maybe their tummy hurts a little bit, maybe they are actually looking forward to a walk and not so much for food.
What you should do in this situation is monitor the dog and look out for other signs that can be a much greater indicator of a bigger problem.
One thing that is essential, is to check your dog's poo.
You should be having a look at your dog's poo all the time anyway because it is the greatest indicator of internal problems that can be done without using needles. Is the color / consistency normal? Is there anything moving (worms) in the poo? If the poo seems normal, things are almost certainly ok and you should just try later to entice your dog to eat using the methods of making the meal seem (or be) better than it normally would be. I have found that a can of chicken broth that I keep in my fridge turns every bowl of regular kibbles into an irresistible gourmet meal.
If the poo is normal and the "gourmet tricks" don't work, you still probably don't need to get a vet involved unless this continues into day number 2.
Things to look out for though that mean you need to probably go see a vet right away.
- if the dog is a older dog, especially one with diabetes
- if it is a puppy that normally destroys all food put in front of it
- if the lack of desire to eat is also accompanied by diarrhea and especially if the color red is in their poo
- if the dog is panting (breathing heavy) for no reason you should IMMEDIATELY CONTACT A VET as this can indicate that a poison of some sort has entered their system.
Nearly 100% of the time these situations of doggy not wanting to eat sorts itself out. I'm certain you have all felt the lack of desire to eat in your own life every now and then, even if the rest of you seems find. This happens to dogs also. A dog's immune system, by and large, is far more robust than a human's so they can just "get over" most things that come their way.
I know a lot of dog owners that freak out over anything and everything that happens to their dogs and this is a good thing. but especially if you live in a place where veterinary care is expensive, this very well could be a complete waste of time and money because there isn't going to be anything the vet can do about it. Most of the time this is just something normal for dogs feeling a bit under the weather, and they recover from it a LOT faster than a human would.
If you would like to see how you can help out or simply spread the word, please visit our website at
http://krabianimalwelfare.org
Krabi Animal Welfare is a charity run entirely by volunteers and are a registered non-profit organization in Thailand and the U.K.. We aim to relieve the pain and suffering of dogs and cats within Krabi Province.
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