Does it often happen with your dog that they eat treats or table scraps but not eat their food on dog bowls? This is a medical problem, and it’s known as partial anorexia. It’s happening because your dog isn’t feeling well physically!
Partial anorexia refers to that a dog will eat, but only if special, such as treats or table scraps. Sometimes, dogs will refuse everything from dog bowls and feeders but eat something like fast-food hamburgers.
Anorexia in dogs can happen because ofsmall issues, such as a stomach upset, to severe and even life-threatening problems. So, what should you do? First, learn why they won’t eat!
Reasons Dogs Won’t Eat
There are several reasons your dog may not wannaeat. We can divide them into two categories: psychological reasons and medical reasons.
Psychological Causes for Anorexia in Dogs
Common examples of psychological anorexia include anything that changes a dog’s schedule or causes stress, including:
- New pets in the home
- New baby in the home
- Moving to a new home
- Guests in the home
- A thunderstorm
- Switching dog foods
- A family member leaving the home
Medical Causes for Anorexia in Dogs
Medical causes can include hundreds, maybe even thousands, of potential issues. The medical disorders that can cause anorexia to have:
- Gastrointestinal tract diseases
- Liver diseases
- Pancreas diseases
- Kidney diseases
- Lung or blood diseases
- And anything that causes pain.
As you can see, anything that affects an organ’s function might cause dogs to lose their appetite. If your dog isn’t eating, please see your veterinarian so that they can help you figure out what’s causing it and offer the best treatment choice for getting your dog to eat again.
How to Make Your Dog to Eat Again?
You might attempt the following methods yourself to persuade your dog to eat:
- Start by giving them a brand-new bowl of their favorite dog food. If the food is canned, try heating it to release the scent. To make it more palatable, add a tiny bit of water or chicken broth if the meal is dry.
- If it doesn’t work, try bribing them with sweets/treats. If your dog likes treat, crumble them into their meal to encourage them to consume them.
- Feed a bland meal, such as boiling hamburger or chicken mixed in 50/50 with rice. This dish may be purchased commercially or prepared at home.
- Change things up by giving your dog various canned food to discover what he likes.
How to Stop This From Happening Again
Hopefully, it will be enough to get them to start feeding on dog bowls and feeders again. However, these tricks may not work if your doggo has any medical problems mentioned above. Also, this paranoia can come back again anytime! So, how to stop that?
The solution is to prevent underlying causes and keep a close eye on your pet’s nutrition. If your pet isn’t eating because it got into the garbage, ate rotten food, or has an upset stomach, the best thing you can do is make sure he doesn’t have access to the trash can. If your puppy isn’t eating because of arthritic discomfort, work with your veterinarian to treat and avoid the pain first!
