Why does my dog sometimes leave food in her bowl? Should I worry?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I understand your frustration. Soska will not choose starvation. I would put her meal down and give her a set amount of time to eat it then pick it up. Do that for several days to a week and see if she starts to finish her meals. Keep treats to a minimum. If after a week she still isn't finishing her meals then try adding water to the food to make it more tempting. You can try a different type of food after 2 weeks in case she doesn't like the food. If she continues for several weeks Soska should be evaluated by your Vet for any medical reason for her poor appetite. I hope this helps. For my dog it simply took adding water to his dry food and now he eats it without us having to sit with him.

Every puppy is different. Chloe may just be a grazer and not eat the entire meal in one sitting, as some dogs are. As long as she is eating, continues to gain weight appropriately, and acting like herself I wouldn't worry too much. If you leave the remaining food down she may go back and eat it at her leisure.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She is adorable by the way! What I recommend is actually limiting the amount of time the food is available to her. For example, you can leave her food out for 1 hour, if she does not eat it all, you take it away and offer it again the next day. Eventually, she will understand that her food is only going to be out for a certain amount of time and will have a more regular eating habit. Another thing you can do is split what you feed her in 2 feedings. Both ways could work well for her. Good luck and have a good evening!

Good question. This is fine. The amount on the bag is just a guideline. What she is doing is perfect. I like them to be hungry at the meal and just leave a little. Then you know they are getting all they want and are not over or under feeding. As she grows she may not eat the mid day meal so that's when I cut back to twice a day feeding. As long as she's healthy and a normal weight this is nothing to be overly concerned about. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Piper.

Yes, there are some dogs that are not food motivated. If Chloe skips meals, but is otherwise acting normally, and there is no vomiting or diarrhea, then I wouldn’t be too concerned. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Being lean is not always a concern. A good body condition is based on muscle mass and palpation of the body, not a number on a scale. You should be able to feel her ribs while standing without pushing hard and she should have an hour glass waist from the sides and top of her body. She should also have good muscle definition in her chest and limbs. Make sure you are feeding what the bag of food says for her daily amount based on her weight. Make sure your vet tests for intestinal parasites so they are not consuming her calories. I hope this helps! Kisses to Soska!

It's very common for some dogs to be more motivated to eat right away when there are other dogs present, since there's an element of competition involved in a multi-dog household - she likely knows that in that environment, if she doesn't eat right away, it may not still be there later! With dogs who are picky eaters, the major question I always ask is - is the dog a normal healthy weight, and acting normal otherwise? If so, then I don't worry about it. Some dogs are naturally "grazers" and may not be all that motivated to eat right away as soon as food is offered. Or you may be feeding more than she really needs, and she may simply not be very hungry sometimes. If the dog is underweight, or showing other symptoms of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea, acting lethargic, etc., then a medical work-up would be indicated to help figure out what the underlying problem is so it can be treated appropriately. But if the dog it not overly thin and otherwise acting normal, then I don't worry too much about it - she'll eat when she's hungry! I'm also not a big fan of dressing up the food with tasty "extras" to entice the dog to eat, since this is generally not necessary and can teach the dog to hold out for better and better things over time if she learns that you'll keep adding extra treats if she doesn't eat right away. So you could certainly take your girl in for a check-up to make sure she's healthy, if you're concerned - but if your vet doesn't feel that there is a genuine medical issue present, I'd just put her food down at her regular mealtime and leave her alone. A healthy dog won't starve themselves, so she'll eat when she wants to. :)