Just like people, dogs are sometimes not hungry, or various conditions as stress have caused them to lose appetite. But the more prolonged loss of interest in food can be a serious problem. It is not normal to refuse meals all the time. If it doesn’t resolve within one day, it indicates any kind of illness. Take your dog immediately to the veterinarian as it could cause minor stressors to a life-threatening disease.
How to identify the symptoms?
You can notice several reactions and signs in your dog.
- Refusing every meal or eating less than usual
- Trying to eat but not be able to finish
- Lack of energy
- Not very active as usual
- Vomiting
- Weight loss
- Sleeping long hours
Most essential thing is to notice all the changes in your pet dog’s eating habits. Sometimes some dogs don’t eat the recommended amount of food according to their age. This cannot be taken as a loss of appetite. But unnaturally your dog refuses food without any reason, it indicates something wrong with it.
If it is for a simple reason such as having a vaccination or a stomachache, it takes a few hours to recover. You may have seen dogs eat grass to overcome their simple stomachaches. But important thing is to monitor your dog’s behavior for some hours and see whether it gets the appetite back. If it doesn’t work well, better to visit the nearest vet as soon as possible.
Reasons for Losing Appetite
An assorted number of issues can cause loss of appetite and lethargy in dogs. Sometimes this may cause physical or psychological reasons as well.
Physical causes:-
- Bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection
- Medication
- Dental problems
- Cancer
- Pain
- Toxin exposure
- Cardiovascular problems
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Neurological disease
- Respiratory problems
- Endocrine disease
Psychological causes:-
- Stress
- Depression
- Environmental changes
- Dietary change
Most pets demonstrate loss of appetite due to psychological reasons such as stressors which include the departing of a family member, moving to a new place, getting a new pet to home, or loud noises like thunder, fireworks, or gunshots. You need to have a better identification of the reason and pay attention to recover it. To get the appetite back show love and caring and feed with a spoon or with your hand. You can provide the food your pet likes most and monitor it 24 hours. If you still notice the low appetite continuously, visit the vet soon.
Treatment for Loss of Appetite at Home
Give little warm food to your dog as the warm food can stimulate the appetite. Include low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth in the food. Feed using a spoon or your fingers may motivate your pet to have food.
After the Recovery
You should follow the instructions given by your vet on refeeding or diet management. Your pet’s gastrointestinal tract is very sensitive after a period of not feeding. Your vet may recommend a medical appetite stimulant that makes your dog hungry. A nutritious well-balanced diet is essential to keep your dog healthy.
You can start with baby food if possible. Because baby food is nutritious and easy to eat. Choose a meat-based food with chicken, turkey, or lamb. Bone broth is also very mild and nutritious as well. It heals the upset stomach.
Encourage your dog to drink enough water. If it doesn’t reflect any interest to drink water you can add an ice cube to the bawl or offer an ice cube to lick. It is very important to protect from dehydration. Stay with us. Follow us on Facebook.
