It can be a really worrying time when your dog is off their food. Unfortunately ‘anorexia’ or loss of appetite can be caused by a whole host of reasons. In order to determine the treatment to give to your dog, it is important to identify what the underlying cause of the reluctance to eat is.
Loss of appetite in a dog can be a sign of illness so it’s important to seek veterinary help if you notice changes in your dog’s normal eating habits – particularly if your pooch is normally a good eater. It’s best to get to the bottom of the problem as early as possible, as if left untreated for several days it can lead to dehydration and malnourishment.
Different types of anorexia in dogs
True anorexia is when your dog simply refuses to eat – this is often associated with serious illnesses. Pseudo-anorexia is another type which is when your dog is hungry and really wants to eat, goes to the food bowl, but can’t eat due to a difficulty chewing or swallowing.
If your dog stops eating for a day or two, but is otherwise active and alert, then it’s ok to keep a close eye on them initially. You could offer them some bland home cooked food like boiled chicken and rice, which is a tasty but easily digestible diet. Try warming it up a little in the microwave, as this sometimes will entice them to eat. You could offer smaller meals more frequently. Take away any leftovers that they haven’t eaten within 15 minutes and offering again a few hours later. Avoid chopping and changing the diet and offering too many different types of food. Sometimes a quick change in food can cause an upset tummy, which may complicate matters. Be careful to avoid any toxic foods such as onions and garlic.
If your dog is quiet, not themselves, or displaying any other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness or lethargy; or has not eaten at all for 2 days then you should seek veterinary attention
Potential causes of anorexia in dogs
There are many different possible causes! They include:
Illness
A decline in appetite could be a sign of a significant illness such as kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, infection (bacterial or viral), fever, cancer, pyometra (infection of the womb), pain (anywhere in the body, not just the mouth), gastroenteritis etc. As you can imagine, all of these diseases are treated in different ways so it’s important we identify the cause to be able to give the correct treatment. If your vet suspects one of these diseases could be the cause then they will need to run some diagnostic tests. Often starting with a blood (+/- urine) test.
Dental disease
If your dog has oral pain due to decay, gingivitis (inflammation of the gums), a broken tooth, abscess or an oral tumour then this can cause them not to eat. During their clinical examination your vet will be able to check your dog’s mouth to assess for any problems here.
Environment
Sometimes dogs can be quite sensitive to a change in their routine or environment. Particularly if they are in unfamiliar surroundings. Causes of stress could include moving house, taking your dog on a trip or a stay at the kennels. If they are uncomfortable with a situation they are in they may not feel like eating. For example, hot weather, being around another dog, a different food bowl, or being fed at an uncomfortable height.
Medication
Some medications may cause a reduced appetite or nausea. If your dog is taking a new course of medication and this occurs, you should let your vet know.
Vaccinations
Vaccines prevent some serious, often fatal, infectious diseases in dogs. Sometimes after your dog’s jab, they may be temporarily quiet and off their food for 12 -24 hours.
Food
Check that the food hasn’t gone off or has an odd smell to it. If food has been left out, or not stored in an airtight container then it will go rancid after a while.
What is the treatment for anorexia in dogs?
Treatment will very much depend on what the underlying cause of the anorexia is. Often once this has been addressed, their appetite will return to normal. Sometimes this may take a few days and additional measures may be required. Depending on your dog’s condition your vet may give an injection or tablet to stimulate their appetite. These need to be given with some care, as they don’t fix the problem – they simply make the dog want to eat. In some cases, if it’s going to be longer than a couple of days while your pet heals, or the treatment takes effect they may suggest placing a feeding tube. This is passed into the oesophagus (food pipe) so your dog can receive a liquid diet via the tube. This isn’t permanent – it’s just to keep them fed until they start eating by themselves.
Once you have addressed any health concerns, keeping your dog engaged and mentally active is also valuable. Engaging your dog with activities like those offered by a Virtual Training App can also positively impact their appetite and overall well-being.
If you are worried about your dog’s appetite, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with your vet. Finding and treating the underlying cause is the best way to approach this situation. To get your dog back up and about again.
Discussion
We have two Golden Doodle puppies. They used to eat their kibbles every morning faithfully. Now 9 months old they hardly eat! Won’t eat their dog food anymore. I have to cook chicken or beef for them but it takes the whole day for them to eat usually very late at night! One dog I have to hand-feed to get her to eat! They are drinking ok and active but don’t want to eat — not interested! What happened? It’s so distressing! One had diarrhea but no parasites after testing. Vet appointment for next week for both. Any advice? I have to make sure they each eat at least 8-12 oz of meat a day for their weight @ 40lbs. Is that correct?
Sorry for the delay, this got held up in our system. How did it go at the vet? Are they improving?
My dog was fine this morning. Eating and going outside. She slept most of the day which not unusual for her. When my husband came home she wouldn’t get up and was not interested in food or water let alone him. She is a 7 year old lab mix with no issues other than overweight.
There are lots of possible causes, from heat to infection to underlying disease. However, I would say if that’s really out of character, and there isn’t an obvious cause (like a heatwave), a vet check up is a good idea.
My dog was a three months baby he was very active and he has to eat more but suddenly he doesn’t eat anything even he refuses to drink water and he is very inactive and after we had vaccinated him and still he is not eating anything and he is just sleeping and he doesn’t play and he even doesn’t drinking water 😭 I am worrying about him 😭.what I have to do.
Being a little off colour after a vaccine is normal – it’s a sign that the immune system is responding to the antigen. However, if it’s more than 24 hours, then definitely vet time – good luck!
My Chihuahua is 14 yrs old. He had what appeared to be 2 mine seizures lasted about 3-5 seconds. He’s been sleeping off n on today. He’s been having some discomfort with the anal glands. Look full. He is scheduled for Monday to see his doctor for regular check up. Can this wait until Monday. It’s Saturday.
Probably, but as always, “it depends”! Certainly if he has any more he DEFINITELY needs seeing; if you delay until Monday then it will be harder to track down any biochemical causes – but the likelihood is that there aren’t any major dysfunctions at that age that couldn’t be diagnosed then.
Adopted a York’s 2 weeks ago. Got all shots and had him neutered Seems to feel fine. Enjoyed his walks. Drinks but we can’t get him to eat. Have tried all the suggestions but no luck.
OK, have you had him checked by your vet? Just to make sure there isn’t any specific clinical issue that might be causing problems?
My three year old, female Labrador has been quite lethargic and has only eaten a little bit over the past day or so. This is quite worrying as she is normally a very happy girl and loves her food. She has been drinking well though. Four days ago she threw up but hasn’t since then so I’m not sure if it is related. Would love some advice, we plan on taking her to the vet tomorrow if there is no improvement.
Yes, I think a sudden change in apperite that doesn’t resolve after a day or so really needs a vet – hope all goes OK
My 5-year-old shih tzu is under medication including antibiotics for 2 weeks now. She got better 4 days on her antibiotics, but not until today did she suddenly lose her appetite. She had blood infection 2 weeks before that why she’s taking antibiotics. But she became better and full of energy until today. Should I be worried?
I think any sudden change is a concern – it might well be nothing, or a bit of nausea from the medication, but definitely check back in with your vets.
My dog is an 8 year old Bernese Mountain Dog and she refuses every bit of food she is offered, this happened last 2 years aswell due to Pyometra but the uterus has been removed as of last summer so i am uncertain of what the issue could be this time.
In a giant breed dog of that age, I’d definitely get a vet check to make sure there’s nothing else going on… Hopefully, just a blip, but better to be safe than sorry!
Ii have a greyhound with bone cancer and arthritis she is 14 years she is on a lot of pain killers but they don’t seem to well anymore she is also on a pain killer injection even that doesn’t help she hardly eats she doesn’t want to go out and her breathing is really fast sometimes could you please give me some advice please thank you
I’m so sorry to hear about this. However, I think if the pain control isn’t working any more, and she doesn’t want to go out and do things, plus she has a fast breathing rate, this is strongly suggesting that she’s in severe discomfort if not pain, much or most of the time. I think the time might have come to think about whether it’s kinder to let her go. All the best, it’s a really hard decision, but it sounds like it might be one you’re going to need to make, for her sake, sooner rather than later.
I have a Golden Retriever who is around 8.5 years old. This morning he did not want to eat at all and i noticed he had diarrhea. Should i wait and see if it resolves or what is the recommendation?
One off diarrhoea and lack of appetite is probably a stomach upset, but if other symptoms develop, he can’t keep water down/doesn’t drink, or it doesn’t resolve within 24 hours, then a vet check is a good idea. For a more detailed analysis, check out the Interactive Symptom Checker here.
I have a miniature pincher. She is 16 years old and is now having diarrhea with some blood. Sleeping drinking water but is not eating. Should I take her in to the vet?
At that age, yes, I think diarrhoea with blood really does need veterinary assessment – hopefully nothing serious, but a 16yo doesn’t have the same reserves that a younger dog does. Good luck!
My 7 weeks old female Eskimo has been acting weird. She is refusing to eat anything I give her, she takes little water too. So yesterday I took her to the vet and he injected her and gave her drugs. Multivitamin and another one for itching. But today she isn’t playing as you suppose to, still isn’t eating and she is pooping too much with a little blood in it. Please what can I do
Give the drugs a chance to work, and if she’s not responding, definitely back to the vet for more workup – at that age, she’s really vulnerable if she’s not eating.
Hi my dog is mt eating well since 2 weeks since 2 days she hasnr eaten at all yesterday we took her to the vet they gave antibiotics. Still she hasnt eaten up till nw pls help
Hmmm if she’s been on treatment but she isn’t responding, it’s worth giving the vet a ring and seeing how quickly they’d expect a response – and if she isn’t going in the direction expected, time for a follow up check. Good luck!
I noticed my dog, not eating like normal about a bowl for every three days as to where he usually eats the whole bowl when I feed him! I went out of town for a couple days. He looked healthy and fine when I left, but when I returned home, he had drawled up very skinny and was so weak. He could hardly stand. I got him up and put him inside and he is drinking water, but hasn’t eaten anything yet.
Definitely vet time, ASAP, if he’s lost that much weight that quickly!
I have a Russian Toy Terrier 13 years old . Very active doesn’t seem uncomfortable but he is not eating. I have tried everything you name it I have done it. I have seen him go for several days and not eat. I am taking him to vets tomorrow which will be at least twice. He also has this tiny little quirky cough. I’m really scared of losing him.
Definitely time to get him checked out – hope all goes well
My Chihuahua is 9 years old last night she had a little bit of trouble sleeping she woke up sort of choking she couldn’t swallow for just a few seconds she finally calmed down was able to breathe okay and swallow but since then she’s been shivering on and off she hasn’t want to eat or drink she’s been laying down kind of whimpering on and off. She doesn’t feel warm to the touch so I don’t think she has a temperature I was just wondering should I be worried? This has happened once before she won the whole day without drinking eating or wanting to do anything but she was back to normal the next day
Yes, I’d definitely get her checked out by your vet – those signs might be nothing worse than some throat irritation, but they should still be looked into.
Porter, 8 yr old Rottweiler loves to go for walks but usually goes lame after 2 blocks. Should we quit the walks?
Definitely not – time to talk to your vet about it and get it investigated. It might mean he needs shorter walks, but he definitely needs to continue exercising!
My dog has not eaten for about three days he is extremely weak and her breathing was really harsh we gave her glucose and water using a funnel her breathing calmed down.What should I do?
Get her to a vet NOW. Get off the internet and get her seen, this sounds like a really serious life-and-death situation.
I I have ac12cuearvold shiatsu that stopped eating. Vet did blood work all good. Still active buy sniffs all foods and walks away
My dog wasn’t acting like herself she seemed to be lethargic not wanting to move and then I went in for a second and she was up and gone and then about 20 minutes later my mom was going to look for her and she was on my porch so we got food and she wasn’t having it but we also had water she drank and drank and drank and seemed better she stood up and started drinking again but still nothing to eat then she vomited a little water and laid back down and raised her head and ears when she seen my husband and we walked in for a few minutes and she was up and gone again then later she was back but I could see by our boat she had vomited and potty it looked like she potty both ways but I seen blood and she walked over and laid down looking around. Please what could be happening with her
It does sound like severe gastroenteritis, an infection of the intestine – but there are other causes too. I think definitely time for a veterinary check, as soon as possible!
My dog (a 1 year old shorkie) has not been eating or drinking water for 3 days. I took him to the vet after the second day to get him evaluated and they gave him an IV and sent him home upon doing a physical and not finding anything abnormal. I’ve tried boiling some chicken, giving him all his favorite foods etc and he still won’t eat. I have been giving him water through a syringe myself since he hasn’t had water either but I’m getting worried. What should I do?
I definitely think it’s time to go back to the vet and get more tests done – bloods and possibly even X-rays or scans. This clearly isn’t normal – good luck!
my small dog about 6 years old has some problems with a sensitive stomach. After having some tests done at the University, they gave us some pills to help settle the stomach and consequently we stay on a strict diet. She an active happy dog but still once every 10 days or so, she’ll not be interested in any food. Even a small bit of chicken she’ll turn her head. Obviously her stomach is sore and I can hear it rumble. Then maybe 10 hours later, she’s eating as usual. Every 10th time this happens she may barf a little but rarely ever shows any less spunk. Weight is steady. Any ideas
It really depends what the cause of her problems is – and what the tablets she’s on are!
Hello my little dog has Diarrea today is second day she is also drinking more not eating and not playing or just being her usual happy self, basically she’s just sleeping, today is Saturday no vets is open I will definitely take her tomorrow if hasn’t improved
My dog goes through phases of not eating every two or thee days. She’ll eat normal for two-three days then stops eating (usually has diarrhea and will eat a bunch of grass). And she won’t eat any of her food for a day or two. Then she’ll start eating again normal for about two days and then the whole thing repeats. I tried switching all kinds of different foods (she won’t eat kibble at all or chicken and rice). Every time I ask a vet, they say she’s fine and if she eats again she’s ok.
Some dogs are just really picky! If you want to get to the bottom of it, you could ask your vet about an intestinal profile on bloods, to rule out pancreatic or intestinal disease… but it might just be her!
However… it might be worth getting them to check for Addison’s Disease, as that can sometimes present like this in the early stages.
Thank you very much for the reply and information! I will get her checked for that. I really appreciate the details!
Hello, i have a 2 year old Saluki – male, intact. Rye has had issues with food for 15 months – we have spent 18k on diagnosis and a further 3k on behaviourists but have no diagnosis. He has no medical reason to not eat. A good day for Rye is a few chicken wings (the only thing we have been able to tempt him with since June this year), i take them on walks, i play ‘fetch’ with them and sometimes, he will perk up and eat them. We are on the 4th cycle of Rye refusing all food in 15 months and each time its worse. Rye has been MRI scanned, xrayed, addisons tested, b12 tested, bloods sent for everything, teeth checked, he has NO symptoms at all – he is not sick and he does not have any stool issues. We have no idea what to do now and our options are very limited. Is there a time when a young and healthy dog could be suffering from pure anirexia that is not treatable as this is not a matter of ‘he will eat when hungry’ – he will not. The vet has suggested a permanent feeding tube for him which i cannot do as this would use 4-5 hours a day of feeding him and would impact his life. I want to be able to feed my dog, from a bowl or by hand. I want him to take a treat or steal a sausage or even just eat enough or SOMETHING in a day that means he gets through the next one. Im really lost and i dont want to give up on him but i dont know what to do.
I’m so sorry to hear that!
I would say that there clearly IS a reason – we just have no idea what it is. Have you considered referral to a tertiary referral specialist, as a last attempt to get to the bottom of it?
My 12 yr old Maltese Shih tzu had a watery bm few days ago hasn’t eaten for 4 days now, drinks alittle water 2/3 times a day. Wants no part of food turns her head away. I’ve tried chicken, ground beef, baby food. All she does is lay all day lethargic. Her back legs are not right
To the vet ASAP – if she can’t balance properly on her back legs AND hasn’t eaten for 4 days! Both of those would be a good reason to seek urgent veterinary care, both together are potentially very serious.
My dog has an anal gland infection and has been given antibiotics, it’s been 3 days now and she’s eating less and now not wanting to move she has moments when she goes back to herself but then continues to pick at her food and barely eats, I’m not sure what to do
I think go back to the vet – if there’s no improvement despite treatment, then they’ll need to see her again.
My dog (German shepherd) not eating food properly for 1 week. His weight has loss by 5-6kgs. 2 weeks ago he fighted with a group of dogs and got so many wound on his front leg. Now he is not eating his toungh is dry and he is avoiding even his favorite food like bread curd. I gave him lever syrup for 4 days but nothing much have changed. Today he has headche also.😭
There are lots of possibilities, including infection, which is the most likely. but if you’re in a rabies endemic area, I would be quite concerned about that too. I definitely think it’s time to get him seen by a vet in your area!
My Havanese refuses to eat. She threw up her food overnight Sunday/Monday morning and had severe diorreah. Took to emergency vet on Tuesday morning who didn’t see anything wring. Prescription given anti nausea injection & probiotics to put in bland food but she won’t eat. I had to force some rice and she was playful after – she has been herself since the injection. (Very lethargic & quiet the day after being sick). I am very worried as she won’t eat and vets here are closed at weekends.
It is very unlikely she will come to any harm from not eating for a couple of days (although not drinking would be more of a worry) – but if she doesn’t pick up, definitely time to go back and say that the first line treatment hasn’t worked, and more investigations are probably required.
Many thanks for advising. Gertie regained her appetite on Friday afternoon. I did return to the vet who prescribed anti nausea tablets (vets here closed at weekends) but luckily I didn’t need to resort to medication. She is back to good health now in all departments which is a great relief! Many thanks for your advice.
16 week old mini dachshund. Pooped small amount off blood will only eat if I hand feed o will drink if I do the same still playfull and active has white rice like in poo but was treated last week. Slightly pale gums.
If there’s blood in the faeces and foreign material too, despite being wormed, I’d recommend a vet check, there might be something more going on.
My Yorkie threw up about 24 hrs ago, had 2 poops during the night. Today all he wants to do is sleep. Urinated twice, drank some and ate 2 spoonful of macaroni. Is all the sleeping today normal
Mild lethargy after a stomach upset isn’t uncommon – if it’s just the day afterwards and there are no other symptoms, I wouldn’t be too worried; but if he’s still out of it more than 24 hours later, definitely seek a veterinary check.
My cockalier sometimes doesn’t eat all day one day and then other days he will eat just fine. Seems like himself otherwise. What should I do
Well, first of all get a vet check and rule out medical issues. It might well be, though, that it’s just him, at the level of exercise you’re giving him. If he’s healthy, it might well be that increasing his exercise levels will jump-start his appetite.
My 6 year old rescue started drinking a few weeks ago more than usual but we didn’t think anything about it initially. A week ago she started to be obsessed with drinking water even on walks. Her food intake completely reduced and she lost about 2 kg. We straight away took her to the vet and had a blood test result within a few hours. Her calcium level was slightly increased so the vet asked us to come again on the following Monday if her behaviour didn’t change. So we went back and they did another blood and discovered that the calcium was still up. A couple of days later the vet did a biopsy looking at her lymph knot that was slightly swollen. He also did an X-ray of the lung which seemed totally fine. We are now waiting for the result (1 week 🙈) of the biopsy. today is the fourth day she hasn’t eaten and we called the vet who suggested to pick up some liquids with nutrition to offer her. She still refuses…. She has been drinking and had the odd tiny treat but basically hasn’t eaten for almost 4 days … it breaks my heart and I really don’t know what to do. Any idea what else I could try ?
She still goes outside into the garden and barks at squirrels but she also does lie a lot and sleep.
Biopsies can take a really long time to process – but it’s really frustrating. Keep tempting him to eat, think about something warmed and aromatic, putting some on his nose to be licked off, etc. And keep in touch with your vet – good luck!
Thank you so much for this. I am heart broken you can even see she wants to eat but then she sees and smells it and walks of …
she had a bit of milk earlier and I will try steak again tonight ..
Any updates on your baby?
Hi! I have a 15 yr old Pomspitz with breast cancer diagnosed last 2019, since then she is on and off liver and kidney problems. For the whole part of 2021 she almost had all blood chem (including liver and kidney) normal again and I am very happy. However, last year her Creatinine and Liver enzymes increased again and she finally got normal results by March this year. She is eating very well and although old is still active. But then, come July she started having hard time getting up and found out she has osteoarthritis. Then a series of blood work came back with elevated BUN, CREA and AST once again and after two weeks of medication the blood levels still goes up. She doesn’t eat that much anymore even if I try to feed all her favorite food like boiled egg or chicken, carrots and green beans. Now they confirmed that her left lung has fluids and she has enlarged aorta which I think is the reason why she has loss appetite. She is under diuretics and heart medication along with kidney and liver supplements and her anti-tumor medicine. I don’t want to give up on her yet. There are days when shows interest in food but then I think she really is having a hard time eating. Today she only ate a few treats and wouldn’t touch her food. I tried several times to dilute here prescription dog food but she gets stressed out whenever I feed her thru a syringe. I am really worried about here and I’m not ready for what will come. Any advice how else should I feed her so she could recover? Thanks!
Force- or syringe feeding of dogs rarely goes well – they really don’t respond well to it.
You can try tempting her to eat, with warmed aromatic food, and some spread onto her nose so she licks it off.
However, it does sound to me like you need to think about her welfare, rather than her lifespan. Is she really happy? Is there a realistic chance that she will recover, given how many other things are going on? Is she in pain, and if so, how effectively are you able to manage that pain?
I really think these are issues you need to consider soon, because I’m really sorry to say that even if you get her through this crisis, it will almost certain recur, and you need to think about when enough is enough.
That said, hopefully she’ll pull through once you get her eating again – and have a chat with your vets about alternative food, because a lot of dogs don’t like renal diets, and there might be an alternative that is nearly as good that she will eat!
My 2 year old golden retriever is recovering gastro enteritis.. She is eating but very sparsely.. And it’s irregular.. How long before she starts eating regularly..
I’m afraid there’s no fixed answer to that – it depends on her individually, exactly what the strain of bug that caused her intestinal problems, and a host of other issues!
Her medication is on.. Was giving her curd and rice to relax her organs.. But she seems bored of it.. Today she ate her beef meal very well.. Chicken and veggies she is refusing.. It’s difficult to predict what she will eat or not.. Her poop is better now..
My 3month old puppy has been refusing to eat. He has blood in his stools and is very weak,he doesn’t want to play anymore and sleeps and drinks a lot of water.
These are Symptoms of parvovirus.. Please consult a vet asap..!
The requires urgent veterinary attention, as this is suggestive of a serious bowel condition resulting in dangerous dehydration. Get him checked by a vet as soon as possible.
My dog has just stopped eating – I thought it was due to teeth , so she had a dental. She is fully healed now, she has had x-rays, ultra sound, blood tests and all are negative. She will ignore everything I give her – I try to hand feed her but she will not take it She is 10 years old and seems to be in really good health apart from this non eating. She is lively and running around when she is out in the garden. I am at my wits end. It is so distressing not knowing how to help her.
Hello, im in the same boat. may I ask the out come of your pup?
That’s really hard – there must be a reason, but you’ve covered all the obvious bases. I assume you’ve tried changing the food to see if there’s anything more appetising?
Our golden retriever puppy (9 months old) was very food driven but she hasn’t been eating normally for a couple of weeks and it feels like it’s getting worse because we’ve offered her other food, ground beef etc and she is very reluctant to eat. We had to put our old dog down a couple weeks ago so maybe she’s depressed but besides the lack of eating she’s acting totally normal. She is a bit of an anxious dog at times but she’s been having fun swimming and playing fetch. The vet checked her out and didn’t see anything obvious. I’m not sure what’s going on. She did eat grass about a week ago and I saw her throw up a tiny bit outside but I haven’t seen her throw up since and her stools seem fine and the vet tested her stool. She’s just acting so different.
Behavioural changes at that age aren’t uncommon, and that combined with loss of her companion might well be a major part of the problem. I don’t know where you are geographically, but if it’s very hot weather that might be a factor too?
I have a 9 month old Frenchie was originally giving her royal canin as a puppy but started to throw her food out her bowl and not eat her food changed her up to diamond puppy food and she did the same thing. I started to wet her food down with can food and she was eating it and started to throw her food out once again. I’ve tried different things and seems to not work she pops good active and also very alert has 2 days she’s has not want to eat drinks water normal any suggestions?? I’ve tried every and nothing seems to work is it time to seek a vet ?
I would, if nothing else to rule out medical causes. Not eating for 2 days in a dog of that age isn’t really normal, and while it might be behavioural, rule out medical issues early!
My Chihuahua is drinking a lot of water but do not want to eat we had to move so we had to let him live with my cuz went she got back to us she was not eating what should I do.
I’d suggest a vet check first of all to see if there is any medical reason for him to lose his appetite – then take it from there!
My chiwawa mix has always be picky but today she is not eating at all…she is 8 months…she seams less energetic…is it norrmal for a small bread to not eat much?
It’s not uncommon for a chihuahua to be a little fussy with food, especially once they reach their full growth; however, if this is something that’s come on quite suddenly, and she’s lethargic, then yes, a vet check would be a good idea to make sure there isn’t anything more serious going on.
I have a boston terrier that gotten bit about 3 weeks ago from a copperhead an he’s recovered from tht.he was in and put the vet for the last 3 weeks now he’s not wanting to eat ..I’m lucky to get a few bites down him but not much the vet saying a stomach ulcer I need help this vet isn’t really helping much. He was on several different meds also he is drinking water tho ..but today I noticed his gums look a little pale is tht normal wonder if he’s dehydrated please help me.
Dehydration is a possibility, but so would anaemia be from a stomach ulcer. You don’t say what meds he’s on, but some medications are well known for increasing the risks of ulcers; I’d definitely talk to your vet about getting some blood tests done and if an ulcer is suspected, consider getting an endoscopy of his stomach lining to confirm or deny. It sounds like you really need some more diagnostics at this point to work out what’s going on!
3yo poodle, diarrhea x2 days. Ate and drank yesterday but is not eating or drinking today and is lethargic. Tried rice, rice water and baby food chicken but he won’t eat it. Give it another day or take him to the vet?
If he’s not drinking and is lethargic, I’d go sooner: if he’s off food after a stomach upset for a day or so but still drinks and is active, that’s less of a worry, but not drinking and lethargic is a worry.
I have a 7 year old rottweiler who hasn’t been his usual happy self and eats less then usual which is strange because he is a big eater and he has a swollen testical but acts normal overall
I’d definitely get him checked out. It could be orchitis (inflammation of the testicle – which can be caused by infectious such as Brucella), which can be painful and cause these vague signs; or even a testicular tumour; alternatively, the swollen testicle might not be relevant. Either way – I really would get him seen by your vet sooner rather than later!
My female pitbull has been very reclusive over the last 3 days and she isn’t eating as nuch as normal. She doesn’t seem to have lost any weight and her gums are pink and nose is still wet. She springs to attention whenever the other dogs bark like normal
Unless the weather’s really hot and she’s just too hot to eat, I’d be a little concerned after 3 days behaviour change like that. I’d suggest booking an appointment and getting her checked over by your vet, to make sure there’s nothing serious going on. If she’s entire (not neutered), I’d make that a bit more urgent, as a pyometra often starts out like this.
I have a 13 and a half year old pomeranian. She’s also has no teeth. She hasn’t eaten any of her wet dog food in the last 3 days. She will however eat cooked chicken, scrambled eggs, peanut butter. Yesterday she drank very little water. She’s been sleeping alot in her bed by our sliding glass door. When she’s awake and people or animals walk by she starts barking and jumping around all over the place. Her stomach was gurgling a few days ago while she was sleeping in my lap. She drank very little water yesterday and none so far today. But still barking and jumping around all over the place when she see people or other dogs outside. Will she be OK till I get her to the vet tomorrow. They’re not open on weekends.
It doesn’t sound like an emergency if she’s still active and still drinking. It’s probably a stomach upset, but at that age, definitely wise getting it checked out.
I have an 8.5 year old giant Alaskan malamute. At vet visit month ago he was 150 pounds. After that visit I was put on the road for work. I took him with me to Buffalo (8hr ride) and he had to stay in a small hotel room. We were then home for a week and I was send to Tampa florida. While we were home he was put under anesthesia to get shaved because his fur was in very bad shape. I have owned him for approximately 6 years and he’s always been lethargic come summer time. About a week into the Buffalo trip (3 weeks ago) he stopped eating his hard food. He has been having no problem eating wet food and chicken and rice. After his anesthesia he seemed really off and I didn’t want to put him through the stress of driving to florida and the heat. He is still consuming chicken and such but no dry food. All his tests from the vet came back normal but in order to X-ray him they would have to administer anesthesia again and I would not like to put him through that stress. All the people looking after him said he’s acting normal again as if it’s any other summer. do you have any suggestions as far as what could be the issue with him. The vet mentioned cancer is a possibility and I haven’t stopped googling since.
At that age, I’m afraid that cancer is a distinct possibility. You could always wait and see what happens when it gets cooler – but if you do, there’s a chance that any problems would be much, much harder to treat.
Another option would be to talk to the vets about an abdominal ultrasound scan – this can usually be carried out conscious, or with only light sedation, and might pick up issues like splenic tumours or intestinal disease?
My dog doesn’t eat that much. he is a 17.5 pound mini poodle mix. He has “prescription diet” and Cesar loaf and averages about five ounces a day, only at night, plus some simple chicken jerky (max two ounces a day) that he really loves. He seems perfectly healthy and happy, can play very vigorously for 15 minutes, goes for walks about one to two-and-a-half miles a day, sleeps well, drinks, pees and poops, and is up-to-date on all shots and Simparica. I just don’t know if I should be concerned.
If he’s keeping his weight at a healthy level, then whatever he’s eating is enough! So the next step is for you to get him weighed every couple of weeks (I’d recommend at the vets – their scales will be more accurate than most!), and check that he is holding his weight!
Thanks. I was a little concerned that the jerky isn’t nutritionally complete but he is getting about 5 oz. of Cesar or prescription diet daily.
My dog bleeding and vomiting and she is weak only 7 mouths
You didn’t say where she was bleeding from, but DEFINITELY time for a vet as soon as possible!
My dog hasn’t eaten since yesterday morning, she is also acting very quiet and withdrawn. She is usually very energetic and attention seeking. She doesn’t seem to be sick- I haven’t seen any vomit/diarrhoea.
That’s potentially more of a worry than a “simple” case of gastroenteritis; if she’s not eaten for a day or two, I’d definitely recommend a vet check ASAP. Hopefully, it’s just a mild stomach bug, but better to be safe than sorry.
Picked up my 6 yr old pug from 4 day boarding on monday and he’s normally a garbage disposal when it comes to food
Monday
– pick up, ate dinner fine
– Started vomiting later that night
Tuesday
– lethargic, didnt eat breakfast
– Still drank water, and bits of food here and there
Wednesday
– seemed much better
– Ate breakfast and dinner
– More energy
Thursday
– ate breakfast
– Half of dinner
Friday
– no breakfast, still drank water
– Bits of kibble when hand fed
– Ate unbreaded chicken nugget like he would on normal days
– Has energy
Not sure what’s going on with him
From what you’ve said, it sounds like he’s had a nasty stomach upset for some reason; I’d expect his appetite to gradually return over a few more days. If it doesn’t, it would be worth a vet check, but I’d anticipate a steady recovery.
My dog doesn’t eat and has watery poop but drinks water and quite active
That does suggest some sort of gastroenteritis – if it doesn’t improve in a couple of days, I’d definitely recommend a vet check up.
My 13 year old border collie has not eaten more than a handful of food a day for 8 weeks, since we put her on double strength Yumove. She’s been to the vet who found nothing but a tender gum and prescribed antibiotics. She eats treats and dentastix but refuses poached chicken, kibble (various), meat and raw food cubes. She’s occasionally eating grass and haslost 3 kg. Any suggestions?
If this started when she started on YuMove, stop the supplement and see what happens! Losing 3 kg in 8 weeks for a dog of that breed and age is pretty serious.
Consider a dietary change too, such as moving to a more calorie rich food.
My dog is 20 years old and hasn’t eaten in 2 days but is drinking water. He is also having diarrhea. He also shakes at random times. I’m trying to convince my family to take him to the vet but they don’t seem to have the urgency.
Yes, this is an emergency – and quite possible, and end-of-life one. Definitely time for a vet ASAP, for his welfare.
1yr old morgue wants to eat but vomits everything up hasn’t pooped in two days. Hasn’t drank water today that I’ve noticed plays Norman but when not playing curls up a just lays there has ALWAYS been temperamental with food so I’ve tried different things as he has grown. But this is the worst it’s been
OK, if no faeces and vomiting everything, I’d strongly suggest a vet check ASAP – this sounds like it might be serious, such as a bowel obstruction
My 17 month old American Bully hasn’t been eating much lately. She used to be on the BARF diet til she wanted to go to Blue Diamond. Recently she stopped eating that so I put her back on the BARF diet. She would eat it and I figured her having Diarrhea for a few days was normal.. her poop Solidified but now she hasn’t been wanting to touch her food or dog food for almost 2 weeks now. She eats little. Still drinks a lot but has gotten to the point where her bowel movements are less frequent. She’s still active with energy and her usual self besides the lack of appetite. I don’t know what to do.
Hmmm, being off food for that long in a dog of that age really isn’t normal – I’d strongly recommend a vet check to see what’s going on…
I have a 8 year old chihuahua not eaten in 2 days and is being sick on water , we have been away since she stayed at home with family very worried now
OK, she definitely needs veterinary attention ASAP – dehydration can be really serious in dogs of they’re being sick on water, whatever the underlying cause.
We recently got a dog from my ex son inlaw. The dog was been amazing for the past month but the past 2 days he has gone off his food he is still taking water but in little bits and isnt as energetic as he was do i need to be worried for
Sudden loss of appetite and reduction in energy isn’t normal – if he’s drinking and not vomiting or diarrhoea, he may bounce back but nevertheless, I’d strongly recommend a vet check to see what’s going on. Hope he’s OK!
Just noticed today my dog hasn’t eaten, very weak, vomiting, diarrhoea etc he is 15 years old. Took him to vets, did blood tests everything came back fine, not sure what is wrong with him, he is staying in overnight on drip but I am sick with worry
In a dog that old, it’s always a worry – but if there are no serious changes on imaging or bloods, then there’s a good chance that all he needs is some fluids to rehydrate him and he’ll bounce back. If not, more investigations are indicated to see what else might be going on. Good luck – he’s definitely in the right place!
My 1 year old female puppy stopped eating yesterday after coming home from day care. She was fine, playing, chasing the cat, the usual stuff but won’t touch her food. She is drinking normally, poo and pee fine. I tried different meals, chicken too but she won’t touch it. She ate few kibbles from the cats bowl but that’s about it since yesterday. She did eat bit of a treat stick but that’s just here and there while spitting it out and eating bit of it.
There are foods that she would eat my hand for it but this time she just walked away.
Sudden changes in appetite in young dogs do happen occasionally – it’s probably a mild tummy upset that will self-resolve. If she doesn’t start eating again in a day or two, or develops other symptoms, then it’s vet time – but she probably will!
I have a 1 and a half yr old French mastiff that hasn’t eaten or drank water in 2days. The first day he vomited several times during the day. He is lethargic but still wags his tail. He is still urinating and his bm is like a small dog. What do you suggest?
If not drunk for 2 days vet NOW.
My 11 years old chihuahua mix started showing diarrhea about a week and a half ago. We switched to rice and chicken, but it didn’t help. We went to a vet and they tested for parasites and did an ultrasound and found nothing. He got better, regular poops, for a day and a half, but then started again with the diarrhea, is waking me up multiples times a night to let him out for small liquids diarrhea, and didn’t eat anything yesterday. No idea what to try next. He otherwise is his normal self and has good energy.
OK, it sounds like it might be time to go back to the vet and talk about further tests – bloods (an intestinal panel) and perhaps an intestinal biopsy might shed more light.
Hi I have a month old puppy who’s been very cheerful and active with a big appetite until about 2 nights ago he stopped eating and begun vomiting a lot and runny stool…. We tried a small dose of activated charcoal to maybe help settle his tummy and maybe soak up whatever he might of injested and he seemed to be looking better until this morning he seems back to square one
OK, if it’s all come back, at that age he really could do with veterinary attention – pups dehydrate really fast.
I have a 16 yr old border terrier that is almost blind and deaf. He has heart disease and on meds. I make his food (brown rice, turkey, broccoli medley and rosemary). He loves it but is not hardly eating the past 3 days. Weather has been in 100s here but he is inside mostly except to potty. He is drinking..just the appetite diminish.. Also has diarrhea the past 3 days. (mustard color too) Just had blood work done and it was all good except a slight elevation on liver marker. He is active and not showing signs of decline. Concerned about the appetite.
Diarrhoea and a loss of appetite does suggest that there might be a gastrointestinal problem developing – I’d definitely talk to your vet if he’s had diarrhoea for 3 days and has now stopped eating.
My male dog hasn’t eaten for 2 weeks, any little bits that we have got down him he has vomited out. He has been at the Vet several times, being treated for gastro enteritis but antibiotics have made no difference, he has had anti sickness drugs but they have not helped. Blood and urine tests normal. We think he may have had a stroke. Vet not really helping much except to eliminate possibilities. He is losing weight now. He also has started urinating indoors, anywhere and poo’d while he slept. Walk a little jerky but not one sided.
This doesn’t sound great; is it possible he has vestibular disease? In any case, if he’s still not eating he really does need reassessment, either by your vet or another one if you feel you’d prefer a second opinion – your vet will be able to sort that out for you.
Thank you for replying. My vet referred me to a neurologist and he has diagnosed GME/MUO and we are currently treating him with steroids and hoping for the best. He is eating small amounts now but nowhere near the amount he should be.
Hello, did the treatment with the specialist helped? My dog is having similar symptoms are yours – stopped eating Monday last week, drinking plenty of water but wont touch his food. I took him to the vet and all they did was give us an appetite stimulant to see if he gets back on track. He ate while we gave him the stimulant but wont eat other wise. He is now eating a few treats here and there but still not eating full meals. I don’t know what to do.
This sounds similar to what we’re dealing with now with our 8.5yo Rottie, who’s currently in an emergency vet hospital. They’ve done extensive bloodwork, which showed very high liver values, but xrays and ultrasound have ruled out any obstructions or tumors thank goodness. But they can’t figure out what’s going on with him. This all started almost a week ago, with him initially throwing up everything he ate until he stopped eating. Still drinking regularly. Severe lethargy-only gets up to go outside to pee (with coaxing). This is the 3rd bout of whatever this is in 3 months. He typically has a sensitive stomach, but this has become extreme. The 2nd time this happened last month, we took him to the vet and they didn’t find anything. This time around we took him to our vet again who then sent him to emergency vet hospital. We still don’t know what’s going with him. They want to run more tests for Lepto and Addison’s disease and do a urine analysis and fecal test (if they can get one). Any thoughts?
I think from what you’ve said, you need all the information you can get… Definitely check for Addisons, that’s a good shout, but you might need to think about scoping and even gut biopsies to get to the bottom of it.
I have a 4 pound Chihuahua mix. She is acting fine, happy, wants to go on walks, etc. Pee and poop is fine. Basically – she is not acting sick at all.
This morning and last night, she goes to her bowel and sniffs, but won’t eat. She loves to eat – so this is weird. She doesn’t want any treats either – sniffs and retreats.
The only thing that has changes recently is that I picked her up from boarding 3 days ago – she’s been eating fine until last night. She and my other dog were boarded at the vet for 4 days – other dog is acting and eating fine. Maybe anxiety? Should I take her in?
Might be anxiety – if so, she should pick up in 1-2 days; if not, I’d get her checked out.
My 6 month old puppy was throwing up runny poop and has not eaten or drank nothing in 2 days. She wags her tail and lay her face on me but that’s it. I did give her a new dog fog 3 days ago and she vomited it up. I gave her some rice and chicken breast to help her upset tummy however she only ate that once.
I think not eating or drinking for 2 days definitely needs veterinary attention – whatever the cause, dehydration alone is a worry now. Good luck with her!
We have a about 3 month old puppy we believe she’s a pit bull mixed with Belgium shepherd she doesn’t seem to have an appetite to any puppy food we give her but she still poops regularly and still very playful she’ll eat only half of less than half and it’s starting to alarm us she doesn’t seem sick just not interested in the food we give. She does however go crazy for boiled chicken with rice and treats
I’d suggest a vet check to rule out any medical issues, first, then see if you can work with your vet to come up with a balanced diet for a pup of that age and breed background!
6month old puppy stopped eating 3 days ago, but was still drinking water and was up an playing until last night. She start vomiting and didnt have much energy. She is drinking pedialyte but still refuses to eat and isn’t moving around as much but stopped vomiting. What can I do to help her eat?
I really think a vet check would be a good idea, for a 6 month old to go 3 days without food isn’t great, and may suggest a blockage.
I don’t know what’s wrong with my dog she haven’t been eating a lot less food. Sometimes she just lick it and she used to walk a lot but now she’s just dance and don’t walk a lot. I try my best to make her happy. I always be there for her, but I don’t know what’s wrong with her I try to give her food something fun, but she just sleeps all the time and I don’t know what’s wrong with her can you please help me I’m really worried for her and I went to the doctor to tell what’s wrong with her. They told me that she been having heartworm they gave me the medicine for her , she’s been drinking the medicine but every time she find something suspicious .. it’s because I hide the medicine inside the food that she can eat it but now she doesn’t eat the medicine and don’t eat a lot of food just water so I try my best to get for food to feel better but it doesn’t works. I’m really sad that something might happen.😭😭😭😭😭☹️☹️☹️💔💔💔
I think it’s definitely time to go back to the vet and talk about alternative medications, ones that can be given by spot-ons or injection, so you don’t have to coax her to eat.
I have a 12 year old German Shorthair. She hasn’t really eaten anything but a few handfuls of people food in the last week. We recently lost our other dog who she grew up with a chalked it up to sadness. She hurt her hip and was in pain, but she seems to have normalized. Took her to the vet, all labs and mouth exam normal but still not eating. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you
At that age, in a GSD, I’d definitely be wondering if there was some underlying issue; for example, a splenic tumour, which can often present like this. It might be worth talking to your vets about some survey imaging: Good luck.
I have a 2year old labrador and for the past two days he’s had really soft stools, today he’s declined his food, what can I do and when do I start to worry, I have offered boiled rice and chicken and he’s declined that as well.
It’s probably a stomach upset; if he’ll drink, make sure he stays hydrated and it should pass in a day or two. If not, or if he won’t take water, or develops any other symptoms, I’d strongly suggest a vet check.
Hi there my 11 year old German Shepard seems to be jerkijng his stomach and coughing out / vomiting white foam he hasn’t eaten in a couple of days what could be the problem I will have to take him to the vet tomorrow.
Hopefully, just gastroenteritis – however, severe retching associated with production of nothing but white foam can be a risk for a gastric dilation or bloat – DEFINITELY get him seen by your vet asap; if his stomach seems at all swollen, make it an emergency visit.
Hi, we have a 6year old Newfoundland who has stopped eating his food. We have tried several things to entice like ground beef and even chicken. Wet, dry you name it. Had a vet ck last week blood work was normal exam normal but I think he needs to go back. He wants to eat and licks his lips etc but won’t touch the food. He will eat treats though. So it’s been going on 2 wks now with this food issue. Issues like this before but not to this extent. Has energy but has refused many walks. I will prob take back to vet but looking for an answer. Would u have any for their suggestions? Thanks!
Definitely go back, and try and get to the bottom of this. There are a number of causes of this type of behaviour but generally it’s what we’d expect to see in a dog who is hungry but thinks eating will hurt for some reason – perhaps due to dental disease, oral trauma, a dysphagic problem in the muscles of the throat, oesophageal disease, or stomach ulcers.
I have 5 years old male husky . He’s suddenly changed into a different dog. Weeks ago instead of eating twice daily he started to eat only in the evening ( I cook for him since we had him for the last five years) took him to the vet because I was worried. She said it’s ok maybe because the hot weather and I asked to do stool sample and check but it came negative and now he’s refusing food for 36 hours or more and I don’t know what else I can do . He was very energetic but now he loves to sleep more and interact less with his brother
I’d definitely go back to the vet and talk about additional tests – not eating for a bit in hot weather is fine, but changes in behaviour and lethargy suggest a more serious underlying cause.
My dog is suffering from hepatitis, he is not eating anything. What should I do?
Definitely consult with your vet on that one!
Hi, ive wanted seek some advice my mixed labretriver was diagnose with parvo last april 8 then she was ok she started to eat (boiled chicken breast and liver) and drink on her own and she is playful then right after may 22 she doesnt want to eat chicken breast and liver anymore but she is doing fine, shes playful and drinking on her own. I dont know what to do, some of my friends they are telling me that shes a picky eater. Hoping for your advice 🙏🙏🙏
Parvo infection can leave permanent scarring on the gut, but it’s difficult to know if that’s what’s going on here. I’d suggest a vet check to rule out medical causes, and then potentially a behavioural consult in case it’s a food-aversive behaviour she picked up when she was ill. If everything checks out, she might just be picky!
My 14 year old German Shephard/Vizla mix all of a sudden will not eat when I put her bowl down and is standing in the middle of the hall staring – now she just laid down staring at the wall. I am concerned because this is not like her – she is usually sneaking the cat’s and our 6-year old Matese’s food. Should I call the vet? Do not want to over-react. Thank you.
Yes, I’d definitely get her seen by the vet – because this sounds like a change in behaviour, rather than a loss of appetite; the most likely explanation would be Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome, but there are other possibilities os you really do need a vet to check her out and make a diagnosis, then you can decide on a plan of action.
I have 6 month indian spitz she is mostly active but does not eat she usually goes for milk i tried different dry food like pedigree, drools etc she eats wet food but never with dry. Please suggest.
To be honest, if she doesn’t like dry food, then feeding her a completely balanced wet food seems the simplest solution!
My dog is about to turn two years old next month. Suddenly his appetite has changed. He will take treats and chew on a bone. But is hesitant for his kibble unless I had something to it like pb, yogurt, or maybe wet food. Is he okay? Drinks, plays, loves the dog park still. Energetic
I’d suggest a general health check with your vet, just to confirm there’s nothing medically wrong: however, at that age, many dogs’ metabolisms slow down a bit, so he probably just doesn’t need so much food!
Hi. We have a nine year old Yorkie. He frequently will not eat. After a day or two he will throw up yellow bile. Most times he will then eat. We make his food and sometimes we give him just boiled chicken breast when this happens. We’ve had him to the vet who ran blood tests and said he is healthy. Tonight after not eating all day, I can hear his little belly squishing and gurgling. The past month he lacks his chops frequently. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions
Do you mean “licks his chops”? If so, that would suggest nausea – and that suggests there is something going on medically. I think in any case that going back to the vet during an episode would be valuable here; alternatively, consider asking for a referral to a gastroenterology specialist… Good luck!
I have a 10 y/o yorkie who just had orthopedic surgery on 5/1/23. Her recovery thus far has been great up until about a week ago. She started refusing to eat her food that she normally loves. I’ve been trying to get creative to entice her appetite but she seems to be eating only tablespoons at a time. Water intake has been ok. She hasn’t had a bm in a few days but urinating normally. What else can I do to help her eat more?
I’d have a chat with the treating vet first, and make sure this isn’t a medicine-related side effect; and also whether the process of healing could impact her ability to squat (constipation due to one or both is not uncommon after orthopaedic surgery, and can manifest as a loss of appetite).
I have a three year old Shih Tzu male. Occasionally he bites his tail and causes a pain for himself. Local vet does very little. I’ve tried anti itch lotions/sprays. Need help
If your own vet isn’t able to get on top of it, it’s probably worth getting a second opinion, or seeking a referral to a larger referral hospital.
My older dog hasn’t eaten anything for over 12 hours and stays under the couch what should I do
While it’s likely to be nothing more than an upset stomach that will resolve in a day or so, any sudden behaviour change like this is worth getting checked by your vet, just in case it’s something more sinister.
Hi my dog has an ear infection over a week ago we have had medication to help with it ear drops and ear cleaner and antibiotics were coming up to the week tomorrow but she doesn’t seem to want to move eat and we have to take the water bowl to her so she can drink she is drinking plenty if water what else can I do
Hmmm, that’s not good – that isn’t a normal result of an ear infection, I’d definitely try and get an earlier appointment, ASAP if you can.
Nugget is about 8 months old I guess normally active happy decent appetite but the last day and a 1/2 he isn’t wanting to eat he throws up shortly after drinking any water he gets up and goes outside to throw up I haven’t noticed him pooping either his nose is warmish but iv checked his temp and it’s 100 so no fever I don’t drive have no transportation to cut nor money for it even if I could get there I’m scared he’s eaten something I’m praying it’s not poison how would I know amd what could I do if I couldn’t get him to a vet please help me
If he can’t keep water down, and has been vomiting for a day and a half, then he needs veterinary care, full stop. You may have to consider surrendering him, but there is a strong possibility that he will die from dehydration.
Over here, you could be prosecuted for failing to seek veterinary care for a puppy who is that sick – so please, please get him seen by a charity or whatever!
I have a 10 year old whippet and she’s suddenly gone off her food, she’s had hard poo’s and is finding the stairs a real difficulty. She’s always been a food oriented dog and she shakes when I’m a relaxed position. Any ideas
I definitely think it’s time for a vet check; there’s a good chance she’s suffering from uncontrolled arthritis. This is a very manageable condition, but it does need getting on top of, and you do need a vet to check out what exactly is going on!
My 11 year old bullihauhau (chihuahua/ bulldog mix) was acting fine Saturday. Sunday she had teary eyes and was sleepy all day. Monday, she went out for a bit, and did drink a bit of water and ate dinner treats. Today, she is back to teary eyes, & sleeping, she did drink some water but refused wet food. She is all of 5lbs , not dehydrated but also not going to bathroom.
OK, if she’s not eating and not urinating, that does suggest she may be mildly dehydrated. I would suggest a vet check, just to make sure there’s nothing more serious than a tummy bug going on.
I have a 2yr old Yorkie, he’s had digestive issues before where he’s had that raspberry jelly like poop. Took him to the vet and the prescription cleared ot up along with a change of diet. Recently I tried him with some new food and I’ve noticed for a few days now his appetite has diminished to the point where he wants nothing. Yesterday he ate grass and threw up a small amount of brown foam. He’s lethargic but in the night he wnt he wanted his walk though he didn’t protest as vehemently as usual about my slowness. He doesn’t have a fever. I checked and it seems his temperature went down 2 degrees. He did have some water but he’s not himself and I’m very concerned.
Clearly something’s upset his system; he’ll probably bounce back but I would advise a vet check to see if there’s anything going on that’s more serious: several days decline isn’t normal, and really needs checking out.
Our 10 month old basset hound all of a sudden isn’t interested in eating. But, she will eat a treat but not her dog food. She’ll eat out of my hand if I feed it to her. One bite at a time.
No diarrhea or vomiting. Still very busy.
Should we try wet dog food?
You could, but I’d strongly advise a vet check first to see if there’s something else medical going on!
I have a 3 year old male in the house and our female 1 year old is in heat. He will not touch food. We keep them seperate on a rotation but of course the pheromones are all around the house. I don’t know what to do it’s been about 5 days now he won’t eat or sleep
That’s probably normal under the circumstances! In the short term, there’s not a lot you can do until she goes out of season.
Longer term, neutering one or both (chemically or surgically) is probably the best option, as clearly he’s very distracted by her.
I have a 3 yr old cavalier king charles spaniel. She threw up a couple times. It was alot of liquid with looked like food. Sje jas drank water today but she wont eat anything. I did give her some pumpkin to settle her stomach. She hasnt thrown up sense. Im just worried. What symptoms should i look for? To take her to the vet?
Any other symptoms, not being able to keep water down, increased urination, weakness or lethargy are all red flags. If you want to check in more detail, us the Symptom Checker here.
I have a two year old maltipoos. I’ve recently moved to care for my elderly mother. We left our home where we have another dog that she is very close too. She has t been herself since we’ve been at my moms house. She’s barely eating Finally for her to eat some chicken today and an hour later she threw it all up. I’m being very concerned.
I suspect it’s behavioural, but if she’s thrown up, I would suggest a vet check to rule out any underlying issues first!
My dog is 5months old and recently broke her front upper long tooth during tug. Then it stopped eating from next day. First day after loosing the tooth it ate half bowl and left the remaining and next day it went to the bowel but didn’t eat. So I gave her boiled chicken which she ate. She is active and playing well but not sure what could be the reason for her loss of appetite.
There might well be some fragments of the tooth left in the socket – she REALLY needs veterinary attention, as a fractured tooth is incredibly painful!
We are traveling to Jeffreysvay and have been on the road fir the past 2 days. Our 13 year old pekingese is not eating at all. She drinks warter, but wont even take a treat from us. Do we need to see a vet about her not eating?
The most likely cause is stress and/or excitement from the journey – as long as she’s drinking it’s not immediately dangerous, but I would be inclined to seek veterinary attention if she’s still not eating anything into a third day.
Hello. My 1 yr and 8months dog lose her appetite. She eats but very small amount. Her poops are fine too.
There are lots of possible causes, but I’d really recommend a vet check to determine exactly why
Hello I have a 2 month old Dachsund I just brought home 4 days ago and she has rarely eaten anything since being home plus although it doesn’t happen often she has gotten a few bouts of nausea at random times. Should I take her back where I purchased her?
I’d be inclined to get your vet to check her over first – it might just be stress; but then again, it might be something more serious.
Hello. I have a 15 yo chihuahua mix. Last vet visit, she has clean bill of health other than chronic bronchitis. She was fine up until a few days ago. Yesterday she didn’t want to eat anything, but drank a lot and was active. She did vomit last night, mostly water. Today, still not eating. She did drink some water but little activity. Tonight, she is lethargic, acting very weak, and got sick twice. Bright yellow with a few bits of dry food. We don’t have a 24 hr emergency vet out here. I plan to take her in the morning if she doesn’t get better. What should I do until then?
Try to persuade her to drink, keep her warm, and get her seen ASAP in the morning!
My dog ate small rib bone and some French fries. Now he just lays around and will not eat . He is not vomiting or do not have diarrhea just sleeps over 10. Should I take him to the vet ?
Yes – bones can cause all sorts of issues if your dog is unlucky!
Thanks for always replying. We’ve seen the vet 2x already. He has always been picky with food, but stopped eating kibble on March 18th. After bloodwork, he is being treated with an antibiotic and it was determined he has an infection, though it’s not certain as to where. He wouldn’t eat prior to this, and we’ve had to resort to force-feeding him because he still isn’t eating on his own. He isn’t throwing up but his stomach is gurgling after he eats. We’ve been feeding him cooked chicken breast down his throat, and also ground up kibble mixed with wet food in little balls down his throat. Any recommendations as to what might make his stomach feel better right now would be great. He has lost 17 pounds and our vet has told us to keep doing what we are doing for now.
I think that just getting food passing through him and re-establishing normal peristalsis is what you need here. It might be that there’s a gastritis or a stomach ulcer, in which case however I would have expected your vet to prescribe an antacid; so getting food down him is the key thing. If you[re still struggling, it might be worth talking to your vet about antacids and/or anti-sickness drugs?
Hey there, thank you for this amazing and informative article!
I broke up recently, and moving out meant that we split two cavapoochon sisters that are 2 and 1.5 years oldish, from the same mom consecutive letters.
I was wondering how long should I wait before I get concerned? She is active and playful but didnt eat yet and its approaching 24hrs since she had food last.
I gave her 2 treats yesterday but I decided to hold off treats until she has a meal, I am planning to give her chicken today.
Off food for 1-2 days isn’t really a huge worry in an otherwise healthy adult dog. However, if any other signs manifest, or if she won’t take even tempting foods after a day ro two, then best get her checked over.
Hi my Pomeranian is 8 month old and he eat little nd some days no eat at all. He did a little diarrhea like mocus. I need to be concerned
Thank you
It sounds like colitis, but if it’s going on for more than a day or two, then yes, he needs to be seen by your vet.
My 7 year old male pitbull is not eating well for a few weeks l have to coax him to eat. His stool is like a small dogs and he does not jump onto the back of the van or off anymore. ?He drinks fine
That doesn’t sound good – it suggests there might be something more serious going on internally, that’s disrupting normal digestion and appetite. I’d definitely recommend a vet check to find out why and what’s going on.
My dog was poisoned. We went through getting rid of the poison, she’s finally back to starting to eat but won’t eat dog food(assuming that’s how she was tempted to the poison) but she will eat wet cat food. She’s even picky about human food. Is it ok for her to eat the cat food just to hopefully get her weight back up?
Eating cat food for a short while won’t be a problem for an otherwise healthy adult dog, but not too long – a week or two should be OK, but then you’ll need to use it to wean her back onto a properly balanced diet.
My 2 yr old Shichon suddenly stopped eating and was given a shot and meds to assist her when eating, as she was diagnosed as having had mechanical injury to her esophagus ( she had thrown up some bile with small bright red blood dots). The meds did help and she was soon back to her old self, eating, drinking and pottying normally. Yesterday was her first day, medication free. Today however, she is back to not eating again, having eaten 2 bites in total for the whole day. She drank water, went for her walks and played a bit. But towards the end of the day she did not want anything, not even her treats! What could be wrong?
Damage to the oesophagus can be really frustrating and slow to heal. My immediate thought is that she’s still sore and needs a bit longer on the meds. Have a chat with your vet, as it might be she needs to wean off them gradually – some drugs that’s not necessary, but without knowing what she’s been on I can’t advise more specifically!
My 32 week old puppy stopped eating and drinking water on Friday around 2pm then later that night was vomiting up clear foamy stuff. He’s down nothing but laid around since then. Sunday morning at 2:30am he throws up brown liquid. I’m scared and don’t know what to do cause my vet isn’t in the office till Monday can u please help me
That’s potentially quite serious and needs veterinary attention – if your local vets do not signpost an out of hours or emergency service for emergencies when they are closed (which would get them struck off in the UK, by the way), then you need to find one.
We have a Japanese Spitz that is almost two. He throws up yellow bile sometimes in the morning and then sometimes just before dinner. It is yellow bile. He eats fine afterwards, but it seems to be recurring every so often. Is it a feeding frequency issue or is it a thing where we need to feed him a greater quantity? Still drinks water and his bowel movements are normal.
It might well be an issue of frequency, but I’d be inclined to get a vet check up to see if there’s any underlying medical issues.
My dog ate old meat and have reddish watery eyes.its been two days that he hadn’t eaten any food even though vet gave him injections. What to do?
If he’s not responding to the medication, time to go back to the vet I think.
My dog ate old meat and he vomits for a day and also one of his eye is watery reddish then we went to vet, they gave him injections for that but it’s been 2 days my dog eat any food. What to give him as a food which are easily digestable Or any remedy for this decline in appetite.
If he’s still not eating, even when tempted, I’d suggest going back to the vet. In terms of food – think about a commercial gastrointestinal or digestive diet, that will be easily digested and processed without inflaming the gut any more.
My dog is 9 months old and doesnt have an appetite the last 2 days. Eating a little bit. Drininking a little bit, but otherwise seems fine. She is a little bit more tired than usual.
Not eating for a day or two because she’s a bit under the weather isn’t a problem, but if it goes on for 3 or more days, I’d suggest a check up with your vets, to make sure nothing’s seriously amiss.
My dog is otherwise normal but for the past few days hasn’t been eating much and whatever little he eats he vomits.What should I do?
I’d definitely advise a vet visit – whatever’s wrong, dehydration will be a problem for him after a few days.
Our 2 year old golden has suddenly gone off his food. He’s happily playing and drinking and will take some treats but seems more anxious out of no where as he’s pacing around and whining a lot. We’ve already had a vet visit and had blood tests done but all coming back fine and mouth/teeth check was fine too but it’s been a week since the vets and he’s still not eating much.
I’m nearing the end of my pregnancy and our boy hasn’t been neutered so wondering if the going off food and anxious could be caused purely by hormones? Or would it be best to get him back to vet to check up on him?
It’s a possibility – but being entire is usually fairly protective against that sort of anxiety. You could try using a pheromone diffuser (Adaptil) to see if that reduces his anxiety levels, but I’d be inclined to have that conversation with your vet, as it might be there’s a lot more behavioural “stuff” going on. Good luck!
My son has an English bulldog. My son went to visit his daughter and left the dog with me. He spends a lot of time with me on a regular basis. Got up today and the dog just lays and sleeps. Got him to eat a little and got him to drink water but he’s not acting like himself. What could be the problem?
I think if he seems off his food, a vet check is probably a good idea to make sure there isn’t anything nasty going on; if not, then see if he improves when your son get’s back!
My 2 yo GSD is lethargic and not interested in eating anything, even warm chix broth. His eyes look weak and nose is dry. He experienced rapid weight loss overnight. I Noticed vomit in pen this am along with above mentioned symptoms. He has not had a bowel movement today so as of right now I haven’t noticed diarrhea in his pen. I realized this can be caused by several illnesses or diseases, and he needs to see vet. My question(s) is due to the area I live and it’s distance from the vets office as well as it’s Saturday, first what can I do to comfort him and second what new symptoms may present that would constitute an emergency after hours visit, or is it already reached that point.
You’re absolutely right, he needs veterinary attention – but I appreciate the dilemma given the location!
Signs of an emergency would be any sudden deterioration, signs of dehydration (sticky gums, pale gums, high heart rate – over about 90-100 in most dog’s that breed), being unable to keep water down, increasing lethargy, or confusion.
My concern is that he’s eaten something and got a bowel blockage, or that he’s one of the unlucky black and tans and has contracted parvovirus.
Good luck with him, and do get him seen as soon as you can!
Hello ..my dog today doesn’t want to eat. Tonight he almost collapse. I’m worried about him because it’s not him.. he doesn’t like water too..is it normal? He’s always with his playmate I always allow him to play…but he go home always
Doesn’t sound normal, no! Not eating, not drinking, and collapsing = needs a vet!
My toy poodle, hasn’t eaten today, drank a lil here and there but slept a lot.. I took her out like normal she pee’d but looks a little off. Should I watch her a more or just take her to the vet and get checked
My dog will not eat drink she is very cold she’s very weak has been vomiting an has diarrhea.
What could be wrong? I need help ASAP!
OK – she needs a vet ASAP – the cold is probably from severe dehydration, and whatever the underlying condition, that needs treatment!
My xolo dog is about 15 y.o. shes been experiencing incontinence so shes on meds for that. Urinalysis rules out infection or diabetes because shes been drinking a lot too. Today out of there blue she doesn’t want canned food which she usually scarfs down nor is she drinking she won’t even touch treats. And shes whining a lot and feels bloated. Her sister passed away during a bout like this of pancreatitis and heart failure. I made a vet appointment right before the crying fits but the earliest I can get in is Wednesday. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I hope she’s doing OK – I’d definitely want to know about heart function, kidney function, and her hormonal pattern – especially whether she’s Cushingoid or Addisonian. Definitely time for a full vet work up – good luck!
My dog was a little sick early morning, and now her stomach is gurgling loudly and she hasn’t eaten today. She is still really active and wants to play. Should I be concerned?
She probably has a stomach upset – if she seems OK otherwise and is drinking OK, keep an eye on her and see how she goes. I’d expect her appetite to return in 24-48 hours! If not, or if other symptoms appear, check in with your vets.
My dog vomited yesterday she has eaten a little bit of her food and now wont eat she is drinking water as normal and is still very active
A single one off vomit, with the dog otherwise bright and drinking well, but not yet eating, isn’t usually an emergency – keep her comfy and hydrated, and see how she goes; if she starts vomiting again, or her appetite doesn’t return in 48 hours or so, then time for the vet. But usually these things wear off on their own as they recover from whatever tummy bug they’ve had.
Happy new year… my puppy whose 2 months and a couple days old was eating hard food and pretty energetic… its been alittle over 24 hours and she only ate a little bit of rotisserie chicken(the white meat no skin) and she drinks water… she has not been as energetic and seems to have lost weight… she walks around and follows me when i leave the room… i noticed something was wrong because she started staying to herself even though she always hid herself she started going under my bed and facing the wall… now she doesn’t eat but actually walks around more and drinks water every once in a while
Sounds like a nasty tummy upset – if you’re certain she hasn’t had access to skin or bone, or indeed anything toxic, I’d be inclined to keep her hydrated and see how she goes. If her appetite hasn’t come back in a day or two, then time for a vet check.
Any recommendations?
Hello my dog play with toad & suddenly he experience seizure & I immediately wash his mouth & clean his tongue after awhile his back to normal & drink plenty of water then in the morning he feels weak & the urine is dark yellow. Is he still in dangerous state?
I don’t know what kinds of toads you have there, but most toad venom is moderately to very toxic, so I really do think a vet check up would be a really good idea!
My dog ate lasagne was violently sick he ate a very little portion of chicken an rice yesterday but today he s very sorry for him self and refuses to eat he,s very quiet
Suddenly eating an unusually rich meal (like lasagna!) will often cause a significant stomach upset – I would expect him to feel better and be eating and drinking normally in a day or two, but if not, I’d get him checked out by your vet in case there’s something else going on – a fatty meal like that could easily set off a bout of pancreatitis, which is usually very painful and can be very serious without treatment.
I have a 1 and half year old lhaso apso who is not a great eater at all she had dioreha and was sick twice and didnt eat all day the next day she was fine ate some meal and hard stool but the day after that dioreha and then sick again once and hasn’t eaten a thing all day. She’s still playful when prompted and gets excited when she sees me. I’m just getting worried about her
These grumbly stomach problems can be a pain to deal with. I’d suggest collecting a stool sample of the looser faeces, and getting an appointment with your vet for a check up; you cna give them the sample to run parasite tests on, because often these issues come down to gut parasites such as Giardia. Good luck!
Why is this not taking my question
Because all posts are moderated and then replied to!
My sons greyhound of 7 to 8 years who loves to stay at grandmas house is not walking much and eating is random. It has gotten very cold in the northwest and she will only walk a couple of blocks and turn around which is not like her. I am thinking at her age maybe the cold is affecting her bones. Should I be concern?
As you say, old age, cold and probably some arthritis would explain the signs. But making an appointment for a vet check up would be a good idea – there are other possible causes, and arthritis is a very treatable condition nowadays, so there’s no real reason to leave her uncomfy.
If her appetite has only suddenly become patchy, though, and before she ate well – I’d try and get her seen sooner, as that doesn’t really fit the “classic” pattern of a low grade discomfort in the cold.
Why is my dog refusing to eat but keeps vomitting for 3-4 days now. He looks thinner and vulnerably weak.
There are lots of possibilities, including infections (e.g. Parvovirus, Salmonella), or a blocked bowel, or kidney or liver failure.
Whatever the cause, though, he needs veterinary attention NOW!
Hi, my dog has a tooth infection which we noticed bc he stopped eating. After two days they have him a fentanyl patch bc other pain meds aren’t working and we are waiting for the dental visit. He’s also on antibiotics. But it’s a full three days since he has eaten. How long can a toy poodle go without eating? He is drinking though. I’m considering hospitalization so they can do a further work up.
Longer than you think, to be honest! However, you don’t say how old he is – if he’s a young adult, he can probably go a week or more without any long-term problems (although that’s definitely not ideal); if he’s a puppy or an older boy, he doesn’t have the same reserves. But I would recommend hospitalisation – the longer he goes without food, the more difficult the anaesthetic and surgery will be for him to bounce back, and in hospital they can feed him pulp or liquid food, or even give him a feeding tube to help keep his calorie intake up.
Hi my 3year old puppy poodle and Maltese mix, suddenly not being active and not eating since morning.. Plus she vomits 3 times today..
OK, definitely vet time: dehydration is a big problem with persistent vomiting, and there is the possibility of a serious problem like a blocked bowel.
I have a 7 month mini golden doodle and she isn’t eating or drinking. I have forced her drink with a syringe as she was dehydrated and don’t know what to do to make her eat. I took her to the vet and they gave me medicine but found out I gave misinformation. I said she had diaharrea when instead she had vomited.
OK, I think you need to go back to the vet as soon as possible – the medicine for diarrhoea will often make vomiting worse, and won’t address the underlying issue: repeated vomiting and then loss of appetite in a dog of that age is very suspicious for a gut blockage, which is a life-threatening emergency.
Hi I have a morkie puppy that is almost 2 years old. Today makes day 3 he is refusing all food and water. This is very odd for him because usually he eats everything and overly loves water. Day one prior to him refusing food, there was diarrhea I also noticed vomit on day 2.He drank a little water yesterday but I am very confused. He’s nowhere near hyper as he usually is and feels more fragile as if he has lost weight, what could be the cause of this
Most likely its gastroenteritis – a gut infection or upset, most commonly due to eating something nasty. Other possible causes include a blocked bowel or an infection like Parvo.
However, if he’s not drunk for 3 days – vet time ASAP, as the dehydration is itself potentially life-threatening.
My 5 year old Plott Hound is more of a grazer but usually eats 1-2 meals a day. Sometimes he doesn’t eat that much but usually catches back up. Very sweet, submissive personality, we rescued him a few years ago. He usually loves daycare and hasn’t had any issues being boarded but his appetite has really decreased since coming back home this time. He’s drinking water, peeing as normal but had runny poop. He’s had some chicken to entice him but he hasn’t touched his normal food except for a few bites. No vomiting at all. When should I be concerned and get him checked out? Thank you!
If he’s had diarrhoea for more than 2-3 days, especially if there are additional symptoms (like loss of appetite), I’d be getting him checked out. If the diarrhoea was bloody, or he had other unexplained signs (like weakness) I would suggest sooner.
Hi there, I’m pretty worried because my 8 month old dog LOVES food. He always eats his food right away, no matter what we give him. Yesterday evening he didn’t eat his food right away. He ate some kibble from my hand however. This morning, he didn’t want his kibble at all. He has been drinking water however, and he did eat some rice and chicken with no issue. He has a history of having boughts of diarrhea which is usually resolved after a few days with rice and chicken diet but he has never refused his food before. His stomach feels normal, no sensitivity or bloat. His behavior is pretty normal (he was playing fetch this morning and went on a walk, played some tug). Did have a little diarrhea on his walk this morning however. At what point do I contact our vet? Any other suggestions?
I would give him a day or so and see if the diarrhoea settles down: the most likely cause is that he has a mild stomach upset that will settle itself in 24-48 hours. However, if it doesn’t or if any other symptoms develop, it’s definitely vet time.
My puppy is 10 weeks old. She is vaccinated and dewormed but she doent want to eat or drink. And she runs a fever
It’s possible that one of her vaccines didn’t take, but it’s more likely she has something else. Whatever’s going on, though, if a pup of that age has a fever and won’t drink, she needs veterinary care ASAP – dehydration is seriously dangerous. Good luck!
Hey. My almost 13 year old toy poodle has really gone off his food lately. Background – he has always been a finicky eater.
We took him off all treats and him on a Fresh Pet chicken meal and he loved it. We were so happy that he was eating with no coaxing pretty much for the first time. We moved and now he just doesnt want to eat at all. He will eat the chicken out of a chicken and rice combination but will only sniff the food he loved so much. He has had a bit of diarrhea on and off and is on a heart pill as he has an enlarged heart. I am at a loss on what to feed him. He seems pretty normal other than the eating problem and has been to the vet a few times. Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Heart disease can sometimes impact appetite, as can the side effects of the meds, so I do wonder if this is part of the problem? Given his underlying health, the usual advice of “he’ll eat when he’s hungry” doesn’t really apply, because while a healthy dog won’t starve themselves into any danger, a dog with a health condition can quite easily.
My suggestion would be to have a chat with your vet and see if there’s any chance that his meds or his condition are now starting to impact his appetite; after that – it’s just tempting to eat I’m afraid!
My 8yr old female mixed terrier was dianosed with a bladder infection with a cluster of stones. The vet put her on science diet for bladder and meds ciprofloxacin 125 twice a day She ate good the first 2 days but had not eaten anything fir 2 days no water What should I do
Definitely call the vet back ASAP – that is not a normal response and if she doesn’t complete the course (of a drug that is listed as critically important to human health and not to be used as a first-line treatment) there are potentially major health problems down the line.
Help my eight month old pitbull it does not want to eat he isn’t that he dehydrated but he like he throws up everything that like he consumes he doesn’t want to drink or eat anything he’s drinking but he doesn’t drink a lot. He is moving less he isn’t going out much. all he wants to do is lay down and he doesn’t walk fast like he used to and his tail isn’t wagging that much but he’ll start wagging but he won’t that much like he usted to he is not using the bathroom so he’s not pooping or he’s not like you know you’re urinating at all
OK, he definitely needs veterinary attention I think: if he’s vomiting constantly this is always a worry. This suggests a more chronic cause of vomiting, but there are lots and lots of possible options – he needs a full physical examination and a proper workup to see what’s going on and why.
Help! Our 15 yr old Terrier mix, who has always been a little finicky in her eating over the 15 years, has now refused to eat. We can tell she is hungry, but refuses any food we put in front of her. She usually gets cooked chicken, and some kibble to help supplement her nutrition. She also takes her two heart pills wrapped in cheese. But now, while we know she is hungry turns her nose up to anything we put in front of her. And we have tried hamburger, sausage, different kind of cheese.
In a dog of that age, not eating is a bit more of a worry than in a younger pup. I think a vet check to see what’s going on would be a really good idea, especially as clearly she has underlying heart conditions. Working out if there’s a change in her medical status is really important at this stage, before she starts losing weight (and reserves).
My lab basset mix, 14 yrs old, has regular senior ck ups every year, he’s not eating now for 24hrs, teeth are ok, gums are pink, threw up white foam about 6 times, I am going to take to vet after 48 hrs have passed, he’s always been very healthy. I am just stunned.
Throwing up white foam can be a red-flag danger sign of a GDV. Even if it’s not (which is likely), at that age, 48 hours without food is a problem – I would definitely get him checked over sooner if you can.
I have a 5 1/2 month old puppy last night she threw up all her dinner it also had grass in it and pooped three times through out the night. This morning she was hiding and when she finally came out she was not herself and not wanting to eat or drink anything. Any ideas of what is going on with her or when should I be worried because I am very worried.
This is very common following an episode of gastroenteritis; if she’s still drinking and keeping water down, I wouldn’t worry immediately, but try and tempt her with some gastrointestinal/recovery/ bland food in 12 hours or so. If she throws up again, though, or can’t keep water down, I would definitely seek rapid veterinary attention, and if her behaviour is markedly altered (being a bit anxious is normal, anything else, not so much), then contact the vet sooner.
Hi David. My friend just had a litter September 2 of 12 puppies. They were all doing just fine and I found them all loving homes in the last two days, three of the 12 puppies have become lethargic, vomiting, and dehydrated. What could be causing this? They are all in different areas right now and I want to get good information to the new parents. They did have their first shots about a week and a half ago.
Unfortunately, many pups aren’t fully protected after the first jab, because their mother’s antibodies block the action of the vaccine. This sounds worryingly like a parvo outbreak – hopefully it’s not, just a stomach upset, but without tests by the vets, it’s going to be really hard to know for sure.
I’ve been looking after my son’s male dog for 6 mths he’s now 18mths. My own make dog is 4years old and a few mths ago he started to refuse his breakfast a couple of days a week..I tried feeding him in quieter different places which worked for a while, these last few days he’s refusing both his meals, with coaxing from me he will eat. He’s been his self but a bit quieter. I’m concerned it’s because my son’s dog hasn’t been neutered but my dog has and is feeling threatened. What can I do…
I’d suggest getting a vet check first, to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical problem affecting his appetite. Then see what comes from that – neutered and unneutered dogs normally get on fine, but if there is a conflict, there’s lots you can do to mitigate it.
Hi, my 8 year old labrador developed a lump on right side of chest two weeks ago to which it has been confirmed is a cancerous tumour , he’s been very lethargic, not wanting to eat much, but today he has been so playful and back to his old self, what could be the reason for this?
You haven’t said if he’s on any treatment; if so, it might be that it’s kicking in; alternatively, it could be that today was a “good day” – most disease processes (including many tumours) wax and wane, resulting in good days and bad days, and this might be it. Either way, give thanks for good days when they come!
I have a puppy he will be a year old in December,this morning he woke up not feeling well at all,he doesn’t want to eat or drink so I would give him liquid through a dropper.he also has cold in the corner of his eyes what could be wrong with him
There are lots of possibilities, but a dog of nearly a year who doesn’t want to eat or drink is always a concern: I would strongly advice finding a local vet and getting him checked out ASAP!
I have a 4-month-old Malshi. My husband and I are on vacation and we brought her with us. Since arriving, she (my Malshi) has been anxious and seems stressed. She barely ate anything and she won’t sleep. In 48 hours, she’s probably slept a mere 2-3 hours, in total. Is there something I can give her to help her sleep? She usually takes a nap 2x a day but she hasn’t done that since we’ve been away from home.
It does sound like a stress-response; I wouldn’t recommend any prescription medicines at this stage, but an Adaptil collar and/or diffuser would probably be a logical place to start, to help her feel more at home and comfortable. If she goes more than 2 days without eating much, it might be worth finding a local vet to get her checked out and making sure that there aren’t any underlying medical issues.
Good luck!
Hi, my pitbull just turned 1 and he hasnt been eating that much. He’s still very playful and likes to go on walks but when its time to eat he doesn’t want to eat and as far as water he hasnt been drinking that much either. I’ll set food out for him and try to give him some and he’ll eat a little bit and walk away and then hours later he’ll eat a little bit. He’s lost alot of weight and i’m very close to just taking him to the vet. Help?
If a 1 year old dog is losing lots of weight he needs a vet – full stop! There’s no way the problem can be diagnosed without a full clinical exam and probably further workup (bloods etc) – and that needs your vet to see and check him over. I really think that’s the best thing to do NOW, not waiting any longer: good luck!
5 days ago I woke up to a dead snake the dogs had killed. About a day later, the younger 1-year old dog refused to eat and preferred to lie down most of the time. We called the vet thinking he’d perhaps been bitten by the snake. The vet advised that we give him milk, which he took. He lost interest in that too so the vet came and gave him some antibiotics and appetite meds. He improved a little though he continues to refuse to eat or take milk but will occasionallytake water. His energy levels are still low. I’m concerned.
I think it’s time to go back to the vet – if the treatment isn’t working as well as expected, then it’s time to review and see if there’s anything else needed.
My dog has a good appetite before 2 days from now, he refused to eat but drinks a lot of water. I try to hand feed him but it doesn’t want to eat. What could possible caused why he is like that?
It could be gastroenteritis, or a foreign body trapped in the bowel. However, whatever the cause, he needs veterinary attention – NOW.
I have a 12 yrs. Old lab. She has been really excited to eat most all the time. I changed her food and weened her off of the other. When we got down to the new food by itself she started going to eat it and turned her nose away. I went back to the store and got her the old food back. She is now turning away from that one too. I know we fed her some of our food…just to entice to eat something. Last night we came home to vomit of grass in the house. She seems to be a bit more laying around than normal. Thoughts???
It sounds like she might have a stomach upset – a few days of poor appetite and the occasional vomit is unlikely to be a problem as long as she can keep water down, but if it goes on for longer than 24-48 hours, or if she develops any other symptoms, or if she’s unable to keep water down, I’d say she really needs to be seen by a vet.
Sir please help me my dog is properly and again again going for deep sleep
When i take him outside for walk he suddenly stops at a place
There are lots of possible causes for this, from behaviour problems to brain diseases such as narcolepsy. He needs a full veterinary examination and other tests to work out what is wrong. Good luck with him!
Hey my dog is pomerian and 8 month old he did vomiting for two days but we give him dr.treatment but he is not eating anything sometime he being active sometime lazy what should i do for him to eat food
If he’s not eating 2 days after the vomiting stopped, back to the vet I think.
My 5 month old German shepherd has not eaten in 4 days now. He is normally very active constantly playing with my other dog but ever since he stopped eating he is not himself. He lays around all day ,walks with his head down and completely not himself. He is drinking tho. I took him to the vet yesterday and they did blood work and X-rays but didn’t find anything they also gave him a shot to get his appetite back but hasn’t helped. I’m am very worried about him what could it be?!
That’s not good news; I’d be most worried about serious GI disease, or maybe even poisoning.
However, definitely back to the vets – if he hasn’t responded to treatment, then more workup and investigation is needed, especially as he’s lethargic as well as off his food.
My dog hasn’t ate or drank water in 2days and she has thrown up vial today do I need to worry?
Yes – no drinking in 2 days means he needs a vet ASAP.
I have a senior Boston Terrier who had no problem eating his food (always excited about meal times). Two weeks ago he threw up all his food (threw up 3 times over 2 day period) and then was unwell for a few days. Had 3 vet visits over 3 days, his temp seemed okay and he wasn’t in pain. Had a bit of gas on the second visit and was given an anti sick shot and oralade to give him over 2/3 days. Was also given some wet food to add to his food, he didn’t like the wet food very much. Fed him plain chicken and rice, he wouldn’t eat the rice and have tried to reintroduce his kibble over 5/6 days with chicken, have to had hand feed him and he mostly eats the chicken. If he felt unwell in the past or was being difficult about eating, we used to give him a teaspoon of Hill’s A/D and he would scoff his food down. Now he isn’t really interested in it and is eating the chicken only, but keeps looking at me fore more food? He is drinking water normally. Worried there isn’t enough fibre in his food or if he is eating enough? He just doesn’t seem 100% himself, but this could also be because he isn’t eating enough? Is he being fussy now? He has been fussy in the past and is quite an anxious dog? Just not sure what to do with him and his food.
It’s hard to know – food aversion is uncommon in dogs, but in theory it can happen. It might be worth trying a range of different foods and seeing if he will settle to any. It might also be worth getting another check-over from your vet to make sure there aren’t any ongoing or secondary problems causing him to have a poor appetite/
Hi I have a 22 month old male whippet. He was fine yesterday and went out this morning and had his normal run. Before lunch he was sick, but bought up grass.As the day has gone on he is refusing food, went out for his usual evening walk but on the way back he sat and wouldn’t move, we carried him a short way then he walked again. Once home he is still refusing all food and treats, he doesn’t have diarea but was sick this morning, but thought nothing of it, he’s not following us around or looking for food while we prepare ours, not his usual self at all
See how he is in the morning – 1 vomit and off food for up to 24 hours aren’t usually a problem in an otherwise health dog of that age, assuming he’s still drinking and doesn’t have any other clear symptoms. If he’s not able to keep water down (or refusing to drink), if he brings up foam, seems to be swelling or distending his abdomen, or develops any other symptoms – vet time. The most likely explanation is that he ate something nasty and will be OK in 24 hours or so.
My pup have t ate in a few days she has lost a bunch of weight. She drinks water but won’t eat. What can I do? Normally she eat everything in sight
A pup who hasn’t eaten for several days needs a vet – there are lots of possibilities as to the cause, but a diagnosis and appropriate treatment is really important sooner rather than later!
My 3 month old rottweiler who is normally a good eater is not eating since yesterday. Drinks water, is active and plays. His poop is perfectly fine. But he is not eating anything.
24 hours off food isn’t that common in a pup of that age with a mild or low-grade stomach bug, but if it goes on for longer, or he develops any other symptoms, I’d recommend a vet check.
I have a 8 month old German Shepard mix for the last 4-5 days he will not eat dry food but will take treats. He is drinking water. He has started to drool alot, never did before. The past 3 days he has had diarrhea. I’ve tried putting broth in his food, not interested. What should I do?
3 days of diarrhoea and off food for 4 days? He needs a vet – the dehydration is potentially getting serious by this point.
Overnight he broke out in what looks like some type of hives. I got him a appt with vet today
OK, good luck with him!
Our 4 1/2 year old German Shepherd suddenly had a loss of appetite this week. He has started picking at his food, but refuses to eat meat, which he usually loves. Now we’re noticing that there’s something off with his vision. He isn’t blind, but either there is a decline in his eyesight, or his reaction time is seriously delayed – he has walked into a few things (but not consistently) and when you try to throw a treat to him (which he usually catches with ease) he either grabs too early/late or just misses it altogether.
That’s an unusual combination, and if they are directly related, I’d suggest fairly urgent vet check as it might suggest some sort of brain lesion or injury.
My 14 month red nose American Pitbull refused to eat yesterday morning and still hasn’t. He won’t drink water either. When I offer him food or water his eyes light up but he won’t take anything in. His bowel movements have been watery also. When I go in to take him out he wags his tail and comes willingly but his energy level is WAY down. All he’s done since yesterday morning is sleep. He usually barks or whines when he needs to go out but I’ve had to go in and get him since yesterday. He just sleep. Can someone tell me what I should do? He’s my first dog.
It sounds like he’s got some sort of gut infection – hopefully just gastroenteritis, but it could be something more serious like a canine intestinal coronavirus, or even Parvo (although that’s less likely if he’s vaccinated, its not quite impossible). I’m afraid I think a vet check is the next step – diarrhoea alone can often be managed at home, but loss of appetite and lethargy in a pup that age usually needs some checking out: and if he’s not drinking, he’ll get dehydrated pretty fast. Good luck with him, hopefully he’ll be up and bouncing soon!
our female dog, 6 years old, not married, had green diarrheaand stopped eating but drinking water. we visited a vet clinic and treated her, but it is now more than 9 days she refused to eat even the diarrhea stopped, but before days she had her period again and she had finished her last period before 2 weeks. i did not know what to do with
Back to the vet I think – this isn’t normal!
Also, as an aside, remember that dogs do not actually have periods, it’s a bit more complex than that…
I realized my dog, scout does not eat her food. Rather she is seen eating grass or plants. This has been like 4 days. Just this morning i noticed she is shivering and has some temperature. What could be the problem .
There are lots and lots of possible problems, but any dog with a fever needs veterinary attention, as it suggests that there is a systemic infection somewhere.
Hi after some advice my french bulldog had a sickness two days ago
yesterday woke seemed better had two bowls of rice and fish yesterday one morning and lunch and had the runs on the morning, now refusing to eat since Is this normal ,so he won’t of eaten since yesterday around 2 pm should I worry or give him more time ?
It’s not uncommon, but it’s not normal – usually after the vomiting subsides, dogs will eat through the diarrhoea (which is fine). If not, I’d suggest a vet check to make sure he’s not too dehydrated and that there isn’t anything else going on.
My 9 year old chauwa have been down the past few days I just got her to take food yesterday when I cooked chicken and mixed veggies. She is week and having trouble standing…
Any dog who is weak and having trouble standing needs veterinary attention – sooner rather than later! This isn’t normal, especially at a relatively young age for a small breed dog like a Chihuahua.
Hi it can take all day sometimes for my 11 month old mini long haired Doxy to finish a dish of her dog food. Then there are days she’ll eat in the morning and afternoon or catch up on that one bowl and snarf it down. I feed her like little over a 1/4 cup. She’s not under weight or anything.
Some dogs do take longer to eat than others – but without knowing what the food is, it’s impossible to know whether that’s the right amount! Common reasons for slow eating include overfeeding (!), or dental problems such as retained teeth, but also other conditions such as (more common in toy breeds) muscle diseases like myasthenia or oesophageal paralysis. I think a vet check to rule out medical issues would be a good start, and also to check whether she’s being overfed or is actually underweight.
I cannot afford a vet! I don’t have family to help and I live paycheck to paycheck. I can’t take out loans etc.. please any helpful advice! My almost 9 month old Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix has not eaten in 3 days now and will barely drink water, when she does she throws it up half the time. She has only made one bowel, it was half liquid half soft-solid. The evening before this started I gave her some plain canned tuna mixed with dry food. I have tried to give her Pedialyte – she licks it off my fingers but won’t drink it. She loves her toys and going to the park – none interests her right now. She looks weak and appears to have lost weight already. I’m beside myself seeing her like this, she’s my first dog. What can I do??
Was curious what was the problem with the Chihuahua
Find a charity who can help ASAP – these symptoms typically indicate a bowel blockage: if that is correct, she needs emergency surgery or she will probably die, quite slowly and painfully. Alternatively, think about wha tis best for her and offer her up for rehoming.
Hi David, my 4 year old cross breed is not eating he’s coming through an athroscopy for arthritis which is fine but after feeling great the last few days he has started being sick yesterday and is in pain in his stomache . He was prescribed paradale and metacam the vets asked to remove metacam as it can cause ulcers. He is still
Uncomfortable but not being sick eaten a very little bit of chicken but drink water. The vets are orthopaedic who performed the surgery and have asked us to visit our normal vets to rule of pancreatic issues – he’s Strachey is not swollen but is causing him
Pain
OK, I would definitely get on to your primary care vets as soon as possible. Stomach ulcers are a well recognised side effect of NSAID medications such as meloxicam (“Metacam”); however, other problems such as pancreatitis have been described following unusual and individual reactions to a wide range of drugs. So I think medication side effects are quite likely, but there is of course always the possibility that there’s something else going on. Overall, I think getting a firm diagnosis of what’s happening as soon as possible would be the best way to go – good luck!
Also, she underwent the anesthesia twice in the same day.
Have a 12 year old great pyrenees mix breed dog who under went anesthesia 2 months ago. She has not had her normal appetite, her stools have been loose to soft but not formed and is more tired and lethargic. Thinking gut related but not sure when it comes to dogs. Any ideas or recommendations?
It’s not a common issue, although in theory some degree of gut dysfunction is normal after anaesthesia it would usually normalise within 48-72 hours. I’d recommend further checks with your vet, as it’s possible there’s something else going on. You didn’t say why she needed those anaesthetics, so I’d be more concerned about an underlying condition or a side effect of ongoing medication.
my 4yr old dog been refusing to eat her food but still drink her water. nothing change in her behaviour still playful and attentive. right now i hand fed her and today she ate like half of her normal food portion. what can i do to gain her appetite
It depends why she isn’t eating. I think the best thing to do would be to get her checked over by your vet to make sure there aren’t any underlying medical problems that are causing her poor appetite, and then go from there. Good luck!
We have currently had a severe heat wave which was able to keep my dog away from, but noticing since the drop in temperature he’s become very weak and not able to stomach food, he’s drinking plenty but also has the poos and we’re finding him lay down a lot or excessively sweating so goes to the door for air. We’ve tried the boiled rice trick but he doesn’t appear to be interested, only in water. He’s a 3 year old border collie and is losing weight drastically.
Have got EXACTLY and I mean exactly the same issue with our JRT.
Looks at food then just walks off licking her lips. Took to the vet and had bloods done all
Fine.
Really worried as she’s a greedy little dog and never been off her food. Sick once on Friday then not eaten since. Soft poop but not diarrhoea as such.
Exactly the same with my JRT bitch (2 yo) went off her food 2 days ago. Vomited clear sputum x 1 & had 2 v small soft stools since. Very lethargic, no interest in food or treats. Saw vet nurse today who wasn’t worried as not dehydrated but have agreed to see vet tomorrow. I’m baffled. Our other JRT is fine.
Yes it’s been REALLY hot this week hasn’t it!
At that age, I wouldn’t expect him to be struggling that much after the heat has subsided, so I would strongly advise a vet check – the lethargy and excessive sweating worries me more than the lack of appetite.
Hello, my family and I have two dogs that are both Belgian Malinois. An 7 year old female (Riley) and 1 1/2 year old male (Eli). Riley just recently had her period which stopped also recently. We noticed a problem with Eli lately where he would smell and lick the bum of Riley very often. This behavior eventually lead to Eli trying to get on top of Riley to “hump” her. He would also start barking and whining if Riley refuses or just to get her attention. Eli has lost his appetite of eating his usual 2 meals a day as I am writing this. Would someone be kind enough to tell me why this is happening and what I can do to possibly solve this dilemma? Thank you very much.
This is very common with male dogs when kept together with an entire female (especially if they are relatively young). When she comes into season (note, dogs do not get “periods” in the same sense that humans do), he will be driven by the desire to mate, and everything else takes second place (including food). If he is entire, there is a very good chance that you’re going to end up with a litter of puppies!!!
Even if he is neutered – which you don’t specify – many neutered male dogs can still be driven wild when there is an oestrus (in season) female around, especially if they weren’t neutered until well into puberty.
The best solution would probably be to spay Riley – given her age, she is at a fairly high risk of pyometra anyway, and in this case it’s something I think would be a good idea for her sake as well as Eli’s.
As her season comes to an end, she’ll stop secreting pheromones and I’d expect his behaviour to return more or less to normal. If it doesn’t then I’d have a chat with your vet to rule out medical issues, and then to a good behaviourist. However, based on your description I think this is a physiological, not behavioural issue.
My son had to put one of his dogs down, now his other dog will barely eat, just lays around and looks sad. This has been going on for about 6 weeks. She will eat a few pieces of food, and has lost 25 lbs. The vet prescribed an appetite stimulant and anxiety pills. This has not helped her. She is nine and grew up with his other dog. She has lost muscle in the rear quarters and has a hard time getting up. We are very worried that we will lose her as well. Any suggestions on getting her to eat again? Please help
I think you need to go back to the vet urgently and have that conversation: there’s clearly something wrong, and while pining is one possible cause it’s very unusual for it to be this severe: 25lb weight loss is serious, and I’d be suspicious there was something else going on.
My one and a half year old cavalier hasn’t wanted to eat her kibble for the last 3 weeks so I got her new food and she ate that for like 5 days but after that didn’t eat it so we were giving her boiled chicken and rice and ate that till yesterday. However today she woke up with diarrhea and has not wanted to eat anything.
I think now might be the time for a vet check – it sounds like there may be some underlying medical reason for her poor appetite!
My 12 year old mix had pale gums, puking and lack of appetite back in January. I took her in and they did bloodwork and an abdominal xray looking for masses that could have intermittent bleeding. Bloodwork came back perfect except 1 liver value that was slightly elevated but they were not concerned, no mass was seen in the xray either. Now she hadn’t eaten in 3 days but barely touching food for over a week and her gums have been pale for almost a week. She has been on Gabapentin and Carprofen for a few months for arthritis. I have stopped the carprofen and the puking has stopped. I did make an appointment but I can’t get her into the vet for awhile due to them being booked out for weeks. I did mix in egg with her food this morning to try and get her to eat and she did but very slowly, She’s normally a good eater when she eats. At first I thought she just wasn’t hungry so I increased her activity but have had no change.
Carprofen, like other NSAID painkillers, can lead to stomach ulcers and, in rare cases, bleeding ulcers, anaemia and even liver changes. I would be concerned about possible side effects from the drug, and so I would recommend telephoning your vets ASAP and talking over the phone to one of them: although it’s not that likely, this could be a medication reaction, in which case further treatment (possibly fairly urgently) may be required.
I stopped the carprofen almost 2 weeks ago. I did take her into the vet yesterday and her bloodwork was perfect. They did a pancreatitis test which was negative. Her appetite is back to normal now and her gums are back to their regular color. We’re working to try and figure out what else could be going on.
Sounds like you’ve covered the bases… good luck with her, and let us know how she gets on!
Our 4 yr old dachshund has been very lethargic, not eating much or drinking the past 2 weeks. We took him to the emergency room last week. He had a high temp so he was kept overnight. When he was released, he was given several prescriptions; amoxicillin, gabapentin, carprofen. They thought the temperature may be caused by pain in the neck. We took him again to see his general vet and were prescribed more medications. Nothing seems to be helping and we can’t afford to keep going to see doctors.
You need to find out what’s going on: what the underlying cause of his symptoms are, because if the medications aren’t helping, that suggests that the cause hasn’t been identified. It might be worth talking to your vet about the sequence of tests – i.e. what’s the next step, and how much can this be abbreviated to save money on lower-value testing procedures. It may also be helpful to consider a referral to a specialist who will hopefully be able to determine the underlying cause more quickly than an ECC or GP vet.
Have german shephard that is a year and a half old. With her last cycle had fluid in uterus but not pymera. Has never been food motivated. For last year, will eat for 4 – 5 days and then refuse to eat. Tested for allergies, pancreatitis, ultra sound, etc. All negative. Tried different foods. Went 3 days without eating (vet advised) and then devoured food for 3 days and refusing to eat again. Don’t know what to do
These “fussy” eaters can be really frustrating; I feel for you! The good news is that a healthy dog won’t actually starve herself into danger – as you’ve seen, eventually she’ll get hungry again. It might be worth making an appointment to see a veterinary nutritionist to see if you can get to the bottom of it?
Hi, my one year old golden doodle recently got sick after eating a rawhide bone. That night he ate as normal he drank his water as normal; however, early the next morning he had explosive diarrhea and he had vomiting. this only lasted one day. The next day he tried eating and the food did not stay down for even 30 minutes before he threw it up, it was not digested it was in the form exactly how he ate it. He still drinking his water I do not have a problem with that, but I cannot get him to eat! I have tried feeding him from my hand, I have tried giving him chicken and rice, I have tried re-introducing him back to his kibble with some beef broth over it what can possibly be the problem? He is really truly refusing to eat, but he is no longer vomiting and his stool is of normal color but the consistency is just liquid since he’s only drinking water, please help!
OK, liquid diarrhoea and not eating after a couple of days probably does need veterinary attention. Poisoning is a possibility – some rawhide chews have been shown to be contaminated in the past – but “simple” food poisoning bacteria are another possible cause. So my advice would be to get him checked out by a vet – even if he’s drinking, with that sort of diarrhoea, electrolyte imbalances are a distinct possibility.
hi mi dog (rottweiler, 7months old) chewed up a pen and got ink in his mouth an hour later he started foaming yellow bubbles at his mouth and was drooling a lot. he is also not eating but is drinking water. shall i take him to the vet?
I think that would be a good idea – foaming unusual colours isn’t good and may suggest that he swallowed some of the pen components. Swallowed foreign bodies often pass through, but they can have toxic components or, more often, lead to a blockage or damage to the bowel.
My 48 days dalmatian is not eating anything from one days after deworming one day ago.What we can do ?
While it could be a reaction to the wormer, if you used a product that is licensed for use in puppies of that age, it is unlikely to be that. One possibility is that they had a lot of worms, now they are dead they are blocking the bowel. Alternatively, it could be something unrelated. However, a puppy that young not eating is a concern, so I would recommend veterinary attention.
I have a 9 month female boxer puppy who seems to have lost interest in eating her kibble. I just got back from a 3 week long trip and I was having someone else watch her along with them taking her to a pet hotel and nobody has mentioned that she stopped eating but when i brought her home she’s lost interest. I tried putting a little bone broth to moisten it and try to entice her and she just sniffs it and walks away. I even tried to hand feed her and she does the same thing. She’s going on day two and barely eating but she still drinks a normal amount of water and has regular bowel movements and same amount of energy. I’m not too sure what to do
Loss of appetite at that age is unusual in a large-breed dog like her; it might be environmental (for example, hot weather and stress/anxiety), but if it persists once you’re back into a normal routine I’d advise a vet check to rule out underlying medical issues.
My dog doesn’t eat n drinks only water. He’s vomiting and pooping which is common what is wrong with him?
He clearly has some sort of gastrointestinal condition – definitely vet time!
I just rescued a puppy. Almost 3 months old. A few days ago diarrhea and vomiting started. Same food he was getting for 2 weeks. Now he won’t eat anything. Any thoughts?
In a puppy of that age, especially from a rescue background, definitely time for a fairly urgent vet check.
Hi, looking for a bit of advice.
My lovely Fudge is 4 years old, neutered and in good health. 3 days ago he was eating and drinking normally, we had a family BBQ and we gave him 2 left over burgers (just the meat), as a treat. The next day he had runny stools and was a bit off of his food. (I thought he was being fussy and holding out for more burgers!) then overnight he was sick all in his bed- solid food that didn’t look very digested. Yesterday he didn’t eat a thing all day and this morning we found he had been sick again, lots of yellow bile with a tiny bit of grass in it. It has been very hot the last couple of days so I’m wondering if it’s the heat? My question is- when is it time to call the vets? It’s been just over 24 hours since he’s had something to eat. He also isn’t drinking but did have a little drink yesterday evening.
OK, in this heat if he’s vomiting and not drinking, he REALLY needs veterinary attention: the original stomach upset might not have been too bad (probably food he wasn’t accustomed to – it’s quite common!), but the resulting dehydration could be serious.
My 4 year old cocker spaniel has gone off her food an her mood seems down. She doesn’t want to do anything, day before last she was as greedy as she normally was and then threw up all her food, and has since just been vomiting with bits of grass in, she won’t sit still for too long and then tries to lay in small spaces :/
Yes, I definitely think vet time, get her checked out and make sure there’s nothing serious going on – good luck!
my dog was bitten by stray dog he stop eating and drinking for last one even cant walk properly what to do is the matter is serious. he is vacinated
Yes, very serious, as no vaccine is 100% effective, and there is the possibility he has rabies: isolate your dog in a closed area where he has no access to humans and call your vets immediately. If any people have been bitten, they should seek URGENT medical attention themselves.
My 13 year old pug had always been very food motivated. For the past two months he has had diarrhea and become very picky when eating. His energy has been normal but he has lost alot of weight because of the lack of appetite. Before doing any testing the vet put him on a sensitive stomach diet which he ate and his stool returned to normal for about 3 days.. then he became disinterested in eating that and I went back to feeding him what he would eat (liver treats, chicken treats and Cheerios..) and his stool went back to diarrhea. Fecal exam was negative for anything, blood work, slight anemia, slight elevation of WBC and slightly low protein. Tried an appetite stimulant which didn’t help as well as metronizadol which didn’t seem to help. She has now prescribed prednisone thinking it’s some form of IBS that has gotten out of control. Curious on your thoughts on this?
In a dog of that age, some sort of chronic gut condition seems quite likely – IBD is a definite possibility, but we’d always have to consider the possibility of a tumour of some kind too. If she responds to the steroids, great; but if not it might be time for more invasive diagnostics like gut biopsies under anaesthetic. Good luck!
Thanks very much David. So after 2 days on the steroid his appetite came back with a vengeance and he started eating the vet prescribed sensitive stomach food. His stool today went from pretty much brown liquid to some decent consistency. Would this lean towards IBD or could a tumor respond in this manor as well?
So glad he’s feeling better!
While there are some tumours that might respond, I would agree that this degree of improvement is strong supportive evidence of a really nasty inflammatory bowel condition. Hopefully you can get it settled down again – good luck!
I’ve had my dog to two different vets probably 5 times in the last two months. He won’t eat, has been having diarrhea. Dr. Said that his colon is swollen and can’t absorb water. But the medicine for that makes him sick and he just throws it up. They’ve had him on so many different meds and nothing is helping. They did an ultrasound and found nothing. He was a happy and healthy boy two months ago and now I feel like I’m watching him slowly die. I don’t know where to turn. I feel like the vet isn’t doing anything to figure out what the real problem is. He’s lost 15 lbs. anyone have any advice at all? I’ll try anything. He’s only 8 and has a lot of life left to live.
Hey my dog is having the same syndromes, did you find out what was going on eventually?
It sounds like you’re really struggling to get on top of this: I’d suggest that you talk to your vet about a referral to a specialist in internal medicine for a full referral workup. It’s not that your vet doesn’t know what they’re doing, its just that in complex cases, this is why we have specialists who we can refer to! Good luck!
I have a shih tzu who is not even 2 years old yet. Female. She’s not eating and she’s laying around. What could be the cause of that? actually she will eat if I feed it to her off my hand but I’m really not trying to get her into that mood. She also won’t drink much water. What could that be?
Not eating combined with lethargy suggests she’s quite under the weather – it could just be that she’s hot, for example, but I would suggest a vet check, especially as she’s not drinking much: it could be a sign of a more serious problem than just poor appetite.
My female half shi zhu is about 12 years old and weighs about 22 lbs. For the last week she barely eats at all or drinks, throws up grass she eats with while foam, has very little energy, shakes and has quick shallow breaths. Before this past week she was fine. Please help
Right, she needs a vet, ASAP – get her checked out as there’s clearly something very very wrong with her.
My 2/12 year old sprocker Charlie has had runs for the last 24 hours and has stopped eating he was eating grass for 2 days before I don’t know if there has been something sprayed on the grass is there anything I can buy for him
2 days of diarrhoea is most likely to be simple gastroenteritis: chemical toxicity is a pretty rare cause, it’s more likely that he was eating grass because he was starting to feel a bit poorly. I’d advise getting in touch with your vet for advice, as they’ll know his full history and the local risk factors; but in general, a bland diet of boiled chicken and rice or a formulated gastrointestinal diet for a few days, and potentially an anti-diarrhoea paste from the vets, will usually sort these problems out.
Hi, we are currently on vacation with our 9 month old male German Shepherd and he has become very picky about eating and has decreased his food intake. We are driving cross country and will be away for approximately 3 weeks. He is well hydrated, he drinks from his own cup as we drive and gets plenty of potty breaks. I brought food from home and tried to keep to his schedule. He’ll sometimes take a bite or two and walk away. I decided to start getting him ham and eggs or some sort of protein from restaurants we stop at. He usually eats all of it. My concern is, is it enough? We had him checked by the vet before we left to make sure he was healthy for traveling and there were no issues. He is “lean” according to the vet. I don’t want him to be to underweight.
It is unlikely that he will develop any dangerous nutritional deficiencies in that time; however, as he is still in a rapid growth phase, some alterations to bone growth and development are possible, which could cause issues later. I would strongly advise trying to tempt him with a wide range of complete and age-appropriate foods (dry or wet), as an unbalanced diet of lean meat won’t be great for supporting healthy growth!
I’m dog sitting a dog and my 17 year old dog hasn’t eaten for 2 days. What could be wrong
Lots of things, at that age, and I would recommend veterinary attention sooner rather than later for such an old dog who has developed such a significant symptom.
My 9 year old shih tzu is healthy but these past few days he isn’t eating but he is drinking water. He just sleeps. His poop is normal and he is not vomiting. Is it because stress? Because these past few days is raining and he is afraid of raining and thunder. Also, his favorite place in our house is close. What will I do?
Stress is a possibility, yes, but not eating for more than 3 days is definitely abnormal, and merits a vet check to make sure there isn’t an underlying medical cause.
My 11 month old rottweiler is picking at her food. She’s barely eating these past few days. But will eat a boiled egg! I’m getting concerned but she’s still very active.
Shall I mix a little canned dog meat with her dry food? It’s almost like she’s putting her nose up at her dry food. I’ve given chicken and she gobbles that!
At that age it might be that her growth is starting to slow down a little, and she can now afford to be more fussy! Think about finding another complete diet and see if she likes that: but make sure it is a proper complete diet that she can be maintained on long term! It doesn’t matter that much whether it’s wet or dry, as long as it’s suitable for her breed, life stage, and it is complete!
My 9 year old Labrador has stopped eating and drinking for just over 2 days now. She’s not herself at all lacks energy and is clearly unwell. There is no signs of stomach issues.
She has had blood tests done and it has came back with anaemia she has also has a biopsy of the lymph node to rule out leukaemia, but she just been sent home after each test. I feel like she should be on an IV to get fluids in her or at least have been given some medication to try and perk her up and treat the anaemia. But nothing. I’m so utterly worried that she’s just shutting down. Is this normal for the vets to take their time and not keep her in?
2 days of not drinking is definitely a worry… I’d be ringing up the vets to talk about dehydration about now. It may be that your vet has examined her and decided that she isn’t that dehydrated, but as it goes longer and longer, that will start to be a worry. It doesn’t have to be a drip – there are options for oral rehydration that can tempt dogs, but I do agree that if it goes on much longer, the dehydration and inappetence will start to be a problem, whatever the underlying condition may be.
My 14 year old Chi-weenie, has not eaten in 2 days and now he is vomiting. He is still drinking a little water, but he is very lethargic. He is not active, like he was 3 days ago. 4 or 5 days ago he couldn’t move his back legs, but then he started walking/running again after a few hours. He has lost some teeth in the last few months. I have been trying to make a vet appointment, but as of yet, my vet has not reached out. I have tried to make appointments at other vets, but none have an appointment.
I think you’re doing the right thing – at that age, sudden changes like this can be quite serious and really do need investigated. With a history of going off his back legs, there are lots of possibilities that need investigating… good luck with him!
Hi, my 15 year old dog is only eating a few bites of food a day. Drinking water, running, everything expose seems normal. He only weighs 5 pounds so he needs to eat. He will not eat any dog food. I have to cook him food but now not even eating his favorites. He’s got cataracts, hearing going and arthritis. Only 2 teeth left. Does not want to be picked up anymore. What could be wrong? Thank you.
There are lots of possibilities in a dog that age, but it sounds like he’s really struggling – so its definitely time to get him looked at by your vet to determine what’s going on and how you can best support him.
It is quite possible at that age that his condition is incurable, but at the least you can plan palliative care to keep him comfy.
My shih tzu Blair has been seen by two vets and know one is helping, it’s been a week of her being sick. May 1 I woke up to her throwing up with a little blood. I took her to the vet May 2, they ran test and examined her and said it was possibly a UTI and gave her sulfate with bland diet. may 3 she got the runs but is eating, may 4 she stopped eating and threw up. may 5 still no eating took to vet and is given oral prebiotics and she got a shot to harden her stool. May 6-9 and still has the runs, not eating on her own but I’m syringing her food and drink very little water on her own. I’m a college students I’ve spent $600 on vet bills already and still have no answer
It sounds like its more of an ongoing intestinal issue than strictly an appetite one – there have been a number of nasty stomach bugs doing the rounds over here recently, and it might be something like that that’s going to take a while to recover from. However, overall, it sounds like you might need to do more diagnostics to work out what’s going on: faecal tests and maybe imaging. In general in stomach upsets we don’t worry too much about a specific diagnosis, but if it’s been going on for over a week, that suggests something that’s going to need more detailed information to formulate a treatment plan. Good luck with her!
My 10 year old 35 lb. pit mix got into some month old raw Easter eggs. She had some, not copious, diarrhea that evening and next morning, then vomited that day a few times. That evening she had one drink of rice water and a tiny bit of plain yogurt. Today she has not wanted to eat or drink except for a bit of pumpkin and taste of rice water. She is still peeing and acts perky when we go out, wondering how long it’s ok for her to eat and drink so little? I’m checking to be sure she pees everytime we go out so not super dehydrated.
Are we talking chocolate eggs here or chicken’s eggs?
My 7 year old beagle was fine last thursday lunch time but came evening he did not touch his food and was lethargic. He pooped a small amount of mucus that night. The next day, he was not eating but was drinking. Came saturday he was eating a very small amount of food and a bit energetic. Today, he ate a small amount of food but was more into drinking. But I know he is hungry because he is looking for food but just wont eat any food im giving. And when i walked him, he was able to eat some leftover bone he found and some tissue.
It’s best after a stomach upset to offer a bland diet, typically boiled chicken or rice. But don’t let him scavenge – it risks making him worse again!
My dog is almost 2 years old she had gone out to the beach two days before getting sick she sleeps all the time isn’t how she used to be I don’t have any vets near me so this is kinda my only hope she drinks water here and there only if given at times she’ll drink water at her bowl but she won’t eat unless hand fed and if we do feed her she throws up white foam along with the food she just ate it’s been 3 days like this and I’m starting to worry recently she’s been whining after throwing up like she’s in pain and uncomfortable she has started shaking she drank lots of beach water since she came off her leash she also gags after drinking water but doesn’t throw it up
Its not possible to diagnose over the internet, but this does sound pretty serious – I’d be concerned about poisoning from something she ate, maybe even salt poisoning from the water. I’m afraid that she really does need some sort of veterinary care if it doesn’t settle down with hand feeding in a day or so.
My 2 yr old German Shepherd Mix was eating less and less at the end of last week – Thursday was when we noticed a decline in eating. Friday he went to doggy daycare, had find energy, but came home and ate some wet food. Saturday at around 4am – he started throwing up. He threw up 3 times on Saturday and had some very liquid poop. We took him to the vets on Sunday – he had a soft serve type poop, and another bout of vomiting. The vets ran a fecal sample – did blood work – ran x-rays – nothing has showed up other than having a slightly enflamed stomach/intestine from throwing up we assume. We keep trying to give him a very bland diet – he ate some chicken on Sunday – no poops or anything Monday, Monday night he ate some more boiled chicken & carrots (his favorite snack) it took some hand feeding to get him to eat, but he ate a bit. And then he had more diarrhea at 5 & 7am this morning. (He is also on a probiotic from the vet)
I’m not sure what to do – the vet recommended more x-rays, or a med to help with the diarrhea. Has anyone experienced this or something similar? I’m not sure if he needs to go in for the additional x-rays quite yet.
There have been a lot of unusual gastroenteritis problems in dogs over the last few years – probably due to spikes in seasonal canine coronaviruses (not Covid!); take a look at this article for a more up to date take on this: https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2022/01/29/mystery-dog-illness-causing-diarrhoea-like-gravy-is-being-reported-by-uk-vets/
My 14 yr old basset has stopped eating, he is lethargic and his stomach feels hard. He is still drinking
OK, at that age there are lots of possibilities, but many of hem are very serious – vet time now.
My dog has had a decreased appetite for several weeks now. Sometimes her appetite is completely gone and she utterly refuses to eat for periods of 12-48 hours, with little interest in treats, but most of the time, she seems pretty interested in her food, coming over to sniff the food bowl, but won’t eat more than a few bites (prior to this she was eating 3 3/4 cups twice a day, now I’m lucky if I can get her to eat 3 cups in the course of a day). She sometimes eats more if you hand feed her from the bowl, but even after a few bites of that she often refuses. Even with the decreased appetite, she begs for our food when we are cooking/eating, but has never been fed table scraps, and as much as I want her to eat anything I can get her to, I still don’t give her any of our food. Her appetite stayed about the same on a bland chicken and rice diet with almost no change, aside from more anticipatory excitement before the meal, but still leaving things unfinished. We also tried gradually switching her over to a different food formula, which she seemed very interested in, but still left just as untouched as the previous food we had her on. We also tried topping her food with a canned dog food that she never showed much interest in. There was a period of time where she didn’t take treats, but I recently bought some new treats and she gets very excited over those and will eat them. Her energy level is normal, she has only vomited once in the last six weeks, and her stool consistency varies between totally normal and very soft. She is only ten months old and has started to lose weight, so we became concerned. We took her to the vet and he did blood work, fecal test, and urinalysis, and everything came normal except for elevated eosinophils (the type of white blood cells that target parasites or allergens). He gave her a deworming medication (in spite of the fact that she has been regularly taking heart worm preventative medication and her fecal test came back negative for worms/parasites) and a medication for the sores she’s developed in her ears from scratching them so much. He said if the dewormer doesn’t fix her appetite, we’ll look into the possibility that it’s hormonal and caused by the fact the she hasn’t been spayed yet (I originally wanted to wait until she turned 18 months to spay her because she is a giant breed and I wanted her body to have more time to mature and develop before the spay, but if that really is the cause of all this then I’m willing to consider doing it earlier). It really doesn’t seem to be something hormonal to me (but I’m not a vet). When she does eat a few bites of her food, she seems to not feel very well immediately after… I don’t know how to describe it… she just seems more subdued and will stand or pace with her head down, breathing a little heavier (but not panting) and just kind of miserable body language for like five to ten minutes, and then back to play. We are waiting to see how she responds to the dewormer right now, but I’m wondering if there are any other ideas of things that could cause this kind of response?
Anna, any luck? Sounds like my Cane Corso. She’s 18 months and 80 lbs. She was 95 lbs during Christmas. We don’t know what to do. Her sister is 140lbs.
We did an at home food intolerance test kit and found that she had quite a few intolerances to many things, so we switched her food, which seemed to help quite a bit. Her appetite is still not up to what it was previously, but she longer has long fasting periods. Her vet suggested that she may also have acid reflux, so we are on a two week omeprazole trial to see if that helps. She is no longer losing weight and may even have started to gain some back. She her body condition and energy is normal and she is getting some nutrition daily, I’m not as worried as I was. I still think it’s weird that she used to go crazy for food and still begs for any food we eat but is pretty indifferent to her food now. We add lots of things to entice her to eat, the most successful being salmon oil and goat’s milk, along with Greek yogurt. She also enjoys puréed pumpkin and occasionally bone broth. I’m still not sure if we got to the root but it feels like we are making progress so I’m satisfied for now. Good luck with your pup!
This is rather odd – it might be worth having a chat with your vet about some imaging, in case there’s a pharyngeal, oesophageal or gastric outflow obstruction? Other things that can cause nausea immediately after eating include pancreatitis (but I would expect that to show up on bloods). Another possibility might be a muscle disease making it painful to open her mouth (and that can also be associated with a raised eosinophil count) – does she open her mouth happily when playing? It does sound very strange, but I think that further tsts might be a good place to go; good luck, and please let us know what happens!
On Thursday my dog began to refuse food completely. She vomited what she did eat. She still drank water normally. Friday, same thing but she ate a couple of spoonfuls of her normal food so I thought it was some kind of passing problem and didn’t worry about it too much even though she threw that food up too. Saturday, she would not eat and vomited a little grass she ate. Sunday, today, is starting out the same way. She will not eat. My vet is closed on weekends so the earliest I can call is tomorrow, Monday morning, which means she will have gone 5 days without food. There are no emergency clinics. She is 11 years old. Several weeks ago she had dental surgery and has been checked since then to make sure everything is fine. I am hoping that since she’s drinking plenty of water and keeping it down, she can hang on for another day. I hope so. She is obviously in distress, can hardly walk. Is there anything I can do in the meantime?
If she was healthy beforehand, then she should be able to go 5 days without food, as long as you can keep her hydrated. Make sure she’s getting enough water into her – you could try very very diluted chicken stock juice, but it might set off the vomiting again.
It is possible to use a human oral rehydration mix if needed – see details about that here: https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/dehydration-in-dogs/
And then get her seen to on Monday – good luck with her!
My dog today is day 3 she won’t eat she’s lethargic she will stand in same place sometimes 10 minutes straight she does drink water but her constant throwing up yellow thick bile
Constant vomiting means time for the vet!
Hey, my 10 year old lab isn’t having any sort of meal food or treats since yesterday morning till now. What can be the reasons? He’s not even moving from his place at all!
Loss of appetite and lethargy (being unable to get up and move around) are very worrying, especially in a Lab of that age. Definitely time for a vet check ASAP!
I have a 9 month goldendoodle, and she has not ate too muchof her food in the past 3 days. 3 days ago we did get a puppy goldendoodle, can this be the reason? She has the same enegy level and drinks the same amount of water but only eat about 1/4 our of 1.5cups in the morning and the same for her evening.
Stress is a possibility, yes, so I’d see how she goes over the next few days, but if she doesn’t start eating again normally in a week or so, I’d get a check up, just to be sure.
My cousin took my dog for about a week and she took him to get checked out at vet and it turns out that he has only one testical and that it was cancerous so they operated him and removed it. We got him back and recently he hasn’t been wanting to eat and has just been laying down. He plays a bit here and there but not like he used to. He feels very warm. There isn’t any sign of swelling or redness. Any idea what I could do. And how much would it be.
It’s difficult to say what’s going on here; it could just be normal post operative discomfort (testicles are directly wired into the sympathetic nervous system, so removal is usually painful if there isn’t enough analgesia provided for period afterwards). However, if he feels hot, it might be that there’s an infection or another inflammatory response. It’s impossible to say which without a clinical examination, and even then, blood tests or even imaging may be required. However, I would definitely advise seeking a follow up appointment, ideally with the vet who performed the operation, to see what’s going on. He might just need more painkillers for a few days, but it might be there are more serious complications that need addressing. Good luck!
Hi my dog has been vomiting since Monday and I have taking him to the vet on. Tuesday they gave him two injection and has given me hydraulic and some tablets to give him . But I’m still worryed he’s still not eating they did say give it a couple days for him to get back to himself . Is my dog going to die I don’t know what to think at this point
Hey this same thing is happening with my dog too.
How’s your dog now ??
I can’t answer that – but if you’re worried, call your vets back: that’s what they’re there for!
Our 10 month old cockapoo has always been quite fussy, he’ll love food for a week then go off it and barely eat, we’ve tried so many different types and added tuna and pates and carrots tried all the tricks he just gets bored of food so easily. At his check up a few weeks ago the vet mentioned he is really too skinny. However in the last week he’s got a lot worse on Monday he stopped eating and had diarreah, Tuesday still are nothing and being sick so we took him to the vet who did a blood tests which were fine, gave anti sickness shot and prescribed antibiotics, she thinks he’s probably just a fussy eater though and that we will find something that works for him. Well it’s Thursday evening and he still hasn’t eaten more than a mouthful or 2. He has energy, especially on walks and is cuddly and a little playful, but he just seems different and kind of sad giving me long lingering looks and holding himself differently. Nothing has changed at home. I can’t help but be worried I don’t know if you have any other advice? We have been told to head back next Wednesday for check in at vets.
There are a number of possible bugs doing the rounds at this time of year – and actually, thanks to the SAVSNET programme, we are starting to understand just how common contagious viral gastroenteritis is in dogs. However, if he’s not bouncing back, then it might well be a good idea to get him checked out, as a lot of recent cases seem to be taking longer than usual to recover, possibly due to a canine coronavirus infection (not the same as ours, fortunately, but quite nasty if you’re a dog!). There’s an article about it in more detail here.
I think is there’s been little or no improvement in 2-3 days, definitely worth calling the vet back and having a chat about what’s going on, as we’d usually expect simple gastroenteritis to work through in that time.
Hi, I have a 10 month old lab who was sick once last Saturday (12th) then refused to her normal food which is cooked meat and kibble. Gave her boiled chicken and white rice that day, next day back to her normal meat but no kibble. Next two days seemed fine but yesterday again she refused her normal food, back to just boiled chicken, which she eats. Seems well enough in herself, no blood in poo, no more sick and drinking water, not as much as usual but still drinking. How long should I give her before vet check?
At that age, eating something nasty is the most common cause! If she is still eating, but just being picky, still drinking, and isn’t having vomiting or diarrhoea, I don’t think there’s any immediate urgency, but if she’s not back to herself in another 2-3 days, definitely ring the vet for a check up.
My 3 months old puppy just stop eating after a heavy rain 3 days ago. Until now she is rejecting her food but she lick the sugar I offer and also she drink water. What should I do?
Not eating for that long at only 12 weeks old is a problem – definitely time for the vet I think!
We have a 9 year old terrier mix. He was fine last night, ate his usual dinner and was his usual self. About 3 AM however he woke us up with continual fidgeting and movement. He is drinking water but refused his kibble this morning (now 7 am). He seems to be really uncomfortable, he will lay down, then 30 seconds later he’s shifting around. He even lays down and then lifts his rear up, not sure what that’s all about. We took him out earlier for a brief walk and he got kind of excited but not as much as usual for ‘walkies’. He has peed but so far we haven’t seen any bowel activity. He almost always has a bowel movement within a few minutes of taking off for a walk. Wondering if we should just wait it out or call the vet?
That sounds like cranial abdominal pain, and so less likely to be a simple stomach upset – so yes, I’d definitely advise getting him checked out by your vet. It might well be something minor, but there are a number of serious conditions, such as pancreatitis, that can present like this and really need rapid treatment for the best outcome.
Doc, my 6 month old caucasian dog have not being feeding well for like a month now, at first when my vet doc. Came by, he gave him a deworming shot and but it still persist, the vet. Doc placed him on another 3days treatment administering vitamins shot and one other shot ro him but the situation is still thesame, and for about 3weeks after that he has not being feeding well at all, and I now discovered that his lower jaw is being stained with saliva which has not being so before now and sometimes he whimpers too. Please what advise can you give to me
That suggests some chronic nausea or vomiting, doesn’t it. I think it’s probably time for more tests and workup – blood tests and maybe scans or X-rays – to try and find out what’s going on. Time to call your vet and say that the problem is ongoing and that conservative treatments clearly haven’t worked, so a full workup and diagnosis is now needed. Good luck with him!
My dog has to take Meloxidyl with food but i can’t get her to eat thanks Sheena
In most cases, mixing it in with food will work; if she won’t, try making a porridge of any dry biscuit and mixing it in; or mashing wet food to a pulp and mixing in. Alternatively, give it mixed with a very strong flavoured food to hide it!
I have an 9 month miniature dachshund who has the strangest eating habits. Since he was a puppy he been extremely picky. He’s gone through many different kinds of kibble and he will love them for about a month until he gets sick of them. Every day is a struggle to get him to eat but eventually he will eat. Sometimes he goes 24 hours without eating but usually the next day he will eat again. But it takes so much time coaxing him. He will start running away from you when you try to give him food it is truly bizzare. He does eventually eat and his weight is healthy the only thing he wants are treats or high value foods. I just want him to eat like a normal dog! The vet says he’s fine he even had blood work and an X-ray done when one day he stopped eating and it all came back fine. I just worry so much that something is wrong that they haven’t found yet because it is SO hard to get him to eat.
Our mini long haired doxie is EXACTLY the same thing. It actually calmed me to see your descriptions as it is precisely what happens to our pup. I am also worried but she seems interested in the peanuts I am eating or any other thing that is different and NOT HER FOOD. just sooooo picky!
That’s unusual; if he’s maintaining he weight it’s quite possible that he is just unusually picky, but I suppose it’s possible he’s got a tooth or swallowing problem? Although it would be very young, it might be something to discuss with your vet.
We have a 11 month old female Kengal. We woke up this morning to her not having any energy and will not eat. She is an outside dog and we have a farm with cattle. She is usually up all night protecting the cows and sleeps during the day but never misses a meal! There is no evidence of vomiting or runs but she is totally lethargic and just won’t eat…..
OK, definitely vet check – any sudden change in appetite like that without an obvious cause, especially if she’s become lethargic, is a worry.
Hi I have 3 month old dachshund and he sometimes eat and sometimes doesn’t. He drinks water and poops fine, but is that normal? Like today it almost 3 of the afternoon noon and hasn’t ate but does drink water and he pooped fine.. is that normal? He pees fine.. any suggestions? He barks and play fight with me and bites me but then he just wants to sleep or lay next to me making some types of noises that come from his mouth??
It could be normal for him, but at 3 months, I would expect him to have more of an appetite. I’d suggest mentioning it to your vet as his next check up, or sooner if he doesn’t seem to be gaining weight – or worse, if he’s losing weight.
Hi there – 1.5 year old cavapoo vomitting yellow foam a few times yesterday and once this morning. He wouldn’t eat his food the day before yesterday and all day yesterday until about 5pm when he had a big portion no problem (plain bland food). Got sick again this morning and now tummy is making a lot of loud grumbling noises. Licking grass outside and hasn’t pooed in two days either. He’s still energetic but worried about him. Should we bring him to the vet? Thank you
The most likely cause is a stomach upset from eating something silly or nasty; in which case, a 12 hour starve and then a SMALL bland meal, and sips of water, are the best option. If he’s still vomiting after 24 hours, or if he can’t keep water down, or develops any other symptoms, then definitely vet time, but usually these problems sort themselves out in a day or so.
I have an 8 month old Chihuahua X who used to eat everything put in front of him, I was making his food and he had biscuit as well. About a month ago he stopped eating hardly anything apart from treats. We even got tinned dog food and changed biscuit but he wouldn’t eat hardly anything. We tòok away the treats and he ate nothing all day. He will eat food one day and we think we’ve cracked it but give him the same next day and he will only eat a couple of mouthfuls. We’ve sat and fed him, and he may eat a bit more. Yesterday he ate 10g biscuit, 1/4 sachet of wet food and he had a whimzee treat and a smackoo on walk as partner breaks it into pieces for training, recall etc. He was 7kg and in 4 weeks he’s lost just about 1/2 kilo. He sometimes backs away from food like he’s scared of it. He’s not been unwell or had diarrhoea or vomiting. In every other aspect he’s still totally normal, he’s full of energy and plays with his toys and has 2 walks a day and plays with his friends in the park. He’s definitely not lethargic. He does at times try to bury food/treats wherever he can.. we are intending to take him to vet next week but just wondered if anyone had any ideas. This puppy is my world and I’m terrified that there’s something really wrong with him.
At that age, getting fussy with food isn’t uncommon, as they approach full size and their appetite tends to tail off. But that amount of weight loss does really worry me – definitely time for the vet. It might be a fairly simple issue like a painful tooth (common in small and toy breeds with retained baby teeth, for example), which would explain why he seems scared of food. Other possibilities include injury of some kind to the mouth or throat, making it painful to swallow – but he really does need to be seen. Good luck, please let us know how he gets on!
My dog got her teeth removed a week ago. The vet did it prescribe her any pain meds after, which I thought was odd but vets know best. She seemed okay for about a week, and now: she hasn’t Eaten going on 3 days. Won’t drink water unless I’m giving it to her by syringe. Throwing up everywhere. And her diarrhea has bloody jelly like stuff in it. She had also broken out into a huge rash on her stomach. I’ve taken her to the vet for pain meds and the rash which the vet said was allergies. Have been giving her meds for pain and allergies but nothing is helping. What is wrong with my dog
that doesn’t sound like allergies, that sounds like some sort of internal condition; if she’s not responding to treatment, I’d definitely go back to the vet. Good luck!
My 25 wk old Staffordshire terrier one day had a horrible belly ache he was crying and belly was noisy after 5 hrs it stopped being noisy and the had a loose bowel movement but we are now 3 days in I’ve been giving him 2 to 5 table spoons of water in a dropper ever 45 min or so he seems to drink just fine but he will not eat even wet food ….I’m so worried …he will get up go out side wag his tail …
When my elderly dog was like that the noises from his stomach were awful. He went off food but was drinking. We took him to the vet and they diagnosed pancreatitis. Before they came to that conclusion they said some dogs get that if they are hungry, going a long time after tea in the evening and then nothing till breakfast can cause the sounds. I would get a vet check. My dog also threw up bile.
I think he really needs veterinary assessment after that long – dehydration might be less of an issue but the underlying cause isn’t immediately clear at this point.
My 3 yr old shitzu will not eat dog food never has we give him bakers biscuits and chicken but we have to bounce a ball against a wall for him to eat 1 biscuit This takes ages, What’s wrong with him
Difficult to say to be honest – is there a different food he will eat happily? If he’s got to 3 years old, he’s clearly eating enough, which makes it sound like a behavioural issue; however, I would suggest getting him checked over by your vet to make sure there aren’t any physical issues, e.g. dental problems making it hard or painful to eat (Shitzus quite commonly have overlapping teeth, for example). If nothing, then I’d suggest a consultation with a qualified clinical behaviourist to get to the bottom of it!
I have a 2yr belgian malinois and 4 days ago she started throwing up white foam. I took her the the vet and they couldn’t figure out why she was throwing up so they gave her a anti nausea shot. She also had a bad ear infection. She has stopped throwing up but hasn’t eaten anything in 4 days. She been drinking alittle and hasn’t been herself. I did offer some wet food and hand fed her and she took a few bites.
Oh dear, poor girl! It does sound like she’s still quite poorly; I’d give your vet another call and explain the situation. It might be that the ear infection is making her feel really sick and nauseous (they can sometimes), but it doesn’t sound like she’s bouncing back the way you’d hope a dog of that age would. Good luck with her!
I see a lot of similar type issues in my dog from these comments but here it goes anyways. We have a7.5 year old border colllie/Pyrenees mix. About 1.5 weeks ago he started to become picky with his food, spent a day vomiting a progressively worse color. Eating grass WAY more than normal (and he eats a lot of grass normally). We went to the vet, of course he was more energetic than at home. Exam was fine except for a little tightness in the belly. They gave an anti-vomit shot and he was fine, ate his food, played for 24 ish hours. Sunday/Monday getting himself back, but only ate one meal each day instead of two. Tuesday completely normal.. Wednesday Thursday back to not wanting to eat. He then spent the night boarded and ate all his food there, picked him up last night. Today he’s back to not wanting to eat- no treats, we drizzled tuna juice on his food, barely touched it. Stool has been normal/ still some vomiting but it’s all clear, no color. A little bit of drool here and there but nothing excessive.
My husband thinks he’s just being picky and he will eat when he’s hungry. I’m concerned something deeper is wrong and I’m especially nervous because we are going out of town soon for vacation. Any thoughts? Thanks for your time.
It does sound like he has a low-grade intestinal problem grumbling on, doesn’t it. From what you’ve said, I wouldn’t describe it as “picky” so much as “feel a bit sick and not sure if I want to eat or not”. Now in the vast majority of cases these problems will resolve themselves gradually over time, but 10 days is longer than usual, and in most dogs with gastroenteritis we tend to see diarrhoea 2-5 days after the vomiting starts. It’s probably nothing to be too worried about, but it might well be worth having a chat with your vet – who will have his full medical history – and seeing if there are any red flags in his history, or if perhaps he might benefit from a probiotic treatment.
hi, there were 3 street puppies near my home. yestrurday the 2 puppies aggressively started to fight one black puppy started to bite the brown puppy neck and I saved the brown puppy from the black puppy but the next day the brown puppy refused to eat did not eat anything from the morning I was very worried so much I don’t know what to do. will the puppy recover itself or do I need to take any action
OK, if bitten on the neck and now not eating, definitely time for a vet check – there are lots of possible issues but cellulitis and penetrating trauma are the most likely. HOWEVER – if you are in a rabies endemic area, isolate the puppy and contact your vet as soon as possible. If you or a member of your family were bitten during the fight, seek medical attention immediately as it is possible that this is the earliest stage of paralytic rabies.
My 7 mth old cross bully and akita. Is drinking water but not eaten food for past two days has been more quieter and wants to sleep more. Has had a few treats when offered but that’s it
Not eating for 2 days is a worry – I’d strongly advise a vet check
I have a 3year old rat terrier. Every other day, he wont eat until evening. The next day he will eat like normal. He is drinking water and playful, tail wagging… but he shakes and vomits bile on the days he waits to eat. Stools are relatively normal. Should we be concerned?
Chronic shaking and vomiting always needs looking into – there might well be an underlying cause that is treatable or manageable, such as a pancreatic condition or even an inflammatory bowel disease.
Hello I need help please it’s been a week that I have noticed a change in my German Czech behavior she is very quiet and not barking.. then after 2 days she is unable to walk with her two back feets..we have carried her to a vet , they did a blood test then gave her serum injections and said it was an infection, the following day we took her again for an echo but everything seemed normal according to them and gave her medications and told us to bring her if she is not eating.. and told us to bring her for scan but the next day she was not well.. we took her to another vet as soon as they saw her they said that it might be tick fever as she had some.. then gave her medicine for this and were told to bring her in 10 days if she is not well.. but now she is not eating at all she is only drinking water but fortunately she is eating all the medicine. I don’t know what to do as she is still not walking
Support her to go out and toilet, using a towel under her, if you can; but definitely call the vet back and let them know how she’s getting on: tick fever isn’t a disease we really see in the UK, but the vet will have an idea of how the condition is likely to progress based on experience, and will be able to advise you whether she is making normal progress or not. Good luck with her.
Hi, my 6 months old shih-poo doesn’t want to eat for about 2 days now and has diarrhea but i keep giving her vitamins for diarrhea and i also let her drink yogurt. Should i bring her to vet right now ?
Yes, I think so – not eating and diarrhoea together isn’t a good combination, so I think a vet check is a very wise idea.
Hello, my 10 months Rottweiler stopped eating for a week but she’s drinking water. And her behavior didn’t change, she plays and runs as usual but refuses to eat her food or eats a very small amount of food.
Definitely she needs a vet – not eating for a week is really serious, especially for a dog that age. Good luck
My 2 year old silky terrior mix has been a picky eater since got him but it has gotten worse consistently. He now won’t eat chicken or people food even unless he’s starving basically. I took him to the vet about 2 months ago and he had blood test that came back fine, an xray that showed some bloating in his stomach and intestines and the thought he may have a blockage. The did an ultrasound and in the mix of his separation anxiety away from me and all the shaving and chaos going on, he basically pooped all over them and they then said he doesn’t have a blockage and thank God I didn’t have to have surgery for no reason but they put him on prebiotic paste and pills and pain pills and antibiotics and something to coat his stomach. By the end of the week I had spent 1300 and my dog was still not eating but after the vet and rhe vet hospital I could not afford to keep doing this same cycle that obviously wasn’t helping. So I’ve tried everything to get him to eat and he does a little here and there but not much at all and sometimes he goes a day without and then throws up bile from hunger. Everytime he poops iys orange and runny and smells like sewage til I have to bathe hime everytime he goes bc of the smell left behind. Please give me any advice or things to look into. He won’t eat treats or his faves. His stomach growls from where he won’t eat, his gas is awful. I’m just so worried about his eating habits and diarrhea. I just lost my mini schnauzer 3 years ago. I don’t want to have anything happen to my new baby.
It sounds like your dog may be allergic to chicken. When this happened to my dog, I fed her plain goat yogurt and plain sweet potato. Once she was more herself I put her back on kibble but no chicken ingredients. You need to read all ingredients bc usually there’s some form of chicken. Sometimes it can be hard to find. Now she’s fine she just can’t have anything with chicken.
A novel protein diet can be helpful, but in the case of genuine food allergies (which are fairly uncommon), it generally takes 4-12 weeks to have a significant impact. You also have to be careful to make sure you’re feeding a fully balanced diet if it’s going to be for longer than a couple of days.
I also took her to multiple vets and spend a lot of money and no one could figure out what it was. She was having diarrhea and vomiting and wouldn’t eat anything for days.
Unfortunately, this does sound like a really complicated case with lots of things going on – inappetence and abnormal diarrhoea might suggest a disease process of the bowel or the pancreas, or even liver problems. I think to get it under control you’re going to need to find out what’s going on; I would suggest having a chat to your vet about a referral to an internal medicine specialist or similar, and try and get a firm diagnosis: then you can prepare a plan for managing or even curing the underlying problem.
Good luck – and I hope you get to the bottom of it.
I have a 3 year old male chihuahua. He has always been healthy. Today he hasn’t eaten all day out of the blue. He didn’t eat this morning, didn’t even move out of his bed when he usually is eger to in the am to eat. then I went to work. It’s been 14 hours by the time I got home at night and he still won’t eat his food. I took him out of his bed, placed him on my bed with the food and then he proceeded to eat about half of it. He’s somewhat energetic as usual, usually he plays with his toy on my bed after eating and he jumps all over my face. He jumped in my face for very little, then went to lay down on my bed and he is sleeping now. Physical wise he looks fine, but of course I worry. What would you recommend? I don’t want to be quick to rush him to the vet as they are very expensive, but I want to make sure he is ok. He has gone a day without eating a long time ago after I realized it was because I quickly switched his food brand. Maybe that’s what it is. I switched his food brand again, but he was eating it fine for a week and a half and this just started happening
24 hours without food in the absence of other signs isn’t really a worry – but if he’s still not eating tomorrow, I’d definitely make an appointment to see your regular vet and see what’s going on. Good luck!
My Chihuahua stopped eating and moving today. He did the same last week and was at they vets last week and said he’s perfectly fine he has a bit of Inflammation on his liver but apart from that we had nothing to worry about – should I be worried
That is really unusual – if it’s happened a second time I think it might be worth talking to your vet about a full neurological examination, and maybe further liver function tests if they think there might be a liver issue.
He came back round again the next day forgot to say that
My 7 months old Lasha Apso has suddenly stop eating, he used to be crazy about food. Also, more than a 1week ago while coming back from trip he was frightened by another street dog. Could it be cause of anxiety? How to make him eat like before?
Yes, anxiety can cause inappetence – but not usually that dramatically. I’d suggest a vet check to rule out underlying medical issues ASAP if he’s not eating. However, you can also look at reducing stress levels in general
A Springer Spaniel I was minding at a friends house-sit was perfectly healthy up until Sunday evening. On Monday my friendly and non-aggressive Jack Russell joined us at the property and the Spaniel went off her food and water immediately. And refused to walk, and just lolled around, weak and listless. We found her yesterday, after 2 days without food and drink, dead. What could have caused this?
Have you found any answers? I’m in the same situation right now.
I am so sorry to hear about that. Unfortunately, there’s no way to know from a description like that – it could be almost anything. If the owners want to know, the best bet would be to get a post-mortem done.
My 12yr old shitzu has not eaten for 7 days now but is drinking water. The vet says he has inflammation of the pancriatitis. Currently on daily IV with fluid, antibiotics, and Morphine, but we are told not to force feed him… how much longer can he go on?
Have you found any answers? I’m in the same situation right now and trying to figure out next steps
Feeding is often the worst thing you can do in acute pancreatitis, as it triggers the pancreas to secrete digestive enzymes that then make things worse. As long as he’s on IV fluids, he will probably pull through – but it can take a while. Good luck!
My dog hasn’t been eating for two day,it has no appetite and its breaking my heart because im scared I will lose her and I can’t afford to lose her😭
I think definitely time for a vet check then – there are lots of possible causes, but almost all of them are best dealt with early.
I have a four month old puppy. He went outside the other night. He got into some turkey bones and now the poor little guy is lying around not eating barely drinking. I been opening his lips and giving him small sips of sugar water to help keep his blood sugar up because google said his blood sugar is most likely low. N to keep him hydrated. I know he should pass it naturally but how can I get him to pass it safely if he’s refusing food n water
NO – if he has eaten poultry bones to the vet ASAP. They tend to splinter and can perforate the intestine causing sepsis which is usually fatal.
I have a 10 year old female pomeranian who has always had eating issues, but lately she refuses to eat at all and has thrown up at times. I have her scheduled to get blood work done on Tuesday, but I’m wondering if she needs to go in right away instead. She sleeps a lot, but it is winter, and she’s had tracheal problems. She does not have diarrhea either, but she doesn’t look happy. Maybe she has seasonal depression?
Seasonal depression isn’t that common in dogs, and doesn’t usually involve vomiting: I definitely think she needs some blood work to get to the bottom of this! Good luck with her
My dog did not eat for for 3 days I am so worried.
Hello my Cairn terrier Will be 13 years old in March, he has not eaten in for three days he doesn’t even want to go out to the yard to do his business!! He sleeps all day, he won’t even come up the stairs anymore,!
OK, I think he definitely needs a vet check, ASAP – a dog of that age is more likely to have serious underlying issues that need addressing. Good luck!
I have a 11 month old golden who is usually pretty active n a healthy eater but he has not eating only a few bits of table food we gave him ,n two days and drank very little water n been sleeping most of the two days n when he get up or down off the floor or couch or almost looks as if he might be sore. I’m so worried n feel so sad for him ,what do you think the cause of this is
Being off food and lethargic definitely isn’t normal for a golden! I think it’s time for a vet check to see how he’s doing – it’s probably just a passing bug, but worth being sure if it’s been going on for more than 24-48 hours.
My lab/collie Cross will be 12 in February, he has been off his food 11 days now we use pdsa and he was admitted overnight for fluids , he was released with a paste to help settle him tummy, he had one satchet of food which we thought was a turning point but he brought half of that back up, if we’re lucky he’ll take a bit of dog treat , we’ve tried everything but we can’t get him to eat , we’re really struggling. Can you help pls
It does sound like he’s got a really bad bout of gastroenteritis – there seem to be a couple of really nasty dog stomach bugs doing the rounds this winter. It might be worth having a chat with your vet about it and see if there are any other medications that might help.
My lab hafmd a tplo on his hind right knee 3 weeks ago. Just finished his course of angibiotics and takes gabaphenton for pain for time being. Quit eating all of the sudden tho. Dhows no sign of pain in his knee. Advice?
I’d be inclined to say either it’s coincidental, or an issue with meds – some antibiotics can trigger disruptions of gut bacteria, for example. My suggestion would be to talk to your vet about it and see what they say – good luck!
My dog is not eating but is drinking a little bit of water. He usually is a really hypes dog and sometimes jumps the fence and goes to outside the yard. Can I get help?
Definitely time to get him seen by your vet – sounds like he’s pretty poorly. Good luck!
My schnauzer doesn’t wanna get up from bed she looks sad. She just turned 1 not too long ago and I’ve never seen her act like this. She vomited once today but she didn’t wanna get up from her bed. Yesterday she was completely fine and today she’s just been in bed all day with a sad face. She doesn’t want to eat either and I fed her by hand and she ate a little bit but not once got up from her bed.
It might be a bit of a stomach upset – dogs of her age are quite prone. However, if it continues more than a day or two, or if she develops any other signs, or if you think she’s getting worse, then get her checked out by your vet.
Had my puppy a day and he is not eating he is 8weks old what do I do
It might be stress, so offer him the food he came with, in a quiet safe place without people watching over him. If he’s still not eating on a second day, then it would be worth a vet check.
My 10 year pitbull won’t eat. This has been going on for about a week now. He was healthy , fat and playful but now he’s not. He only wants to drink water. He has NEVER turned away chicken but now he won’t even eat that. I’m very concerned. His ribs are visible and his eyes look so droopy and sad. I don’t know if I can bear to take him to the vet to hear bad news.
I’m afraid I really think you have to – it might not be bad news, it might be something very treatable, but if you don’t go, he’s just wasting away!
I just got my 2 dogs out from the pound about 2 weeks ago and now they look I’ll like skinny and ribs showing I’m worried cause I don’t want them to die on me low income so can’t afford a vet scared
Try increasing the amount they eat, and get them wormed. If that doesn’t stop the weight loss, then see if there are any humane associations or charities in your area who provide low cost vets – here in the UK, organisations such as the PDSA provide this service, so there may be something in your region as well.
Hello, my dog is not eating for almost a day now, he vomited 2 times already. What should I do?!
If he goes over 24 hours without eating, defintiely time for the vet; if he’s unable to keep water down, vomits more than 3 times, or develops other symptoms, then it becomes an emergency! Good luck
I have a 18 month old boxer mix and I am concerned about her eating. It’s been for about 2 weeks or more I noticed she wasn’t eating in the morning like she usually did. I also noticed that about a month and a half to two months she would throw up bile I assumed because of to many hours in between meals. So I sent a message to the clinic If I should be concerned they told me to keep track of her throwing up and set an appointment for Dec 15th, 2021. Well I also asked if I could start giving her a probiotic and was given the ok. Well since then I have noticed her loss of appetite in the morning and can’t figure out why. I have noticed that she seems to have separation anxiety when my husband is not around or is even outside. She has become very attached to him and whines when he leaves and is constantly looking out the window. I am frantic and don’t know what to do or make of this situation! Please help! 😞😞😞😭😭😭
Stress is definitely a possibility; however, it’s always worth trying to rule out underlying health issues, as many problems can present the same way. So, if the probiotic doesn’t work, I think that a vet check is a really good idea.
my dog poop was watery ,and he is not eating properly like he used to ,he beomes too picky and his behaviour is normal,he is active.But i could see rashes on him
I think that definitely needs veterinary attention – diarrhoea plus loss of appetite plus skin signs is an unusual combination.
My 11 year old lab has been diagnosed with elevated white cells they’re telling me it’s cancer. He has stopped eating but it still drinking water. He won’t take medication because he won’t eat so I can’t hide it in his food. Please help me. Killing me to watch him like this
Place the pill on the back of his tongue and hold his chin up to the sky. Chase it with a straw full of water. You have to get the meds in and this works well when they won’t corporate.
It might be time to consider what’s the best thing for him – does he have a good quality of life? Or is it time to call it a day?
If he’s not eating because he feels sick, or in pain, your vet will be able to prescribe medication to alleviate the symptoms, so that is another option to pursue.
Good luck with him.
My dog has stop eating since some days but she is otherwise active and alert.
Not eating can be a sign of a significant underlying health problem, so I would suggest a vet check.
I have a 16yr old black lab he has not eaten for 3 days and has stopped drinking water for 2 days now.he has got so thin and he just lies totally zoned out.i have tried giving him water with a syringe but he pulls away
If he’s neither eating nor drinking, there’s something very serious wrong – especially at that age. He needs urgent veterinary care – get him to your vet as soon as you can.
I received a “show-quality” Pembroke Welsh Corgi pup this past June in lieu of monies owed and it has been hell. The pup arrived at age seven months weighing just 12 lb! My own vet checked her out and except for her emaciated state all else seemed relatively normal except the puppy has no natural inclination to eat. Her eating routine can take up to 90 min twice daily and no type of premium kibble/treat/prepared human food/ or canned foods seems to excite her. When she has eaten a bit, it is always one small piece of kibble at a time, and it seems apparent the pup was force fed at some point before coming to me. After researching for possible explanations, I do believe my pup has true anorexia possible caused by compromised sense of smell. She makes no effort to smell the back end of my other dogs and she doesn’t use her tongue to lick things. Though this pup has some quirky behaviors, one of the oddest is her desire to guard her food growling at my other dogs even though she has no intention of eating it. Ive raised and shown dogs for decades but this has me stumped. Though I may eventually have to place this young bitch in a pet home, placement will be extremely difficult unless it’s possible to get the proper level of food and nutrition. She is already on the small side even though I have managed to get her weight up to 18 lb (approx 23 lb would be normal at her current age of 11 months). Do you have any suggestions for treating true anorexia? A type of food she would likely respond to. I have a collection of kibbles that I purchased as they promised to work on picky dogs but didnt. I have even gone as far as mixing canned catfood with the kibble thinking the stronger smell might appeal to her. To date, the only thing she reliably consumes (only at the end of a meal in order to bolster her calorie intake) is several tbsps of Dyne liquid (she loves it) and about 4 Oz of goats’ milk. Please help. I’d like my life back!
These cases are very hard to manage. There are medical methods to stimulate appetite that your vet can prescribe, but they are not foolproof and can cause other problems if used for too long. In general, feeding a strong-smelling diet is recommended, such as warmed food or even something like sardines (although you’ll have to be careful of the salt levels). However, I think a veterinary workup to rule out physical medical issues is essential, and (if negative) a full behavioural assessment by a qualified canine behaviourist. Good luck!
We have a 5 year old Romanian rescue we’ve had her for 4 months now and she’s great but is stubborn with food, she will eat fine for a couple of days then just won’t eat that particular food so I tried her with a different food ( introducing slowly) and she will happily eat it for a few days then stop and turn her nose up at it 😩 is she just being picky as other than that she’s fine in herself nice and lively, going to toilet without issue , she doesn’t appear very food oriented as most of the treats she’s given she buries in the garden so I don’t want to keep changing her food and risk stomach upset am I just being over worried ? (My old dog would eat anything you put in front of him!) should I persevere or go get her checked out?
I’d be inclined to get her checked and rule out medical problems first; however, given her history, it may well be a behavioural trait rather than a medical one.
I have a 8 week old puppy my son let her out to use the bathroom and left her out there and when he came back she was in a tub of water fighting for her life. Now my puppy want eat and she seems weak and falling over what should I do
Get her to a vet – secondary drowning and aspiration pneumonia are emergencies and it sounds like she may well have inhaled some water.
My German shepherd has refused to eat since last night and her poo is really watery. And she’s not really active like she used to. What can i do?
Stomach upsets like this are pretty common; if there’s no vomiting and no blood in the diarrhoea, I’d get her onto a bland diet (boiled chicken/fish and rice, or a specialist gastrointestinal diet), and some antidiarrhoeal paste from the vets. If it goes on more than 24 hours, there’s blood in the diarrhoea, she seems really lethargic, she develops any other symptoms, or you’re at all concerned, then get her checked out by your vet. Good luck!
My 11 year old schnauzer is laying around, eating very little, but drinking water constantly. Vet said she had bladder stones, but no need for surgery. Too to new vet, she imdid a thyroid blood panel on her, haven’t heard back yet. She’s not doing well at all.
I think it might be worth ringing the vet and saying that she’s deteriorating, and see what’s come up on the bloods – good luck.
I have a staffy nearly 3yrs old. Not eaten in 4 days, no water today. Been vets twice and yesterday given sickness injection and tablets. Back today and an antibiotics injection and more tablets. Vets not understanding she not eating so tablets no good as she not taking.
They checked and no temperature, teeth ok and tummy checked all ok as far as they think.
Sounds like there may be something metabolic going on; perhaps time to think about blood tests for internal organ function.
Hi I have 11 yr old Aussie who has had a cough for couple months . Been to vet 3 times , had blood work , xray. All looked good. The vet thinks it’s a collapsed trachea . Cough same but she isn’t eating good. Have tried wet, people, different brand, flavor she just isn’t interested in food but will eat a treat if offered. It has been going on since the cough started as well but getting worse . I can’t get her to eat anything
If she’s still coughing, it might be that she’s not able to focus on food right now. Perhaps you could have a chat to your vet and see what the options are for symptomatic relief so she feels better, and she may be more willing to eat?
I took my 5 year old mixed breed to the vet 2 days OK I’ll because it seem like she was more lethargic than usual and not eating like she usually does. He checked her exterior and temperature and things like that and it didn’t seem like there was anything wrong other than she hasn’t been eating or drinking much water. He injected her with medicine for nausea because he thought maybe she was nauseous, and also he injected her with some fluids. She wasn’t throwing up or anything like that. But since then I’ve noticed she is not eating at all now it’s been 24 hours since she’s eaten and I’ve tried everything including things she likes, for example peanut butter and treats and she is barely eating that. Hopefully she will eat maybe some thing tomorrow, otherwise it sounds like it’s time for a vet visit again.
My 5 year old mini golden doodle who weighs 17 pounds hasn’t eaten for two days, is lethargic but continues to drink water. We were on vacation in another city and my husband thinks she may have eaten some skat from an unknown animal as he found some droppings in the courtyard where our dog had access. Tonight, she had loose stools for the first time. Wondering if this is something that is just trying to get out of her body and she will be okay. We arrived home today. Hoping things will turn around tomorrow. Advice please. Thank you.
If she hasn’t eaten for two days, I’d advise finding a local veterinarian to take a look, as it sounds like it might be more serious than a simple upset stomach. Good luck!
Heyy!! My beagle is 15 months old and she’s not eating her food. I’ve been to vet and she had fever so he gave her metaflam 2.5mg tablet and her blood report is normal but now also she’s not eating.. she’ll go to the food, smell it and then not eat. she ate few pieces of bread but other than that she’s not eating. I’ve tried giving her everything whatever she likes but of no use..
Time for some more tests I think to see what’s going on – good luck!
and i forgot to mention, her behaviour is absolutely normal.
i forgot to mention her behaviour is absolutely normal, she’s playing normally.
Hi, I have a 3 month old Americian bully, he has been great since we’ve had him home. 2 days ago we had a friend and his bully come over. Both dogs played for hours together and the next day and today he isn’t eating as much as he usually is and sleeping a lot more than expected. Should we take him to the vet or continue to watch him?
At that age, it’s probably exhaustion! Keep an eye on him and if he hasn’t bounced back in 24 hours, or displays any other signs, then vet time.
Hi, I have a pair of Doberman puppy. Its been a week my puppies are not eating their daily food which they love to eat. Earlier my male puppy used to eat like hunger boy which can eat everything and at anytime. The given amount is always less for him. My female is a quite choosy.
We went on a trip for 3 days and since then they are not eating anything. There place is also changed but its been 3 days. They eat their treats, drink water, eat some parts of new variety of food but not their usual food. When we handfeed them, then only they eat few bites and go away.
FYI – They have been tested for their blood and skin for any infections. Everything seems fine except they have fungal infection for which treatment is going on. I am also giving them liver tonic to increase their appetite but not of much help.
Yesterday my male puppy vomitted a small amount of yellowish liquid with small bubbles. and Today again my both male and female had vomitted the same yellowish liquid.
If they’re vomiting, then that’ll be the reason for the loss of appetite: Clearly some sort of stomach upset. It could be due to changes in diet or routine on the trip, or something they ate; I’d be inclined to talk to your vet about symptomatic treatment and see how they go. Good luck!
Good day Doc. My dog are not eating since last day and my other dog he is starting not eat her food today. What should I do.. This dog was only given to me but now they look weak and thin because they are not eating all the foods i gave😔.
I’d definitely seek veterinary attention – healthy animals will not starve themselves to the point of becoming ill, so there may be some infectious or environmental illness causing them to both lose appetite.
Hi doc my daughter fed my doctor with chocolate maybe I would say it’s a square of chocolate to be accurate, yesterday he had a bit diarrhea it was just twice but it stopped today he vomited about 3 times and we gave vitamins and antibiotics but we r worried about his appetite he’s not not eating yesterday he didn’t eat only ate later and today he hasn’t had food but in he seems to eat meat because he had chicken, and ox liver but later vomited. What can i do to assist him because honestly I can’t afford a vet at this moment
One of the effects of mild chocolate poisoning is vomiting and diarrhoea, so it may be that this is what’s going on here. I would advise feeding a bland diet – boiled chicken and rice is good, avoid very rich foods like liver or offal, and if possible avoid red meat or high fibre vegetables: anything that needs work to digest. Keep him on this diet for 48 hours; if his vomiting continues or worsens, then it’s time to seek veterinary help, potentially from a local charity, or – if all else fails – signing over the dog.
However – NEVER EVER give antibiotics to a dog without a veterinary prescription: many human antibiotics are toxic to dogs, and many of the “safe” ones can make stomach upsets much, much worse if used inappropriately. In addition, by using unnecessary antibiotics you are generating antibiotic resistant bacteria which are a very serious threat to your own health.
Hi there. I’m dog sitting my son’s 10 month old American bully. I’ve had him since Thursday and he was fine until today. He was eating normally and drinking as well. I thought maybe it was separation anxiety from my son because he’s never been away from him but he’s began to vomit a brown substance and will not eat nor drink. He has not had anything to eat today and vomited twice since this morning. When should I be concerned or is this just a case of him missing my son? Please help. He’s just wanting to sleep.. no interaction with us at all as of today
Repeated vomiting, lethargy and refusing to drink is always a worry – vet time, I’m afraid.
Hi doctor, my beagle (8 years old) is not eating anything from past few days.
The blood test report shows higher level of blood urea. I got PCR test and it confirms tick fever. He’s on drip with injection in it I’m really worried.. kindly help
To my knowledge, there are at least 6 different causes of tick fever in India, and the treatment of course varies between the different causative organisms. Supportive treatment and specific antimicrobials or antiparasitics are usually the treatments of choice, and it sounds like that’s what he’s getting from your vets. Good luck!
My dog is 16 years old, yesterday he was completely fine, today he stopped eating all together, and became really exhausted all of the sudden. He’s always excited to see me but today when i came home from work he just kept lying down and looked at me with sad eyes. Im really scared, all vets are closed until monday. Any ideas what could be wrong?
At that age there are a lot of different options, from arthritis to cancer to liver or kidney disease and everything in between. Definitely time for a vet – good luck!
My dog is 4 months old and is having a Blood Diarrhea.
Here is the story
The dog was fine last week until Thursday evening when my father put a collar and Chain around its neck. From that moment onwards it decided to stop eat or drink water. Saturday morning we decided to untie it after it began to poop blood. It did the same Sunday morning and then stopped. It still wasn’t eating but it was drinking very small sips of water. Now today I went to check on it and it was in the backyard with flies around it’s back and lower area. I called it by its name and he looked up and watched me. Judging from its eyes he looked happy to see me. It even got up and followed me to verandah and then turn and went back to lie in the grass. I went and run its head then it got up and walk away from me. I don’t know if its dying and its distancing itself away from me. Seeing flies on it gives me goosebumps.
Note: I called the nearest vet and made an appointment but he only operates during week days and not on weekends.
I think the dog definitely needs urgent veterinary attention – good luck, hope he’s OK.
My friends dog that I’m watching accidentally got into some moldy beef jerky a few days ago. She’s been throwing up and hasn’t been eating her food (she’s normally a good eater). She’s still energetic and has been normal on walks and during the day. Should I take her to the vet? Her owners are out of cell service and I don’t want to worry them or take her to the vet without their consent.
I think it would be a good idea: those moulds could be having other effects on other internal organs. The most toxic ones tend to cause tremors or seizures, but some can also lead to kidney, liver or bone marrow damage
I have a mixed breed dog 7 months old he is full of energy and barking and playing but is not eating but drinking water should I be concerned
Any dog not eating is a bit of a worry. However, if it’s really hot where you are, that might be the problem – try offering food in the cool of the evening or very early morning, and see if he has a better appetite. If not, then I would suggest a vet check to rule out medical problems.
My dog is 13 year old Maltese.He doesn’t want to eat his food, if I don’t put boiled chicken or any treats?He consistently wait our dinner time, and go under the table.I Gave him squash and carrots, no preservatives added.I tried not to feed him under the table.Never give him any treats but he doesn’t eat his food.He had surgery last year because he had kidney problem.He had his vaccinations this year.Yesterday,he ate a lot of treats.a boiled chicken, squash and carrots.I also gaved him some cheese.Today,aftera walk he seems he wanted to eat a grass but I never allow him.He doesn’t eat his treats, nor drink water.He was just sleeping.I tried to give him a rice and boiled chicken but he refuses.He just drink a tbsp of water.When will I take him to a vet?Do I need to let 1 day pass by?
Not eating at all is a bit of a worry. If he seems absolutely fine otherwise, I’d give it a day or so but if still not eating, definitely vet time. However, if he shows any other signs or symptoms, or any change in behaviour, then I’d go sooner to rule out any underlying medical issues.
We’ve had our 10-week-old puppy for 4 days. She’s eating 1/4 to 1/3 cup of kibble every day, less than half of what the puppy food package or general online info suggested. She’s otherwise healthy and alert, but generally less active than other puppies we’ve seen. Is she still adjusting to the new environment, or is she just not a big eater?
Could be either, but if she’s healthy and alert I would give her a little longer to adjust!
She’s a goldendoodle, about 7.3lb, which is 0.5lb lighter than 1.5 weeks ago based on the breeder’s record.
Ah – if she’s losing weight then perhaps make an appointment to get her checked over by your vet in the next few days, just in case there are any underlying issues.
My dog is 2 year old and he is not eat 20-25 days I get the chicken but 1 or 2 bit then he leave……what I’m do really I don’t know pls help
I REALLY think if he;’s gone that long without eating he URGENTLY needs veterinary care… Good luck.
my dog is refusing his food from 1 day.he eats the treats and home food but refuses to his dog food. and also his deworming date is coming. and also he is active,drinks and water and he has starting going out from 1 day. my golden retriever is 3.5 months old.
Most likely, he prefers the other food and expects that if he doesn’t eat it, you’ll give him something nicer! However, I’d suggest a check up worth your vet to rule out underlying medical issues before you start getting strict with his diet.
My dog is a 3 year old Husky/Pit mix. He got hit by a car and recently had surgery to fix his leg. After his surgery he has not been eating and will eat grass constantly. I don’t know what I should do. We are going about 3 weeks of barley eating anything.
I think time to go back to the vet and get a follow up check. Is he still on medication? Because most pain medications can cause stomach problems, ranging from nausea and vomiting to stomach ulcers. Obviously, he shouldn’t come off all meds, but your vet will be able to help choose something that suits him better.
I took my dog to the vet a week ago and she was examining by a vet. I was worried because she wouldn’t eat sporadically. Vet said she’s fine. Heart worm test negative. On heart worm meds. They checked her TSH because she’s a little overweight but normally active and her food intake is controlled. The TSH was perfect.
Now, a week later and today she’s refusing to eat morning and evening meal. She’s not active and laying around. This is not her behavior. She’s on guard 24/7. I called the vet and they are closed. Suggestions? Emergency care in my town is outrageously expensive. I cannot afford it so it’s last resort and will put me in a bad financial situation.
I think definitely back to the vet for a follow up check; and consider further tests e.g. for Addisons disease; you may also need to consider a second opinion or a referral to a specialist.
My dog is not eating and keep vomiting and Pooping and she’s not eating for the past 3days and I’m worried but I can’t do something because, I’m just minor who doesn’t have any money to go to vet to check my dog😭
You need to ask whoever is responsible for the dog to get veterinary attention, either from a private veterinary clinic or a charity. I don’t know what the law is where you are, but here in the UK it would be a criminal offence not to seek veterinary advice. Good luck!
I have a 8 month old miniature poodle mix, he weighs about 15 pounds. He hasn’t been eating well consistently for some time now. He gets balanced home cooked meals as well as multivitamin chews every day. He will eat the vitamins, as well as treats and begs for table scraps, but won’t eat his food. I’ve been trying to coax him to eat and it works only for a few bites before he walks away and refuses to continue eating. We even bought canned food for him which he didn’t like and didn’t eat either, we bought kibble and he ate it for a day and then stopped wanting it the next day. Acting normal and has normal energy levels, he does sleep throughout the day but he’s always done so since we’ve had him at 2 months old. I keep suggesting to my parents that we need a vet visit but they say that he doesn’t need it because he’s just being a picky eater. The last time he didn’t eat for a few days, he gave in after 2-3 days and then ate well for about a week, then we’re back to him not wanting to eat again. Drinking water normally and poops are normal too. Should I just take him to the vet?
He may well just be being picky, that is a possibility – but there could also be an underlying health issue causing these signs. Personally, I’d want to rule out any significant medical problems first with a vet check!
Help! I have a 13 year old dog that is going on 2 months not eating. I have taken him to the vet three times. First it was an infection and we had to give him antibiotics, then he got fluids through injections the other two times. I am taking him again tomorrow but afraid of getting no solution. His behavior seems normal he wants to be cuddle and slowly follows me. Any recommendations?
Definitely you need to get to the bottom of this… might be worth talking to the vets about referral to a specialist if they can’t get to a solid diagnosis in first opinion practice.
I just started my 2 yr old Pyrenees lab mix on a fish oil & vitamin E diet but I noticed it hasn’t been two weeks yet & she suddenly quit eating her dog food so I’m really worried about her! Why did she just all of a sudden quit eating her dog food? I’ve been watching her and it’s now going on day 4 of her not touching her dog food. Really worried!! (I have given my dog a few chicken nuggets due to worrying about her not eating her dog food I just wonder why she all of a sudden quit eating it!)
It’s very very unlikely that a dog will starve themselves voluntarily unless there is an underlying medical issue. However… that doesn’t mean that they have to like the food you’re giving them! I’d be inclined to trial an alternative diet; if she won’t eat that, then definitely vet check time.
My 15 year old border collie abruptly stopped eating 2 weeks ago, prior to that she’d get excited about feeding time like any other dog. She’s old but the vet always says she’s healthy for her age. She’s drinking water on her own accord but having to be fed food by hand and when she does eat it’ll be very very little – a drastic amount less than what she’d eat prior. She turns her nose up to every single thing we’ve tried: loads of different brands of dog foods, sausages, chicken and rice etc. but there’s no persuading her. We’ve had her to the vets twice now and they’ve given her some painkillers & anti-biotics and didn’t seem to care that she isn’t eating. Our most recent visit, they began talking about euthanasia. This was really upsetting as she is a family dog and a couple of week ago she was healthy and running about, to our knowledge she has no underlying health problems besides arthritis. I would really appreciate your any opinions on this as I really don’t want to put her down and the vets seem to be uninterested in finding a cause for her sudden loss of appetite.
Also, when she first stopped she was super zoned out and not herself. Since then she seems to be more present and is moving around and will walk short distances but it’s very apparent that she isn’t her usual self.
15 is old, but collies so live longer than that fairly often. I think you need to talk to the vet about what is going on; and consider arranging for a second opinion.
My gabby had not eaten for 4 days now 😭😭 she doesn’t even get up from bed neither she wants to go for a walk but she had been drinking water quite too much wt should I do to make her eat
That’s not normal, and suggests a health problem. Time for the vet!
I have a feral dog. I can’t touch him yet, but he will eat from my hand. A week ago tomorrow another dog I was working with found a new home and I took him to it. He was in a kennel next to the feral dog. I was out of town for several days after that, and arrived home two days ago. I had somebody taking care of the feral dog. That person didn’t inform me that he had stopped eating, and when I got here he looked awful! His bowl was full, and I asked them if they had been feeding him. They said yes. It has been incredibly hot so I thought that might be the reason. He has not eaten anything more than a few small handfuls of food from my hand since I got home. I believe he is depressed. Tonight I hand fed him about 7 chunks of meat cooked in broth with some rice. He at a bit of the rice too. I tried touching him – hoping to be able to palpate his stomach to see if he has a blockage or anything, but he became very anxious (he screams a horrible noise when he is anxious), and bared his teeth at me. I backed off, he ate another piece of meat and then refused more.
He looks awful. I asked the person who cared for him again, stating he isn’t eating now, and I need to know how long he has gone without. They admitted he barely ate any of the food the whole time I was gone. They said he drank and they refilled his water daily. He has been drinking a little, and is urinating. As hot as it has been I would prefer he drink more. I plan to contact a vet if I am not seeing improvement in the morning, but thought I would reach out here and see if you have any suggestions for amounts of food to try.
Stopping eating could be due to stress, but very rarely do dogs actively starve themselves unless there is an underlying disease process… good luck with him!
My stray puppy is not eating anything since last two days.Also she looking tired and putting her mouth near water I don’t know what to do.please help
OK, time for a veterinary check to see what’s wrong and what treatment she needs.
My 10 year old golden doodle has a sensitive stomach. We feed her high quality dog food no table scraps. Out of the blue she won’t eat, will eat grass and or vomit then in a few days is back to her normal eating patterns. Activity level unchanged and drinks water during these times. I have taken her to the vet at times, they never find anything. Is this normal for this pattern to keep repeating?
It happens sometimes, but you might decide that you want to make sure you’ve ruled out all the nasty underlying options (especially at that age) like Addison’s Disease, stomach ulcers, inflammatory bowel diseases, or even a tumour.
My 1 year old Dacshund/Pomeranian has just finished a course of anti-biotics for kennel cough about 2 days ago. Last night he was up once or twice trying to make himself sick. This morning he ate grass and managed to get up a big chunk of sick which was mainly thick gloopy saliva. He usually has breakfast as soon as he wakes up at 7am but hasnt ate and its now almost midday. Could this be an upset stomach? Should I be worried? He seems quiet and is laying on his bed.
Upset tummies after a course of antibiotics are quite common – best have a chat with your vet and let them know, I think; they may well recommend a supplement or probiotic that can help.
My 9 year old shepherd husky mix has stopped eating I’ve been to the Vet once a week for 3 weeks IV fluid anti nausea meds. Lab work good chest xray clear abdominal xray good. Abdominal ultrasound negative teeth fine. So far has lost 4 lbs. He vomits bile eats grass then vomits grass
Anything I offer him he turns his head and walks away occasionally I can get a few pieces of chicken into him
I’ve tried entyce the appetite stimulant.
I’m at a total loss. Now he’s wobbly meaning sometimes he looks drunk when walking or getting up.
If the first opinion vets aren’t getting on top of it, it might be time to talk about referral to a specialist?
Our 6 month old Dachshund puppy normally gobbles down his food, we use a puzzle feeder to slow him down. Last night he ate his dinner but ate it very slowly over time. Then today he has refused to eat. He didn’t eat breakfast or lunch. We tried offering some high value treats which he took but just left uneaten. His energy is normal, he is playful and alert. I can hear sounds in his abdomen like digestion or bubbling. How long do we wait before getting worried something is wrong?
It might well be a bit of a stomach upset; if he’s still drinking, then I’d give it 24 hours before calling the vet – although in a deeper chested breed I’d be advising you to call them now. If he develops any other signs, or seems lethargic or quiet, then go sooner. Good luck!
Hi my 7 month old Tibetan terrier is not eating much since about one month and eats only a little amount of dog food and eats only the meat if we mix it with rice.But drinks water well.We observed constipation time to time as well.Otherwise his activity is completely normal and he is a very happy and playful pup.Please advice
The big question is whether he’s holding his weight. If he isn’t losing weight, then this isn’t a big worry – he’s eating what he needs, although you could have a chat to your vet about it next time you see them. If, however, he is losing weight, then definitely vet time!
My dog, a 5 yo Doberman, periodically refuses to eat. Each time he “fasts” for 3 days and then resumes eating for roughly a week before the cycle begins again. The first three times he stopped eating we took him to the vet. They performed every test they could think of including x-rays, ultrasounds, blood and urine tests. As a last resort they performed an ACTH test to rule out Addison’s. All tests were normal. This cycle has continued now for two months (3 days fasting, 7 days eating voraciously). Each time it starts with him refusing his high quality, home cooked food which he ordinarily loves. Then for the remainder of Day 1 he consumes copious quantities of grass which he regurgitates. On Days 2 and 3 he drinks plenty of water but refuses all food. At the end of Day 3 or beginning of Day 4 his appetite returns and he eats enthusiastically for the next 5 to 7 days before the cycle begins again.
Our family vet and the emergency clinic have both told us they are at a loss to explain this behavior. They say there are no more tests they can run. The only intervention that made a difference was after the ACTH test (including a Cortosyn shot) he came home and ate heartily. Unclear if the hormone triggered his appetite. Test came back normal…
I appreciate any insights as we’ve exhausted all avenues according to our vet.
Hi,
I have a 1 year old Doberemann who’s eating habits are very similar. He was eating fine until about 9 months old and then he suddenly stopped. He’s lost a couple of kilos and the vet has done many of the checks as per your submission. Have you managed to get to the bottom of your dog’s issue?
Steroid production following ACTH administration will make most animals eat heartily – but it’s not good in the long term!
Your vets do seem to have exhausted all the usual avenues; the only additional suggestion I can think of would be to consider referral to a gastroenterology specialist in a referral hospital, who would have more experience with unusual presentations like this.
Our dog had a tumor on her spleen two years ago this May. It was removed and the tumor was malignant. We were told she would probably only live another two months as this was a cancer in her blood stream. So almost two years later she is still with us but in the last few months she started to snub her dog food. We started giving he moist dog food which she would eat. We mixed human food into her dry to entice her to eat which she did for awhile.
She has not not had dog good dry or moist for almost a month. We cannot get her to eat dog food. We have been to the vet twice to try and figure out what is happening. They cannot seem to find anything and has told us her cancer has not spread. Our dog is even indifferent about some human foods. She loved eggs and now will no longer eat eggs.
Any suggestions. She is 12 this May and is a fox red lab weigh’s about 80 pounds. I should mentions she does have some very large lumps that they say are just fatty lumps but they cannot remove them. They feel since her surgery she will always be anemic and cannot be put under for further surgery.
She still enjoys going for her walk. She was also diagnosed some time ago with severe anxiety and arthritis so she does have medication for that as well.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Sorry for bouncing around a bit in my message.
It’s really touch to know what’s going on here – the immediate thought is of course of a medical issue, but if the vets can’t find one, it might be a psychological problem. Might it be worth talking to the vet about a referral to a qualified canine behaviourist in your area?
We have a papillon, he’s 11 yo.
He had 2 teeth a week ago after he was sedated for a xray on his leg / shoulder. Since then he rarely if at all eats. He’s hungry and goes to his bowl, tries to eat but instantly drops anything and looses interest in food. He has today been sick 4 times ( a yellow bile ). He’s loosing weight on his hips etc…
Vet wants to see him next week, but we’re really worried its to long. Is there anything we can do or try to see him through? We’ve tried all his normal favourites… scrambled eggs, cocktail sausages, chicken, cheese, pasta, rice etc…
He’s had gen anesthetic prev, but never had a reaction like this. He’s not walking properly, very lethargic but luckily still drinking.
He’s had teeth out before but never reacted like this. The longest he’s ever gone without food after surgery was 2 days.
I’d definitely say getting him seen earlier rather than later is important – it might be unrelated to the surgery, but complications from the anaesthetic can occasionally present like this, and it’s always better to get them identified and managed earlier.
Hello my almost 6 month old Sheba inu Pom mix has stopped eating and tomorrow will be day two. She has still been playful which is why I’m so confused and worried. Is this normal? If she doesn’t eat then I guess I will bring her to the vet. 🙁
A pup of that age not eating definitely isn’t normal… 24 hours might be a stomach upset, but any longer, time for the vet. Good luck!
My 4 year old hybrid is very lovable and friendly active dog he goes everywhere I go and all the sudden today he wontveat not even a slice of roast beef he threw up today and has just been acting diferent he is very loved and spoiled please help
Definitely vet time – good luck!
My dog is active as usual he’s a labrador, he isn’t eating his daily routine food like the pedigree and home-cooked meal seems like he’s eating only the jelly product which is meant to be on top of the dog biscuits. Please suggest to me what to do this has been going on for about a month now. He only eats properly once in maybe every 2-3 days that too not his regular food.
I think that needs a vet check to rule out any underlying medical problems. I’d be a bit suspicious of a dental problem if he’s only eating the softest bits, but always best to get professional advice. For a labrador to lose appetite is unusual and usually worrying.
Maybe he’s mourning his partner’s death can this be a reason to not eat? it has been a month since my other dog died she was a labrador too.
That definitely can happen, but doesn’t usually last for more than 2-3 weeks. If he’s losing weight, then he definitely needs attention – if not, then you can try giving it a bit longer, but I do think I’d prefer to rule out medical causes first before assuming it was grief-based, especially in a Labrador.
I have a 5 year old Female Australian Cattle dog who was diagnosed with Gastroenteritis and prescribed a couple different meds. This was over 2 weeks ago. She has been in and out of the hospital almost daily until recently for IV fluids. She now drinks on her own.
However Since she became ill she will not eat, so I have to force feed her several times a day. I now also have been using entyce to drive her appetite to no avail. Every now and then we’ll get her to eat a small amount of food, but it is so inconsistent and small that I don’t count it as food intake and will still force feed her. She has been on amoxicillin and emeprisole (sp) and while she does seem to be feeling better she is more playful with my other dogs, she just simply won’t eat. She is getting better about being force fed, but it’s not easy to feed her 4 times a day. I’ll do anything for her, but the force feeding doesn’t seem to be sustainable. Is there anything that I can do to help her with her food aversion? She does get excited about feeding times but won’t take food on her own. She reacts to the word hungry and will take some food into her mouth but will then spit it out. Her teeth are in great shape, so I’m not sure what it is.
As info Pancreatitis was ruled out through an ultrasound.
I’m really struggling to help my best friend.
It might be time to consider moving to tempt feeding – novel foods, highly aromatic foods, etc. The nurses or techs in your vets practice are probably the people to talk to… good luck!
My saluki has not eaten anything for 2 days
She just laying on the couch dose not what to go out
Get her seen by a vet ASAP – that is not normal behaviour and needs urgent veterinary attention.
Hi my name is Michelle. I have two dogs (Pomeranian) and two cats.
My family and I have been doing a new feeding schedule for our pets. Usually we just would have the food bowls filled 24/7 all time because our pets would just nibble at it every once in a while. But we learned that that way of feeding is in healthy. So we changed things up a bit and we are doing a twice a day feeding for all our pets. 8:30 am and 6:00 pm. All of pur pets are reacting very well. All are eating when it’s time. Except for our 5 year old pom Mittens. She hasn’t eaten in 3 days since we started this. I’ve tried feeding her separately from the others. And I’ve tried even feeding her at a different time too. But she just won’t eat. Her poops haven’t been very good and she isn’t acting herself. In truth, I’m not completely sure how long she hasn’t had food. Because before the feeding schedule, we wouldn’t monitor who was eating how much. Now I see she hasn’t eaten for at least 3 days and she isn’t acting herself… Please I’m really worried. What should I do?
I think a vet check is definitely in order, to rule out underlying medical issues. Make sure she’s healthy – and if she is, then she will almost certainly adapt in time!
My 10 month toy poodle is probably in the high side of a toy. He weighs according to when I weigh him with me and then weigh myself. He will not eat any type of dog food, dry or wet. The only thing is boiled chicken. And i cant put rice in it he will eat around those small grains. To be he is too skinny. The breeder did say he would be about 6-7 lbs where he is now. But I can feel his ribs and his hip bones seem to protrude. Nothing noticeable due to the fact he has dense hair being a poodle. But I feel it. Should I be worried? Is the chicken diet ok? I have to crush vitamins for him to take it but if he seems to know its in there then there goes the chicken. Is he ok in the weight range?
A chicken meat diet isn’t sufficient – it’s seriously imbalanced in calcium and phosphate as well as micronutrients. I would strongly advise a vet visit to make sure there aren’t any underlying issues, and then take professional advice on balancing the diet as what’s he’s getting now isn’t going to work out in the long term.
My dog has only been taking water and no food for three straight days now, he seems dehydrated everytime. He also has thick spec coming out from one of his eyes. He normally eats very very well. What do I do please?
No food for 3 days is a problem – time for a vet check.
I just got a puppy from a friend I’ve had him for 5 months and now he won’t eat but will drink water and has vomited a few times what’s the problem
Lots of possible causes, but most likely a stomach problem or a blocked bowel. Seek veterinary advice!