Why your dog doesn't eat: several important reasons and ways to improve appetite. Depression, lethargy and decreased appetite in a dog

The desire to eat in dogs is one of the main indicators of health, and its violation in most cases indicates the presence of some problems in the animal’s body, while the behavior when losing the desire to eat often varies. So, there are situations when a dog eats poorly, but looks active. There are several reasons for this phenomenon.

Causes of loss of appetite

If the dog does not suffer from any diseases, a temporary refusal of food may be due to natural factors related to the physiology of the pet. The owners could make mistakes in raising the dog, simply by overfeeding it. This is especially true for dogs of small breeds, because sometimes even a small piece is enough for them to be satisfied, but the owners of the animal, showing excessive care, regularly feed the dog. As a result, the pet simply stops feeling hungry, and even the natural desire to eat as much food as possible disappears. In addition, if the dog regularly eats only half of the portion, then you should not add more food to it, but next time give the dog as much as it usually eats.

A dog can remain active, but at the same time disdain food if new food has been added to its diet, nutritional supplements, products. The food can be of any quality, but due to the dog’s conservative nature, he will not touch the food bowl. However, the food may simply be of poor quality or unsuitable for the dog’s body. It is strictly not recommended to feed the dog spoiled food that the owners previously consumed. If you cannot accurately calculate the number of servings so that the food does not spoil, prepare food for your dog for two to three days and then put it in the refrigerator. The other extreme is treats pet various goodies from the owner’s table - over time, this will lead to the formation of a reduced desire to absorb food.

The dog may be overly picky about food. If you don’t remove the bowl with leftover food, the dog will know that he can always eat, and therefore leaves the portion uneaten. Another factor that forms in a dog poor appetite, is a gradual replacement of feed with higher quality and, accordingly, tasty samples. For this reason, if you suddenly give the dog after expensive feed a cheaper sample, the dog most likely will not eat it.

The dog may miss the next feeding due to weather conditions. Thus, most dogs do not tolerate hot weather well, but the dog can still remain active, participating in games and asking to go outside. In this case, you should not force feed your pet; give him a portion of food early morning or late in the evening when it gets cooler. A pet may become nervous due to a sudden change in environment, for example, when moving to new house, because of long absence one of the family members or in the case long trip. The dog will still be active, but due to the stress it has suffered, it will refuse food for some time.

A reduced desire to eat may be due to a genetic predisposition in artificially bred breeds that look great in shows but lack basic survival skills.

Often a dog is smarter than its owners and arranges for itself the so-called fasting days. The dog refuses to eat, but remains mobile, since his body has enough strength for full life. Specific reason Poor appetite in females can be due to estrus (estrus). Another factor in females refusing food is pregnancy and its accompanying toxicosis.

Puppies' appetite is variable, but they can remain absolutely healthy. They may experience or strong feeling hunger, or not touching food for a long time. The loss of baby teeth and the eruption of molars will also temporarily reduce the puppy's desire to eat. In this case, it is necessary to feed him cold and soft food - this should stimulate his appetite.

In general, the body of a dog living in natural conditions, for example, in the wild, is initially designed to consume food of about three times per week, so if your pet shows normal activity and at the same time, as it seems to you, he has a reduced desire to absorb food, then there is nothing wrong with that. From a psychological point of view, the feeling of security of food seriously reduces the dog's appetite.

How to restore your dog's appetite?

An unimportant desire to eat food is treated by organization one-day fasting in case the refusal to eat was caused by an excess of food. In the future, food must be given at the same fixed time of day. If the dog does not immediately eat the food, it is recommended to remove it. Do not feed the dog from the table - do not give in to the pitiful look. Recovery normal cycle Eating food will take a maximum of two days.

Physical activity should also help get rid of decreased appetite - increase the walking time, add various exercises while being outside - and your dog will happily eat the food offered. Try changing the diet - perhaps your pet is simply tired of the same food. If you feed your dog porridge, change the cereal based on which you prepare the product.

It would be a good idea to add fish to your dog’s diet, in particular, give it sprat 10 minutes before eating - the feeling of saltiness in the mouth should increase the desire to eat. In addition, if your dog has a poor appetite, you can gradually replace meat with fish. An almost guaranteed way to restore your dog's appetite is to feed his portion to another dog.

Try to diversify your usual diet with fresh food, spicy seasonings. Let's give it to the dog raw eggs, boiled meat, curd and yoghurt products, sauces for meat.

Leave the dog alone while he eats food, do not confuse him with your presence. Dogs are predators by nature, and the animal may perceive your observation of him while eating as an attempt to steal his prey.

However, if the dog does not eat anything for more than a day, then you should contact a veterinarian, even if no anomalies are noticed in the pet’s behavior.

Caring owners four-legged pets They treat their pets with great trepidation, so they worry about the slightest changes in their condition. Dogs may refuse to eat various reasons, starting with low physical activity, ending with heat and simply a reluctance to eat. Today we will look at everything regarding this matter to save you from worry.

Reasons why a dog doesn't eat

If you notice that four-legged pet He doesn’t eat well, there are explanations for this. Try to find out and eliminate the reasons, only then try to feed the dog (if circumstances require it). Problems, as you know, can be serious or harmless, the latter are eliminated by themselves.

1. It is not necessary that a dog loses its craving for food due to illness. With excessive heat and humidity, not only humans, but also animals lose their appetite. This applies to pets with long hair who live in apartment conditions and are constantly at temperatures above 25 degrees.
2. If your pet is in heat, she may lose her desire for food due to heat. When this period ends, the bitch gradually returns to a normal diet, begins to eat and drink water.
3. In cases where an animal is treated with a vitamin-mineral complex, all substances valuable to the body are supplied in the proper amount. Therefore, there is simply no need for food.
4. Some breeds, due to their characteristics, eat little and rarely. This includes large representatives, these are their features. Also, the dog does not eat well due to large sizes servings.
5. If we talk about young animals, during the change of teeth or their continued growth, the dog may lose appetite. Since the entire chewing process is painful, the pet tries not to injure itself again. Check to see if your dog has toothache.
6. It is worth paying attention to physical activity four-legged friend. If you have difficulty walking your dog once a day, as a result of which it sits at home all day, of course, the animal will not want to eat. The dog simply does not lose energy, so there is no need to replenish supplies.
7. All experienced dog breeders know that dogs tend to worry powerful emotions. If a dog is stressed, then it will not be able to eat or sleep. Everything is the same as with a person. It is important to find out the cause of stress and eliminate it as early as possible.
8. Dogs that are very picky about food refuse their usual food because they are tired of it. This usually applies to animals that have been switched from one type of food to another. If your dog is tired of his diet, change it, introduce something new and tasty.
9. There are many more factors that influence your pet's diet. In particular, he may refuse to eat due to recent vaccination or deworming (prevention of worms). The same list includes ailments gastrointestinal tract(for example, constipation), taking medications, etc.

When to worry

If you touch your pet’s nose and notice dryness, you notice apathy and lethargy in your pet’s condition, the dog has been refusing food for more than 2-3 days, then it’s time to worry. Follow the following algorithm.

It is not uncommon that after an examination a specialist does not reveal anything wrong. It turns out that healthy dog simply refuses to eat. To increase your pet's appetite, you should follow some rules.

1. It is prohibited to pamper the animal with various delicacies and snacks throughout the day. It is strictly forbidden to give your dog human food from the table. It's no secret that a pet will prefer a piece of sausage instead of a balanced food.
2. If the dog does not finish the allotted portion, there is nothing to worry about. Remove leftover food. In the future, it is recommended to make smaller portions. Focus on the needs of the animal. Don't give your dog large portions of food.
3. Try to spend most of your time with your pet outside. Play often. The animal must spend a large number of energy so that a normal appetite wakes up. In addition, your pet can be given special means to increase appetite.

So that the dog always has a good appetite, she needs to be fed daily and at the same time. Provide the animal balanced diet. Give preference to premium food. Walk and play with the animal more. With little activity, the pet may not need to eat, hence the uneaten food or a completely untouched bowl.

Video: what to do if the dog doesn’t eat and why does this happen?

Have you noticed that your dog is not eating as much as he used to? Perhaps she is constantly vomiting, breathing heavily, or looking sick? Do you know what caused this change in her behavior? If not, then let's try to figure it out possible reasons the appearance of symptoms such as weakness, lethargy, drowsiness and loss of appetite.

Why doesn't my beloved pet eat?

Your dog has always been active, delighting you with its excellent appetite, but now its bowl is still full, and your pet lies aloof to the side? Often this behavior is a symptom of a serious illness, but not always. So why doesn't the dog eat?

First, remember exactly how long it has been since your puppy has been vomiting, breathing heavily, or just constantly turning away from the food bowl? Perhaps this happened after some kind of stress. Secondly, try to determine on your own the reasons for refusing food.

It also happens that a dog refuses to eat because the owner has spoiled the pet or accidentally caused negative associations with food. For example, if the puppy has never eaten, and you decide to offer him what he likes, then subsequently the animal will again expect a tasty treat and will not eat regular food. Another situation is that you got angry or showed aggression while feeding your pet. Now he associates food with your anger.

These are options that can be corrected without the intervention of a specialist. As a rule, in in this case refusal of food is not accompanied by other symptoms.

But if the dog does not eat anything, it has changed general form, the former activity has been lost, she lies lethargic, breathes heavily, vomits, or is just arching her back from abdominal pain, hind legs If not, such symptoms can even be life-threatening.

Diagnostics

It is not always possible to make a diagnosis at home. If your pet lies lethargic, does not eat anything, vomits, is breathing heavily, his back legs give way, his gums have become pale, his temperature has risen, he does not play and tries to retire - in this case, you need to urgently go to veterinary clinic. Ask why go? Yes, because often to carry out a diagnosis, a specialist needs to do laboratory and clinical researches, conduct an x-ray or ultrasound, which is impossible to do at home.

Only after a diagnosis has been made and the causes of the symptoms have been determined, effective treatment is prescribed.

How to normalize a dog's appetite

1. If the hunger strike is caused by stress or shock, then you just need to pay more attention to the pet, stroke it more often on the withers and calm it down. With enough attention, your pet will soon begin to show interest in food and you won’t have to do anything.
2. After changing your diet, if you refuse to eat, you should try to return to your previous diet. You should introduce new foods or switch to a different diet gradually.
3. The dog is not eating anything, is breathing heavily, vomiting, shaking, its back legs cannot be held straight - go to the doctor immediately! Remember that any disease is best treated with early stage. And even if it is cancer or advanced piroplasmosis, you can at least alleviate the symptoms.
4. If your pet is a picky eater, try giving him food at the same time every day, but remove the food bowl every time he eats. Once again The dog will come and refuse to eat.

When is fasting considered normal?

1. Pregnancy and childbirth. During pregnancy and after childbirth, changes occur in the dog's body. hormonal level. It may even be draining to some extent, but such changes will not last long. You don’t need to do anything right away, but it’s better to follow up.
2. Pet illness. It also happens that she is sick and already feels that now it is better for her to hold off on eating. This may be the first a wake-up call for the owner, who will have to pay more attention to the pet in order to identify the disease in time.
3. Oversupply nutrients. Your pet can feel for himself that this moment His body contains quite a lot of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Then he will feel great even in the absence of appetite. Do not force or scold him in this case.
4. Blues. Change of weather, season, Bad mood can also cause temporary starvation. As a rule, the pet will not miss many feedings in this case.