Dog no longer eats [8 Causes & Tips to Help]
Your dog no longer eats properly? Then you should know these 8 possible causes and what you can do about them now. The most important facts at a glance. We also sought advice for this article from veterinarian Mag.med.vet. Emin Jasarevic for this article.
![Dog no longer eats [8 Causes & Tips to Help]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.hundeo.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Ffeaturedimages%2F2025%2F05%2Fhund-frisst-nicht-mehr-8-ursachen-und-tipps-zur-hi-17464537194461.jpeg&w=3840&q=65)
Your protégé would like to tell you what problems he has, if he could. But from these points you should be able to see approximately what he is missing.
Table of contents
If your dog no longer eats, this can have many causes, but one thing is clear. He wants to tell you something.
8 Causes for the feed strike
1. diseases
Acute illnesses are often the reason for loss of appetite. These can include bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract or lungs. However, organ damage, cancer or other illnesses can also be the cause of loss of appetite.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that there is not always a serious illness just because your four-legged friend no longer wants to eat. In case of uncertainty, a visit to the doctor is recommended.
If your furry friend doesn't eat but drinks a lot:
In such a case, extreme caution is required! With a high intake of water, but not food, in many cases there is poisoning. Especially around Christmas time, this phenomenon is often seen. The poisonings occur due to incorrect feeding.
As a countermeasure, the quadrupeds literally "drink" like camels. AlsoDiarrhea, Vomitingand strongMuscle cramps**can follow.
Here you will find all the foods that your dog is not allowed to eat.
2. pain in the mouth
Although this usually only occurs in older four-legged friends, toothache can be another reason why your little one doesn't want to eat. The pain is caused by tartar or inflammation of the gums.
Both are very painful, which causes your pet to refuse mainly the hard dry food. Therefore, if you suspect pain in the mouth, a visit to the vet should provide clarity.
Furthermore, tartar, for example, has far worse consequences than just refusing to eat. In the long term, it can cause further damage to the body. Studies have shown that dogs with tartar are more likely to suffer from heart disease than dogs with healthy teeth.
Permanent tartar can also cause damage to your pet's kidneys and liver. That's why this problem should definitely be treated!
A foreign body may also be stuck in your pet's mouth. Gently open his mouth and check whether something is stuck between his teeth. Also check the palate, gums and throat for any injuries, redness or changes in color.
Should your protégé be in the process of**Teething **then this may be a reason for his lack of appetite. In some quadrupeds, the change from milk teeth to permanent teeth hurts.
3. after medical treatments
After an operation or vaccination, your faithful companion may not necessarily feel hungry. After an operation, such as castration, this is mainly due to the anesthesia.
Immediately after anesthesia, your pet should not eat anything. You should wait with feeding until your hairy friend is completely sane again. He should be able to walk straight again without staggering back and forth.
Here you should divide his daily food and water ration into several portions. This is because after anesthesia there is a risk of food getting into the trachea. This can lead to suffocation or pneumonia. Your pet could also vomit and suffocate.
Only when he can stand on his feet again safely and full of vitality, the food supply should be slowly restarted. However, this must also be discussed with the veterinarian.
Also, your pet may refuse to eat even after such an event. This is only a problem if this condition persists for several days, then a veterinarian should be consulted.
4. the age
No matter what kind of creature it is, when it gets older, its appetite also dwindles. It's the same with your four-legged friend. When he is older, his eating habits change.
As he is no longer as active as he used to be and therefore needs less energy, the amount of food he eats will also decrease. In general, this does not happen from one day to the next, but over a certain period of time, but you will still notice this change.
Young animals between eight and twelve months often refuse to eat. At this age, your dog will try to establish its hierarchy in the "pack" - eating is one of the best ways to do this.
By refusing, he will test how much you respond to his hierarchical wishes and fulfill his every desire. As long as there are no other accompanying symptoms, it's better in a situation like this if you don't react at all. Otherwise you would be signaling to him that he is the growing alpha and not just a "pack member".
5. antibiotics and other drugs
Not only an illness in itself can inhibit the appetite of your faithful companion, but also a medical treatment such as with antibiotics. Thus, the flora in the gastrointestinal tract is completely confused and imbalanced. Most often this condition occurs in conjunction with diarrhea. For this there are some restorative preparations for the intestinal flora, which help him to eat again as soon as possible. These also soothe the intestines and contain important nutrients.
6. psychological circumstances or hormone chaos
In most cases, dogs are very sensitive creatures. They feel joy and sadness just like us, if not more intensely. So if their master or mistress is not at home for a longer period of time or possibly even leaves their life for good, they suffer greatly. How much depends on how sensitive they are.
Under these circumstances, a loss of appetite or a refusal to eat can result. Hormonal changes can also lead to a "hunger strike". These circumstances often occur in bitches in heat.
A male dog can also be distracted from eating by bitches in heat. This is similar to "lovesickness" for us humans, which can make us lose our appetite.
7. stress
People and animals can sense changes in their immediate environment and react accordingly. This is also true for dogs.
A stressful move, a new family member or an illness can make your dog very nervous and restless. In particular, loud events like New Year's Eve can upset your charge and make him lose his appetite.
Sometimes it takes time until he gets used to the new situation and the stress caused has subsided. In such times, it often happens that either the appetite disappears or, on the contrary, everything is devoured immediately.
This will last until your pet feels completely comfortable and safe again.
8. wrong feed
Like us humans, dogs also have different tastes. That's why your dog may not like or even tolerate every food. The refusal can also be caused by unfamiliar feeding times.
It is important to bear in mind that the feeling of hunger varies from breed to breed. While some dogs only eat as much as their body needs in terms of energy, others eat everything that is put in front of them. This also applies to puppies. They are often already very picky when it comes to the contents of their bowl.
**TIP:**If your pet doesn't finish his bowl, divide the food into several small portions. You can then offer him these throughout the day. Too many treats are also possible
Here again, we humans can compare ourselves with our four-legged friends. For example, if we have snacked on too many sweets before lunch, we are usually no longer able to eat a whole meal.
In addition, treats often have a lot of calories, which don't necessarily contribute to your pet's health. That's why the motto here is: in moderation and not in bulk.
Depending on the cause, various methods can be used to get your pet to eat again. For example, you can try feeding him a few treats to stimulate normal food intake again.
If he is possibly being fed the wrong food or doesn't like it, you should change his food. When changing his food, you should take things slowly.
You can add the new food to the old food with smaller rations at the beginning and slowly increase the proportion. You can also add a little natural yoghurt to the food until he gets used to it.
You could also offer a light diet for a while to stimulate his appetite again.
Your dog the gourmet
Nevertheless, you should make sure that you don't spoil him too much and he matures into a gourmet. He shouldn't refuse food again after a short time in the hope of being offered an even better treat.
In particularly stressful situations, you can give him some rest and time until he starts eating again. In any case, you should not force him to eat. You can divide his daily ration into smaller portions.
After treatment or surgery under anesthesia, feeding should be done with caution in the first two days anyway. The risk of him vomiting and choking is particularly high
Give him time until he is able to stand on his feet and walk briskly again. Again, divide the daily ration into smaller portions at the beginning.
Illnesses and medication are also appetite killers. In the event of illness, you should speak to a vet about the further course of the disease.
For antibiotics, there are special preparations that build up the intestinal flora and contain important nutrients to revive hunger and feed intake.
If your pet refuses any food for more than two days, it's time to ask your vet for advice.
The lack of appetite of your furry friend could also be a sign of an illness that needs to be treated. Therefore, you should also keep an eye on the general condition of your four-legged friend and contact your veterinarian in case of the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea, intestinal blockage and/or vomiting
- Hard belly
- Trembling
- Heavy panting and/or salivation
- Indifference
- Tense
- Cough
Every now and then there are times when our faithful companions run out of appetite. This is not always a cause for concern.
Just like us humans, our dear friends sometimes go through times that affect their eating behavior. Generally, this subsides on its own in a few days.
However, if the refusal to eat continues for several days and the measures taken against it do not help, I recommend you to contact your veterinarian or alternative practitioner.
