If your dog is a fussy eater, you probably have gotten a lot of advice already. Maybe you trained your dog wrong? He is trying to manipulate you! Don’t give in or he will demand better stuff in the future! Sounds familiar? Learn the real reasons behind the appetite loss of your canine and how you can fix the problem.
- When a Dog Doesn’t Eat – Reasons
- Myths around Dogs that are Picky Eaters
- Prevent Loss of Appetite Relaxed and Varied
When a Dog Doesn’t Eat – Reasons
If a dog doesn’t eat, several reasons can be the root of the problem. As soon as you know them it is much easier to find the fitting solution. Therefore, your first step is a little bit of research.
The following potential reasons will help you narrowing in on the cause.
Toothaches
Your dog is usually a good eater but now just stares at his dinner? Check his teeth, gums and tongue. Toothaches, inflammation, foreign objects and injuries can cause eating to be extremely painful. Some dogs will rather go hungry than hurt themselves with every bite.
Regularly checking and brushing your dogs’ teeth will not only help you identify problems earlier. It will also prevent decay and tooth loss.
Illnesses and Parasites
Some pups will show you right away if something is wrong. Others are true masters in hiding illnesses and pain.
Loss of appetite in a dog who would usually inhale literal garbage should lead you to a vet right away.
Even without other obvious symptoms the reason might be sickness, parasites or both. Treading the cause as early as possible is important and will save you money.
Stomach Aches, Allergies and Intolerances
Your dog doesn’t like kibble, a specific brand or sort? Humans tend to portrait dislikes as “picky eater” or “fussy eater”. A lot of people will also tell you to just stick it out. After all, you dog might try to manipulate and even try to dominate you.
A word of sane advice: Take it seriously if your canine hates his food but would eat treats or other food with gusto.
Because that might be a sign that his current kibble and Co. cause stomach aches, nausea or otherwise make him feel queasy.
“But until now he always ate it!” That might very well be.
So why doesn’t he want it now? One possible reason is the necessary amount of some substances in your dogs’ body.
Take a histamine intolerance for example. You can have a glass of red wine. Eat very ripe tomatoes. Enjoy pepperoni pizza. And you will feel fine. Combine all three guilty pleasures every day or in larger amounts and you will feel a lot of things – but fine isn’t one of them if you suffer from histamine intolerance.
Another reason is the time it takes to connect the dots. Your dog might just now realize that the food is the cause of his problems and decides to not eat it.
Stress and Anxiety
Eating next to other animals, in a busy area or while a human constantly threatens to take away your bowl? That is stressful. And stress hits the stomach. Sadly, that problem is not unique to humans.
Be sensitive to the surroundings while your dog is trying to eat. Peace and quite can be the missing ingredients to a healthier appetite.
Hunger Based Nausea
Have you ever been so hungry you felt nauseated? Where you felt like your stomach was digesting itself?
Sadly, most dogs are only fed once a day. Also sadly, one of the to tips for the “picky eaters” amongst dogs is to take away their food and put it down again later. Both can be problematic. Because:
The longer your dog doesn’t eat, the more likely he might feel queasy and lose his appetite.
That is especially true for very young, very old, small and tiny breeds. Why small and tiny breeds? Because they have a faster metabolism and therefore suffer from low blood sugar levels quicker and more often.
An even more prominent sign for hunger induced loss of appetite is vomiting on an empty stomach. Stomach acid, (white to yellow) foam and saliva will be the only things coming out of your dog.
The good news: You can easily solve this problem by offering several small meals throughout the day.
If your furry friend already suffers from nausea due to an empty stomach – try feeding especially tasty treats by hand. Liverwurst, salami, cheese or cat food: It really doesn’t matter, as long as your canine goes for it. After the first few bites you exchange it for the right dog food or mix the treats with your best friends’ dinner.
Myths around Dogs that are Picky Eaters
In German there is an actual saying about the picky eaters amongst dogs: Ein gesunder Hund verhungert nicht vorm vollen Futternapf. (A healthy dog won’t starve in front a full feeding bowl.)
While it might sound nice, the implication being: If your dog doesn’t eat, don’t worry. He is just being fussy. He will eat, as soon as he is hungry enough.
Also: If your dog does not eat, there are a lot of “fun” prejudices. Here you will find the most common (and dumbest) assumptions. And yes, they are even being perpetuated by so called experts.
Myth 1: Your Dog is Fussy
Whenever a dog doesn’t eat everything that is put in front of his or her nose the pup will be deemed picky, fussy or a brat. You do know now that there are several other potential reasons for loss of appetite or refusing to eat certain foods.
But even if your dog simply doesn’t like the taste of the current kibble – or kibble in general – what’s so horrible about that? You probably don’t like everything that is edible or even good for you either. Maybe there are foods or recipes that are downright yucky to you. So why do we force dogs to eat no matter their dislikes are – when we ourselves don’t meet that standard?
Putting down the same food again and again and hoping your dog will get hungry enough to eat it out of desperation creates one thing with absolute certainty: frustration on both sides. It is also an example of breaking a dog instead of considering your pups whole wellbeing.
Let your dog be picky. Often fussy eating habits have good reasons.
Myth 2: Dogs Don’t Need Variety
Since the invention of industrial dog food producers convinced dog owners that one brand and one kind of kibble or canned food is not only enough. It is also supposedly the best choice for your dog. Afterall, dogs don’t need variety.
That’s bullshit.
Yet, it is certainly a successful strategy – for dog food producers. Having found “their” brand most dog owners will stick with it and become loyal customers. That pay a boatload of money, considering you feed your dog every single day.
However, it is absurd to think that one single kind of food covers the individual needs of your dog perfectly. Varying your dogs’ meals gives you far better chances of truly healthy nutrition.
Aside from this convincing advantage, variation is beneficial for your budget and can prevent deficiencies as well as excess of nutrients.
The same goes for simply being tired of one food. Because dogs – as well as people – can be over certain foods after eating them for too long. Even if they used to be their favorites.
Myth 3: Your Dog is Manipulating Ýou!
Whenever a dog doesn’t eat everything put in front of him, people will claim the pup is manipulating you in order to get something better. He’s also questioning the ranking order, trying to be your leader and next week he will very likely try to rule the universe.
Let’s think about that for a second: An animal that is dependent on you in every aspect of its life is starving itself for days or even weeks – for the sole purpose of annoying you and to dominate you? Because? What’s the dogs benefit here?
That your pup is getting weaker and suffers? Does that sound logical to you? Or is the dog that loves to play with you, loves to go on walks with you and loves to cuddle with you maybe not at all interested in pissing you off by avoiding his food?
Your dog does not want to upset you!
He does not want to be your enemy or even your boss. And even if he wanted to be: There are a lot of better ways than a hunger strike.
The insinuation that dogs hunger in order to manipulate is an extreme and extremely stupid humanization. It tells you a lot about the people who assume it and claim that bullshit to be a fact. It doesn’t tell you anything about dogs.
Myth 4: Dogs are Always Hungry
There are actually dogs that are genetically incapable to feel full. They are missing the necessary gene. But: Those dogs aren’t the rule. They are the exception.
Most dogs can become and feel full without a problem and will stop eating as soon as that is the case. Especially high temperatures, if they haven’t exercised much, if they suffer from stress or anxiety or when their digestion is slow, they might eat less or not at all for a day. Is your dog still accepting treats and snacks or would eat some of your food? Well, they are adapted to humans and after all: There is always room for ice cream and chips, even if you or your dog are pretty much full.
Prevent Loss of Appetite Relaxed and Varied
Loss of appetite due to health reasons is not always preventable. However, avoiding food or being tired of it is entirely preventable.
Vary your dogs menu! It is easy, effective and healthy to offer different foods.
Don’t buy into the whole dominance-theory-crap. Instead, have fun serving food your dog actually likes to eat. Accept that enjoying a meal and loving the taste are important factors when it comes to feeding your dog. That’s a whole lot more relaxed and worthwhile for both of you than constantly forcing something on your pup.
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