If your dog prefers some food items over others or only eats when hand-fed, his problem may be behavioral, and not medical. Sometimes a broken or loose tooth, severe gingivitis and an oral tumor could also stop the dog from eating.ĪLSO READ: Pet Oral Hygiene & Dental Health Guide Behavioral Causes If your dog has only temporarily stopped eating, it may not necessarily be one of these causes, but you may still want to check with a vet for any possible infections, inflammations or illness.Įlder dogs may have trouble with eating food that’s too hard to chew or swallow. A thorough check-up with your vet can help identify the exact cause. A blockage somewhere in the gastrointestinal tract or an ulcer somewhere in the mouth or stomach, or even a kidney or liver malfunction could be stopping your dog from eating. If your dog refuses to eat at all or eats only very minute quantities and is rapidly losing body condition (symptoms of starving), there could be medical reasons responsible for it. When a dog won’t eat, the condition is called anorexia. Let’s look at some of the probable causes, starting from the least likely to the most commonly observed ones. Why do Dogs turn Picky or Selective about their Food?ĭepending on what the exact pattern of your dog’s selective eating habit is, there could be several reasons driving his fussy nature. No dog would starve himself, but he can very well skip a low-value meal or two in the hopes of getting a high-value food item. Most dogs understand these relative high and low values very well. If he refuses to eat that, you replace it with something more tempting (pour a little gravy on it, or sprinkle some treats on it). When your dog refuses to eat his usual meal, you replace it with chicken or eggs (or something else that he loves).
And that is what happens really, doesn’t it? And if he doesn’t eat this one, he has a better chance of getting something he enjoys even more. Even if he skips a meal, he’ll get the next one. A domesticated dog knows that he’ll never run out of food. However, man’s company has taught them a thing or two. This inherent scavenging behavior continues and is still strong in all healthy dogs today. That’s how wild dogs became domesticated – it was easy to find food among hoomans, and over time they became less and less wary of us until eventually, they became our best friend. This means they scavenge food when given the opportunity. Dogs are opportunistic hunters by nature. Let’s begin by getting this straight, no dog is fussy by birth. Please take your dog for a veterinary check-up immediately.ĭogs are NOT born Picky. Please note that if your dog has only recently become fussy about his food, or has shown a sudden loss of appetite, it could be a sign of illness. Their parents are often characterized by heaps of different brands of pet foods stashed in the house, and internet search history like “my dog won’t eat”, “how to feed my fussy dog”, “how to convince my dog to eat”, etc. Picky dogs are often characterized by heaps of food always lying in their bowls, from one meal to the next. If you’ve had the dog in your family for a while, we feel you understand the pattern by now. If your pup is a growing one and is starting to reject only certain food items, he may be developing a taste against them. However, if your pup often gets “bored” of his food after a few days or refuses to eat what he loved until last week, we may have a problem.
It’s just different personalities with different preferences, like hoomans. And that’s normal, except if the only things he likes to eat are unhealthy. Some dogs may like to eat some foods but not others. Types of Picky or Selective Eating Behavior in Dogsįirst of all, it’s important to understand if your dog is a picky eater or is just selective about what he eats. Almost all picky dogs can be conditioned to eat normally, but it requires exemplary patience and dedication (and some tough parenting) from your end. And it may often time require more than one or several attempts and different ways to fix them. Hence, it could be a bit tricky to address your dog’s picky eating habits.
Different dogs are differently selective about the things they eat. Naturally, it’s a huge cause of concern if your dog turns out to be a picky eater, or turns into one.įussy or selective eating may have many different forms. Every parent wants their kids to eat well, and stay happy and healthy.
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