People who have never had a dog that won’t eat before, have no idea how stressful it can be for the owner. You love your dog and provide for him, but he just won’t touch his dinner, no matter what you try. Before you try anything else, you need to figure whether the problem of your dog not eating is mental or physical.
Before diving into this problem, if you have a dog with a medical condition, or a puppy, pregnant dog, or nursing dog, you need to take them to the vet immediately. These dogs have certain nutritional requirements that are better if dealt with professionally.
If this is a sudden eating problem, check to see if you have changed any of your dog’s food or routines, as this can be the problem. If you haven’t changed anything, make sure your dog isn’t in pain and isn’t acting like he is really tired (listless) – if so, take him to your vet. Otherwise, just wait a day or two. Your dog may have gotten into something that has upset his stomach, or he just doesn’t feel well. Ensure he has plenty of fresh water and the chance to go outside when needed. If after two days he still shows not interest in his food, take him to your vet – he may have a physical problem, like internal parasites.
So if you are still reading it must mean your dog it not physically ill or special needs. Then what is the problem with your dog not eating? It is probably psychological. Which, luckily, is something you can fix, with a little discipline on your part.
1. Does your dog get enough attention? Some dogs get lonely and bored if they don’t get enough attention. When that happens, they will do anything to get attention from you. So they don’t eat their dinner – and you freak out! Hey, the attention they desire. This soon develops into an eating problem for your dog. Start interacting with your pet more – play with him and take him on daily walks.
2. Is your dog just spoiled? Have you let him get away with so much that he now thinks he can decide what he eats? It’s time to become the alpha dog – take charge of your home. Put his dog food down and leave him alone. Come back in 20 minutes and pick up his bowl – throw away any food he did not eat. Do not feed him any snacks at any time during the day. His mealtime should be the only time he has an opportunity to eat. If after 3 days he still doesn’t eat, you might want to take him to your vet for evaluation.
3. What is your behavior during dinnertime? Do you watch your dog? Hover over him to see if he eats? If you are anxious about your dog not eating, you may be making him nervous. Your dog is more in tune with your feelings than you realize. You may be telling him to eat, but your dog can tell if you are afraid. You are afraid he won’t eat, but all your dog knows is that you are afraid.
Try putting down his dog food and leaving him alone to eat. If he follows you away from his food, try putting him in a room and closing the door. You may have to try this for a couple of days. Once the anxiety and fear subside, he may start eating again.
4. Is the dog food you are feeding him any good? Look at your dog food ingredients label. The first ingredient should be some kind of protein, like chicken meal, lamb meal, etc. There should also not be too much non-nutritional grains listed. It may just be that the food you are offering does not have enough nutrition in it. Or that a certain ingredient may not be agreeing with him. Look at super-premium, organic, or all-natural dog food alternatives. A lot of the economy dog foods are mainly filler with fat sprayed on them to entice the dog to eat what he would not otherwise eat – some dogs see through this and just won’t eat it.
Hopefully, if you utilize these tips your dog will start eating again and dinnertime won’t be such an issue anymore.
If you have issues with your dog not eating because he doesn’t like his dog food, please visit the Healthy Dog Food Blog to discover more about how to find the best food for your dog to stay in optimal health. This article is for informational purpose only and is NOT intended to replace the advice of a veterinarian or pet care professional.
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