Why Has Your Dog Suddenly Lost Its Appetite?

1 Overview

1. Hot Weather

In the dog days of summer it is hot; even we may not feel like eating much, let alone dogs that wear a fur coat all day and cool worse than people. For this, the owner can move the dog’s bowl to a cool, airy spot and put out a bowl of clean drinking water so it can drink right away. Usually you can also prepare some heat-clearing, fire-reducing foods like pear, winter melon and dragon fruit to prevent the dog from ‘getting heated’.

2. Food Problems

If the dog started refusing food only after the owner switched kibble, the owner should go back to the old food and slow the change. A dog’s gut adapts to the food it has long eaten; if you swap it out fully and fast with no transition, the gut will rebel, possibly causing vomiting, diarrhea and refusal to eat.

The right way to switch food: first learn the dog’s normal portion, then mix it at a ratio of 1 (new) : 5 (old) and feed that; once the gut adapts, move to 2:4, and so on, until fully switched. This matters most with puppies – do not be careless.

3. Poor Digestion

Sometimes a dog refuses food because its gut lacks certain probiotics and digestive enzymes, so food is not digested and indigestion is easy; it often does not want to eat and never feels hungry. So owners are advised to feed some probiotics to replenish gut flora and enzymes, paired with yogurt and fruit to boost palatability; this helps the dog digest better and raises appetite.

4. Illness

Beyond the above, owners must watch for health problems – is the dog sick? Common colds can also lower a dog’s appetite, in which case take it to a pet hospital for checks and treatment, and find ways to get it to eat more and stimulate appetite. Feed small amounts often with easy-to-digest food. During this time you need not insist on kibble only; rice or steamed buns digest better than kibble, and a little chicken or chicken broth makes the meal smell better and boosts appetite.

As you can see, there are many reasons a dog’s appetite drops. Owners can judge the cause from the dog’s usual feeding and fix it accordingly. If unsure, visit a pet clinic and ask the vet’s advice.