Why does the dog not want to eat. The dog does not eat well, lethargic: what to do, the reasons for refusing food

Caring owners four-legged pets treat their pets with great trepidation, so they worry about the slightest changes in their condition. Dogs can refuse food for a variety of reasons, ranging from low physical activity to heat to simply not wanting to eat. Today we will cover everything about this to save you from worry.

Reasons why the dog does not eat

If you notice that a four-legged pet does not eat well, there are explanations for this. Try to find out and eliminate the causes, only then try to feed the dog (if circumstances so require). Problems, as you know, are serious or harmless, the latter are eliminated by themselves.

Not necessarily the dog loses cravings for food due to illness. With excessive heat and humidity, not only humans, but also animals lose their appetite. This applies to pets long hair who live in apartment conditions and are constantly at temperatures above 25 degrees.
If a pet is in heat, she may lose her cravings for food due to estrus. When this period ends, the bitch gradually returns to a normal diet, begins to eat and drink water.
In cases where the animal is being 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.
Some breeds, by their characteristics, eat little and rarely. This includes large representatives, these are their features. Also, the dog does not eat well due to large portion sizes.
If we talk about young animals, during the change of teeth or their long growth, the dog may lose his appetite. Since the whole process of chewing is painful, the pet tries not to injure himself once again. Check to see if your dog has a toothache.
It is worth paying attention to the physical activity of a four-legged friend. If you hardly walk your dog once a day, as a result of which he 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.
All experienced dog breeders know that dogs tend to worry powerful emotions. If the dog is stressed, then he 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 soon as possible.
Strongly whimsical in food, dogs refuse their usual food, because they are tired of it. This usually applies to animals that have been transferred from one type of food to another. If your dog is tired of the diet, change it, introduce something new and tasty.
There are many other factors that affect a pet's diet. In particular, he may refuse to eat due to a recent vaccination or deworming (prevention of worms). The same list includes ailments gastrointestinal tract(for example, constipation), medication, etc.

When to worry

If you touched the pet's nose and found dryness, you notice apathy and lethargy in the pet's condition, the dog refuses to eat for more than 2-3 days, then it's time to worry. Stick to the following algorithm.

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

It is forbidden to pamper the animal with various goodies and snacks throughout the day. It is strictly forbidden to give a dog human food from the table. It's no secret that a pet will prefer a piece of sausage instead of a balanced diet.
If the dog does not finish eating the prescribed portion, there is nothing to worry about. Remove leftover food. In the future, portions are recommended to be made smaller. Focus on the needs of the animal. Don't give your dog large meals.
try most spend time outdoors with your pet. Play more often. The animal must spend a large number of energy to wake up a normal appetite. In addition, the pet can be given special means to increase appetite.

In order for the dog to always have a good appetite, it must be fed daily and at the same time. Provide the animal balanced diet. Opt for premium food. Walk more and play with animals. Against the background of low activity, the pet may not need to eat, hence the half-eaten food or a completely untouched bowl.

Video: what to do if the dog does not eat and why does this happen?

Lack of appetite in a dog is not uncommon and usually occurs without visible signs of illness.

Each owner needs to distinguish when his pet decided to simply starve for health purposes, and when it's time to sound the alarm and see a doctor.

Why does a dog have no appetite? Main reasons

All the reasons why a dog refuses to eat can be divided into two groups:

physiological
behavioral

Among physiological reasons- disease or. Any pain, nausea or even depression can force. For some diseases certain products may cause discomfort. So the dog can associate pain in the abdomen, kidneys or liver with the food that was last eaten and then refuse this menu.

May cause medications and certain procedures, such as chemotherapy. Antibiotics can cause liver discomfort or stomach irritation. And any pain, including in the limbs or from a wound, can cause poor appetite.

Usually physical causes refusal to eat is accompanied by some symptoms. For example, if a dog has a stomachache, it will slouch when standing up and shivering. Pain in other organs may be manifested by lameness, difficulty getting up. With nausea, she has shortness of breath, drooling, watery eyes.

When such signs appear, a visit to the veterinarian should be immediate. The animal needs urgent examination and diagnosis. The second group of reasons for the lack of appetite in a dog is a behavioral problem.

Dog owners often teach dogs to be choosy and picky eaters without knowing it. So if a dog is given some food that he refuses, and then offer his favorite food, he learns not to eat the unloved and to starve in anticipation of tidbits.

It also happens when a dog is offered food, but it refuses, and the owner begins to get angry and force the dog to eat. This frightens her and causes fear of the process of eating and disgust for food. After all, the dog reacts to human emotions and begins to think that food is an unpleasant event.

What to do if your dog has lost his appetite

If the dog is depressed, lethargic and clearly in discomfort, it should be taken to the veterinarian. If it is not possible to do this quickly, you can give pills. activated carbon- 1 tablet per 10 kg of animal weight.

If the dog has clearly behavioral reasons for refusing food, then you do not need to indulge the capricious animal, as well as get angry with him, force him to eat or even look with alarm. The feeding process should be calm and even. A bowl of food is put out and the dog is left alone, and if she has not eaten, the bowl is removed after 10 minutes. Again she is exhibited during the next feeding.

Anorexia (lack of appetite) is a common complaint among pet owners. This is one of the first signs that owners notice, and therefore one of the most common causes visits to veterinary clinics.

Lack of appetite in a dog is not specific feature any disease. There are several reasons for this behavior of the animal. Let's try to understand the most common ones.

Environmental/weather changes

Hot, humid weather can cause a dog to lose his appetite. This is not uncommon for pets living in an apartment, they are usually less active and therefore eat less in hot summer weather. As a rule, with lower temperatures, appetite returns to normal.

stress and depression

With a sharp change in his usual way of life, the animal may stop eating. This happens in case of loss of the owner or a long separation from him, because of which the animal feels depressed and, as a result, refuses to eat. Other stressors, such as a move, a new pet in the house, or the birth of a child, can also lead to anorexia.

Diet change

If your dog has lost his appetite after a sudden change in diet, this may indicate that new food less pleasant to the animal than the habitual one that it had previously eaten. To help eliminate the refusal of food in this case, a slow, gradual change from one diet to another can.

Food tolerance and food allergy

As with humans, certain types of foods can cause gastrointestinal irritation in dogs. So, for example, fatty foods can lead to gas and spasms in the intestines and, as a result, cause a dog to lose his appetite. Some animals may be allergic to certain proteins found in pet foods (chicken, beef, wheat, corn, or soy, for example). In this case, the manifestations of allergies can be different - from anorexia to the occurrence of vomiting and diarrhea.

Side effects of drugs

Some long-term medications, such as heart failure medications and anti-inflammatory medications, can irritate the stomach and intestines and lead to food refusal.

Feeding treats and food from the human table is often the reason that the animal stops eating food intended for him. Often, animals are simply too full of treats to eat their normal food.

Cracks and damage to teeth

If the dog has lost its appetite, it is necessary to exclude problems with teeth and gums. Excessively worn or broken teeth cause pain when eating, forcing the pet to refuse to eat even when he is hungry.

Diseases

There are many diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, heart, liver, teeth, as well as oncological diseases, which worsens general state animal and, consequently, reduced or completely lost appetite. Some of these diseases can cause nausea, in which animals stop eating. Others are the cause painful lesions or ulcers in oral cavity which also interferes with food intake.

Diagnostics

If the dog has no appetite, the first thing to do is to find the cause of anorexia. Healthy animals tend to have a good appetite. For diagnosis, it is important to conduct a thorough physical examination of the animal, Special attention on the oral cavity, magnification lymph nodes condition of the gastrointestinal tract. At comprehensive examination can not do without blood tests, ultrasound and X-ray studies, and in some cases, endoscopy of the gastrointestinal tract and other diagnostic methods are indicated.

Treatment

Treatment should be aimed primarily at eliminating the cause. Only in this case it will be correct and effective. Without defining the disease underlying anorexia, most treatment options will be successful within short period time or unsuccessful at all.

While you're waiting for the results laboratory research or in mild cases of anorexia, you can use some tips to improve your appetite:

1) Moisturizing feed. You can stimulate your appetite by adding a little warm water in dry food.

2) Heating food. Some animals eat food better if it is slightly warmed up.

3) Canned food. Animals that are accustomed to dry food may be interested in canned food, pates and various dog spiders.

4) Change the shape/size of the bowl. This is not always effective, but in some cases changing from the usual bowl to a larger one or to a plate/dish can be effective for fussy pets.

5) Addition food additives designed specifically for animals.

Apathy and loss of appetite usually signal a pet's illness. In this case, it is recommended to carefully observe the behavior of the animal in order to immediately take appropriate measures if necessary.

But when the dog does not eat food, do not immediately sound the alarm. There are many options that should not cause concern. For example, the dog is stressed or he decided to do a fasting day. Perhaps this is a simple whim or a reaction to weather conditions.

Check the freshness of the food, the abundance of spices and salt in it. Eliminate supplemental foods between meals - this is the first thing to do if the dog does not want to eat. It has been proven that all kinds of delicacies interrupt the appetite, after them the main diet seems four-legged friend less tasty.

Important! A common cause of a hunger strike is a change in food. At natural feeding to refuse a whole serving, one unusual component is enough.

Starvation can be explained by the transition to dry food, which, out of habit, seems unappetizing to animals. Furthermore, abrupt change food can adversely affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, so veterinarians advise changing the diet gradually.

Cheap pellets are based on beans and soy, which will definitely not cause a stir in your pet. Another nuance is the problem with chewing: hard food is difficult for an old animal due to thinning of the enamel, and for puppies due to loose teeth.

Natural causes of hunger strike

Consider a number of cases where food refusal is considered normal, without requiring any intervention:

hot weather - in summer the dog is able not to eat for a whole week, but only to drink water;
an excess of vitamins - enough in the body nutrients, and the animal feels great without food;
reaction to stress - appetite disappears due to a change in the owner, environment or weather conditions;
teething - to prevent discomfort, during this period it is better to give the puppy soft food.
growth period - a constant feeling of hunger often alternates with loss of appetite.
puberty, the end of pregnancy and childbirth - the restructuring of the body on hormonal level causes a decrease, and sometimes complete absence appetite
old age - an old dog often does not eat anything and walks sluggishly.

When to sound the alarm

When refusing food, pay attention to additional symptoms. If the pet is breathing heavily, shaking, or sleeping longer than usual, this is a clear cause for concern. A dry nose also speaks of the disease, heat, diarrhea and vomiting. A sick animal usually ceases to be interested in the outside world, its appearance becomes less attractive.

10 signs of serious illness

Heat. This is a clear symptom of a cold. Possible bacterial or viral infection accurate diagnosis established in accordance with laboratory tests.
Hypothermia (low temperature). If the dog also does not eat anything, most likely, she was poisoned. Similar symptoms also occur as a result of exhaustion, hypothermia, with diseases of the liver, kidneys and thyroid gland. What to do - the doctor decides on the basis of an examination of a four-legged patient.
Vomit. Possible problems with gastrointestinal system- they occur in 13% of dogs, ranking first among internal non-communicable diseases. It can also be poisoning or helminthic invasion.

Diarrhea. It is a symptom of an allergy to a food ingredient. Often indicates infection with helminths or disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.
Vomiting and diarrhea. It is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question: “Why is the dog so lethargic and practically does not eat anything?”. Worms, dehydration, enteritis, poisoning are possible.
Vomiting, diarrhea and fever. Most likely this infection or the plague.
Yellow tint of mucous membranes and skin. It's about about violations in the work of the biliary system and liver or piroplasmosis.
Refusal of water. Possible poisoning, liver problems.
The dog is breathing heavily and trembling. Moreover, she does not eat, she tries to move less - this pain syndromes different localization.
The animal only drinks. In this case, there are many options: from banal dehydration to pyometritis, Addison's disease, diabetes and Cushing's syndrome.

What to do

If the dog does not want to eat anything, determine how much liquid the animal consumes. If the indicator is within the normal range, then you can proceed to next step if not, you need to urgently take the pet to the doctor.

Advice! Does the dog drink the standard amount of water? Offer him milk or broth. A meal taken is evidence of indigestion or severe pain.

Then you need to take a measurement of body temperature, taking into account the fact that 37.4-39 ° a is considered the best indicator - this depends on age and breed.

If the dog is lethargic and does not eat anything, and the thermometer shows critical low temperature, it is necessary to warm the animal and deliver it to the veterinarian. Or at least get advice from a specialist over the phone.

With a slightly elevated temperature, it is necessary to repeat similar measurements every two hours, and in case of fever, bring down the temperature and consult a doctor. normal temperature indicates the need for further testing.

The next stage is a thorough examination of the peritoneum, which should not be tense and swollen, as well as the oral cavity (pay attention to redness and stains, broken teeth). In a healthy individual ear passages clean, and the mucous membranes are pale pink.

A lethargic dog who does not eat his usual food most often needs qualified help. The owner can only guess what happened to the pet, the diagnosis is made by the veterinarian.

The following manipulations are likely to be required:

endoscopy;
ultrasound procedure;
x-ray;
urine and blood tests.

What action should the owner take?

You can return your appetite by solving the problem that led to the hunger strike. When the refusal is associated with stress, it is necessary to give the pet more time and attention, if the reason is a change in diet, it is better to return to the previous option and introduce new products gradually. At the same time, it is important to adhere to the diet and walking. Try to improve your pet's appetite by increasing the time of active walks.

Always monitor the well-being of the animal in order to come to his aid in time. Timely action is the key to the health and longevity of your dog!

Veterinarian advice if the dog is poisoned and refuses to eat: video

When a dog refuses to eat, it becomes a real problem for its owner, and many panic if this happens regularly. The question arises: what to do if the dog does not eat? And this is understandable, because any owner is worried about the health of his pet.

The main thing is to follow the rules of feeding the dog, then the problem will be solved and will rarely bother you.

Reasons why a dog won't eat

First of all, take another look at what you are trying to feed your dog. Perhaps you gave her new food, which the dog for some reason does not consider edible? Or did you cook fresh porridge with meat, deciding to add carrots instead of the usual cabbage, which confused your pet? It could also happen that you came across low-quality food or meat; you didn’t notice it, but the dog immediately smelled it and decided to refuse food.

Think about whether you pamper your dog? Perhaps you give him treats from your table so often that your pet does not consider it necessary to eat ordinary food, hoping that he will get something tasty.

Lack of appetite or anorexia in a dog can be caused by the most different reasons. For example, pain eating can cause broken teeth, gum infections, and other dental diseases.

] Decreased interest in food can provoke and ear infections. Chronic infections ears are almost always associated with allergies to food or other allergens environment. One of the main things that the dog does not eat is pain. To understand whether something hurts a dog, you need to carefully look at it.

The fact that something hurts the animal will tell you:

shiver;
labored breathing;
hunched back;
decline physical activity;
irritability;
too much sleep.

Often the loss of interest in food is due to the presence of gastric ulcer, nausea, which occurs against the background of kidney disease due to excess acidity.

If the dog does not want to eat, it may make sense to take him to the doctor, especially if this lasts for several days. But, of course, you should not seek help from a veterinarian because of every missed feeding. Since, as a rule, nothing terrible happens if the dog misses one or two feedings. In most cases, the owner is to blame for the fact that the dog refuses to eat. Perhaps he constantly indulges her with snacks between feedings, or the dog’s meal does not take place at strictly defined hours.

You need to teach your dog to eat right from childhood, then there will be no problem. If the dog ate only half of the offered food, then the next time it should be given the same amount. Also, you should not give more food if the dog has eaten everything and requires more, because the next time he eats little or refuses to eat at all. In addition, you should not be led by the plaintive eyes of the animal, you need to pause. But after that the dog will eat well.

The dog doesn't eat. Diagnostics.

If the dog is lethargic and does not eat anything for a long time, but nothing hurts, it is necessary to establish a diagnosis. To do this, you need to contact the 24-hour veterinary clinic and run some tests.

General analysis blood will show the state of the body and trends.
X-rays can help detect tumors in dogs, signs of obstruction, an enlarged heart, and the like.
With the help of ultrasound it is worth checking the adrenal glands and that's it internal organs.
The ACTH stimulation test will help test the animal for Addison's disease.
The veterinarian may recommend other tests, perhaps after noticing any symptoms or after reviewing her medical history.

What to do if a puppy or dog does not want to eat?

1. Active walking.
2. Add fish to your food.
3. Change grains.
4. Change your diet.
5. Skip feedings.
6. In front of the dog, give food to another pet.

1. Active walking. Often a puppy or dog does not want to eat due to little physical activity. It is logical that after active walking and exercise the dog gets hungry. Take your pet, your favorite toys and go for a walk. Walk a little longer, work out the “fetch” command and just play tug of the toy. Feed the animal an hour after coming home. You can go jogging with your dog or ride your bike. Physical exercise, not excessive, will positively affect not only the appetite, but also the health of the dog. After a while, do not forget to take to the toilet.

2. Add fish to your food. To literally force the dog to eat, give it a few salted sprat fish 10 minutes before eating. Salty will surely awaken the appetite and the pet will want to have a snack. Also, for the future, you can simply include fish in the dog's diet. In the finished porridge, to make it more attractive in the eyes of the dog, you can throw a few sprat fish. Some of the canine representatives love it more than meat.

3. Change grains. Try replacing the cereal in the porridge your dog eats. For example, put buckwheat instead of rice, or mix several types of cereals.

4. Change your diet. Make food more varied by changing not only porridge, but also alternating meat with fish, raw vegetables and fresh.

All in all, you just need to find the foods your pet loves.

For example, it happens that a dog prefers meat to fish, therefore, in order not to spend money and not feed something that the dog does not like, it is better to feed the fish only occasionally. Or some vegetables may not be to your taste, which will ruin your appetite.

5. Skip feedings. Often the most effective method achieve good appetite- skip feeding. At the next feeding, give the same food, that is, do not go on about offering something tastier, but give the same food.

If the pet ate only half of the serving, then put a little less food than usual for the next feeding. Perhaps the problem is not appetite, but excess food. Caring hosts sometimes, they are too worried about their pet. In any case, feed the same food even if 2 feedings have been missed. On the third, usually, the dog does not stand up and eats. If this does not happen, then you just need to apply trick number 2. She will complement this method and catch up with your appetite!

Of course, you need to monitor the quality of food and, if necessary, replace it. Food must not only be fit for consumption, but contain all the dog needs products. I don't know what you feed your beast, so you need to check his diet for the presence of all the right ingredients.

6. In front of the dog, give food to another pet. And the last way, which helped some hosts a lot. If the dog does not want to eat even after applying the above methods, then take it, and in front of the dog, give its bowl of food to a cat or other animal. Seeing how they do with her "soldering", the dog will surely wake up an appetite. Just do not let her show aggression, just sit her next to you and, if she rushes at the animal, then give the command “fu”. This method works flawlessly, the dog will not want to share his food with others. But they shouldn't mess around.

Over time, you will find foods that the dog is loyal to. However, the appetite is bad, just like that, not only in people. Try skipping 1-2 feedings if your dog is refusing to eat, and give him a good walk as well.

If everything is in order with the products and the amount of food, refusal to eat may be the first sign that the animal is not feeling well. Take your dog's temperature. To do this, insert the tip of the thermometer, after lubricating it with petroleum jelly, into the rectum of the animal and hold for one and a half to two minutes. If the temperature managed to rise above 38.5 - your pet is sick. Go to the vet because fever in a dog does not mean at all that she has caught a cold. This can be a sign of anything from fleas to piroplasmosis.

In some cases, the fact that the dog does not eat anything is the norm

Often a dog has such periods in his life when he does not want to eat. And that's okay. For example, in many bitches, appetite decreases or completely disappears during estrus. Only if at the end of the cycle the dog's appetite does not normalize, it should be shown to the doctor.
Growing up puppies especially large breeds often subject to fluctuations in food requirements. They may alternate between intense hunger and a complete lack of interest in food.
Also, puppies may refuse to eat due to teething. In such a situation, you need to give the baby something cold to chew on and feed him soft food.
A decrease in appetite in a dog can also be caused by hot weather or the introduction of special vitamins for dogs and various mineral supplements into food.
There are also capricious dogs who, for example, do not want to eat vegetables. They can also refuse meat gravy, smelling the carrot spirit in it.