7 Reasons Your Dog Won't Eat ...

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When it’s hot outside, no one in my household is too excited about the idea of food. In the summer time, my dog will look at her bowl full of food and I swear I’ve heard her groan. When I give her food in the evening, it will sometimes still be there in the morning. It’s much cooler in the morning time and she’s had all night to cool down, so she will usually eat her food then. Some dogs will eat as soon as they get cooled off. Dogs who like water can be cooled down with a small wading pool. Mine greatly dislikes water, but she does enjoy lying under the front porch in an area that I sprayed with the hose.

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I’m sure everyone has had at least one dog who was always finding something to eat that wasn’t necessarily edible. This can definitely cause an upset stomach to occur. The only thing you can really do is wait, unless it seems like your dog is utterly miserable. There was one time when my dog ate a tennis ball. It was chewed up into small pieces, but it was still extremely hard on his innards. I had to take him to the vet and get the contents removed.

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A number of reasons cause my dog to be uncomfortable and each time she is she won’t eat even a single piece of her kibble. Thunderstorms make her nervous, traveling in the car cause her to get sick to her stomach, and a lot of visitors create a bit of anxiety for her. Thankfully, this discomfort doesn’t last long, since storms pass, the car ride is eventually over, and visitors leave. Once she feels like everything is alright, then she will happily empty her food bowl.

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It’s the same with animals as it is with people; feeling ill usually wards off hunger. A sick dog will often turn his nose up at food. It’s best to leave him alone and let him get over his illness before trying to get him to eat food. You can leave a full bowl of kibble close by, just in case he gets the urge to eat a few pieces. Make sure he has plenty of cool water too. If the illness seems to be getting worse or he has gone more than a couple of days without eating anything at all, then you should take him to the vet right away.

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After even the most minor surgery, it takes a while for the anesthetic to completely wear off. People who have experienced the effects of anesthetic know just how much nausea it can cause. This type of nausea is something that isn’t often quickly gotten over. Sometimes it will the better part of a day for your dog to overcome the effects of surgery. Make sure he has access to food and water, even if he doesn’t seem the slightest bit interested in either.

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Vaccines can also cause dogs to feel a bit less than enthusiastic. The effects of vaccines can range from nausea to lethargy or even both. He might even be a bit sore where the injection or injections were given, so be sure to be gentle. You can ask the vet if it’s alright for you to give your dog a small dose of aspirin for the pain. Even though dogs don’t seem like shots bother them as much as they do humans, I’m sure they’d complain as much as a child would. They may not be able to tell you that the shot hurt, but I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t felt at least a little bit sore after given a shot.

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My parents have two dogs that each have to eat a certain type of food or they won’t eat at all. Talk about picky eaters. The clincher is that each dog likes a specific kind of food, which means my parents have to buy two different types of dog food. This does eliminate any fights over food, since neither one wants to eat the other’s kibble. However, if you have a picky eater and don’t know yet, then this could be the reason your dog isn’t eating. Make sure you bought the right type of dog food. Sometimes packaging looks similar and it’s easy to accidentally grab the wrong bag of dog food.

Do you think that some of these 7 reasons your dog won’t eat might pertain to your pup? I’m sure there are other reasons for dogs to refuse food, but these seem to be the most prominent ones. I’ve come across some of these instances with my own dog in the past. Please share any methods you’ve used to remedy any of the issues that caused your dog to turn his nose up to even his favorite kibble.

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