My dog won't eat his food but eats trash. Is his digestion okay?

I would give it a bit more time to see if he goes back to eating normally. In the meantime you may want to try giving him a probiotic just in case his stomach/intestines are bit uneasy. I recommend Fortiflora - it is by far the best probiotic. I would give him this for two weeks minimum even if he goes back to eating all his food in a day or two. https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50029 If no improvement in about a week I would say to take him to the vet. As a side note, I have no issue with people making home-cooked food but it is not balanced for a dog (ie: minerals and nutrients that a dog needs). You really need to get that sorted out. I recommend you contact this website: https://secure.balanceit.com/ They will help you formulate a good home-cooked diet and you will need to get their supplements (which are very good) to balance the diet. This website is made by a veterinary nutritionist. Vitamin and mineral deficiency can cause GI issues as well as many other problems. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Causes of a decrease in appetite are: intestinal parasites, viral or bacterial infection, he ate something gross that is upsetting his stomach, he ate something that is stuck, food allergy/intolerance, Inflammatory Bowel disease, Addison's disease, new treat/food/table food. Sometimes this can be behavioral as well, he is waiting for something better like the Pedigree. If there is not other symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy then that is likely the problem. If you recently got a new bag of his food the company may have changed the formula or there is a issue with that bag of food. If you really don't want to feed him Pedigree then hold your ground. Offer his normal food, you can add water to it to make it more tempting, and if he doesn't eat it then pick it up. Do not offer treats or any other food and then he is not fed again until his next meal time. You can also consider feeding him once daily. If he is otherwise sick, please repost with his symptoms and we will provide advice. I hope this helps and I wish you and Puku the best!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Just like you pointed out, there are many different diets in the market to the point that it is hard to decide which one is best for patients. For any concerns on digestion, I prefer a veterinary prescription diet called Purina EN which is easily digestible and at the same time very good in terms of nutrition. It is also palatable and most dogs seem to like it. Alternatively, you could consider another diet which is the Hill's id which is similar to the Purina EN though in my experience it is not as palatable and some dogs will not eat it. Your veterinarian would have to write up a prescription for this diet. Good luck and have a good night!

OH Moose sounds like quite the character. Unfortunately, some dogs are super picky. Other times, they need a little tough love. It sounds like you've already ruled out any possible medical issues so Moose must be picky, and you are super nice pet parents for catering to him. I find for some dogs its a taste or texture they don't like. But it sounds like you've tried them all and Moose keeps turning up his nose. I would recommend putting his dish down for 10 minutes, then picking it up and putting it away until his next meal time. Repeat. Feeding 1-3 solid meals a day like this will teach him to eat when the food is out. A dog will not starve themself, but they may need to get a bit snacky for the next meal to encourage eating. Also cut out ALL treats. Moose needs to learn to eat his food and not fill up elsewhere for the time being at least. My other recommendation for these picky eaters is to buy only small bags of food at a time. Less waste, but also some dogs are particular about freshness of their kibble too. Buy only a big enough bag that will last no more than 3 weeks. Store the food in the original bag, in an airtight container. And feel free to try new brands with each bag purchase, just make sure you transition from one food to the next to avoid tummy upsets. Moose might just be one of those dogs that likes variety. TIP: sticking to foods that have similar protein % will avoid protein overloads and tummy troubles, Some brands also specialize in rotational feedings and are meant to switch from different proteins, your (pet specialty) local store should be able to assist you with those brands available in your area.

Since Marshall will eat in general, and is only refusing his own food, I would not believe there is anything wrong with him at this time. I agree it is strange that Marshall would suddenly decide he doesn't like his food. 7 months old is often what can be described as the "teenager time" for a dog. This means he might be asserting his opinions more for a few months. I would suggest one of the following strategies; Try adding boiled boneless chicken breast or extra lean ground beef to his regular food. Over time reducing how much you add until you don't add any or only a small amount. Try a new brand or flavour of dog food. try mixing the new with the old to limit the drastic change, and potentially upsetting Marshall's gastrointestinal tract. Signs that something else may be going on and warrant a vet check; Vomiting Diarrhoea Lethargy Blood in vomit or fever I hope that this answer helps and that Marshall starts enjoying his own food or a new food soon.

Hello. The accidents may definitely be tied to the inappropriate ingestion of garbage. Try to be more diligent securing garbage & placing things like cigarette butts out of his reach. At best, he may get a bit of GI upset, at worse, he may actually poison himself or wind up with a severe intestinal inflammation or blockage. Make sure he has easy access to appropriate chew toys like nylabones & Kong toys ( especially the ones you can hide treats in ). Invest in some puzzle toys & tire him out so he is less apt to wander the house looking for trouble to get into. Hopefully, once he matures a bit more, this will no longer be such an issue. thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

While this may cause them to have some GI upset (vomiting and diarrhea) there is nothing that is toxic to them. I would fast them for the next 12 hours or so, watch for vomiting, diarrhea and monitor their energy. If they are free of symptoms, then you can feed small amounts of their normal diet at first, then resume normal feeding. If at any time they do develop vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite or decreased energy, I would take them to your veterinarian. Sometimes pets can get a more serious illness called pancreatitis after they get in the garbage. Some can also have a blockage in the stomach or intestines if they ate any of the packaging. Both of these require veterinary treatment.