Approved by Dr. Dwight Alleyne, DVM Dog Won’t Eat? 6 Common Causes For A Dog Not Eating
It can be scary when your dog won't eat, or when your good boy or good girl's just not acting like themselves. Discover the common reasons for a dog not eating below plus tips to get them eating again.
When a dog won’t eat, it’s normal for a caring dog parent like yourself to get worried. So if you’re finding yourself wondering, “Why won’t my dog eat?”, we’ve got you covered. Here are the main 6 reasons why – including when to head to the vet, how your dog’s activity can help you pick up on a sickness early, and how you can get your dog’s appetite back on track Let’s get started.
Find out how your dog spends their time.
Read moreWhy won’t my dog eat?
Temporary appetite loss in dogs is not serious. Just like us, dogs occasionally may lose their appetite due to lack of exercise or a change in the weather. However, if your dog won’t eat for more than two days, it’s best to contact your vet immediately¹. It may be due to:
- Fear, stress & anxiety
Especially from a big change in environment (like shifting apartments or taking them out for a drive.) In these cases, your dog’s appetite might take a nosedive until they feel relaxed again. Keep your dog calm by playing and cuddling with them and keeping their surroundings as normal and consistent as possible. - Injury & pain
Like from something in their mouth hurting. Or stomach trouble from an infection, broken bones, or even poisoning. Check your dog for mouth sores, broken or chipped teeth, or any other bodily injuries. - Medical treatment
Coming out of surgery involving anesthesia can often cause a loss of appetite as a symptom. Vaccination can also cause a temporary loss of appetite in dogs. - Aging
Senior dogs generally burn fewer calories as they slow down with age. So their appetite might naturally decrease as a result. - Diet
Switching to a new dog food brand or growing bored of the same food can cause a dog to not eat. Or if someone’s been feeding your dog too many snacks or table scraps. - Illness
When a dog won’t eat, it is often a sign of sickness. Bacterial or viral infections, urinary tract infections, kidney failure, cancer and other illnesses or diseases can make your dog pick at their food or lose their appetite altogether. Head to your vet right away if your dog seems more listless or less active than usual.
💡An Activity Tracker for dogs can help you pick up on a drop in your dog’s everyday activity – which could signal the beginnings of lethargy, tiredness, weakness, or even painful conditions like arthritis.
How to get a dog to eat
We want to make sure that you will never have a dog not eating on your hands – this can be deeply concerning. To ensure your dog eats regularly, we recommend to do the following:
- Monitor your dog’s activity
Exercise regularly with them – and keep an eye out for if they seem more reluctant or tired than before. With their activity data at hand, you can more easily spot a drop in their regular movement. - Give your dog plenty of attention and affection
Be patient and supportive, rather than angry, towards your dog when they won’t eat. This can help them feel more relaxed and comfortable around you. - Feed your dog at regular meal times
A consistent routine can help them feel more secure around you. - Feed your dog a consistent, balanced and healthy diet
Opt for balanced, vet-approved options. Dogs can safely eat a number of vegetables, including celery. We’d recommend only giving your dog treats as a reward (especially during training.) - Spice up your dog’s meals with food toppers
These can enhance the flavor of your dog’s meals and stimulate their appetite. Popular flavors include sardines, anchovies, eggs, and bone broth. Food toppers can also add some moisture to your dog’s food and keep them hydrated. - Stay informed on what foods to avoid
Keep an eye out for if your kids or family members are secretly feeding them table scraps. Here’s a comprehensive list of what can dogs not eat. - Keep your dog’s food and water bowls clean
Your dog might be reluctant to eat or drink out of a dirty bowl – so it’s always a good idea to give it an extra rinse or two.
Where an Activity Tracker can help you detect an illness early on
If your dog won’t eat or just seems more reluctant around mealtimes, you can help prevent a possible health condition from worsening. Because even a dog who might seem normal otherwise might still be struggling with an injury, pain, or illness. And one of the first red flags? A drop in their everyday activity.
It’s why vets recommend:
“Keep track of your dog’s energy levels, especially how long they are able to walk.
If you notice significant declines, it could be a sign of pain, heart disease, or other illness.”
– VCA Animal Hospitals1
Which is where you could jot down your dog’s symptoms in a journal to share with your vet – or go for the actionable data you get from an Activity Tracker for dogs instead.
💡 With its built-in motion detector, your trusty Tractive GPS both monitors where your dog’s off wandering – and also how often they’ve been on the move. Logging in your dog’s movements as “active minutes.”
Which, with time, can help you figure out in numbers:
- How active your dog is on the regular,
- How much quality sleep your dog’s been getting,
- And if there’s any weird change in your dog’s sleep or activity habits – that might signal something’s wrong.
So you can catch on to an illness before it has a chance to worsen, have a more meaningful conversation with your vet…and potentially save your buddy’s life, while at it.
Get your dog’s appetite back on track again – with these tips
No matter what’s causing your dog to not eat, it’s always best to contact a professional. They might prescribe your dog a special diet to help get their appetite back on track again. Or specific medication to deal with a secondary infection or pain, if any.
💡 Remember: a drop in your dog’s activity can often be the first red flag that something’s not right. It could be a sign they’re trying to tough out pain, infection, sickness. Or even a more serious health condition.
“Absolutely love this tracker…it gives great insights on (our dogs’) activity and sleep levels.
I’m comforted knowing that if they started acting strangely or the data shifted drastically that we could take them to vet potentially before we would notice something wrong.
Can’t recommend this tracker enough!“
– Eva, US (Source: Trustpilot)
Get health alerts for your dog
Our pups can’t always tell us if something’s wrong. But if their tracker detects unusual changes in their routine, you’ll get an alert, helping you catch potential issues early.
And if you’ve found this post helpful, share it with a friend or a loved one – and let’s help build a safer, kinder world for our furry friends together.
Your furry friend’s health and wellbeing means as much as to us as it does to you. So we’ve made it a priority to only share medically-relevant content on our blog.
This post was checked, double-checked, and medically verified by Georgia-based vet, Dr. Dwight Alleyne.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Dr. Alleyne began his career at a no-kill animal shelter before becoming a licensed veterinary technician. He graduated from Cornell University Veterinary College in 2006 and completed an internship at Purdue University.
Now practicing in Georgia, Dr. Alleyne specializes in soft tissue surgery and ultrasounds. He also writes pet health articles on his website, “The Animal Doctor Blog” (www.anmldrblog.com).
