My dog stopped eating his food but still enjoys treats. What to do?

Boiled chicken breast can be fed during times of gastrointestinal upset but it is not a balanced diet for long term use. If Akki is behaving normally, choose a good quality dog food for feeding. Quality brands include Royal Canin, Orijen, Canidae or Acana just to name a few. Discontinue feeding treats and biscuits. Feed him on a schedule. Dogs his age can be fed twice daily. Prepare his food at the scheduled time and leave it down for 15-20 minutes. You can add warm water or a teaspoon of baby food to stimulate his appetite. Pick it up after the time is up whether he has eaten or not. Repeat at the next mealtime. Do not offer any other food or treats between meals. Do not switch diets frequently. Doing so may lead to gastrointestinal upset or can create a finicky eater. Be firm and be consistent. Do not allow him to train you to feed him what he wants, when he wants. If he is exhibiting other symptoms (lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain) then have him examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury.

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 and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If Oberon isn't vomiting or having diarrhea, I would withhold food from him for 12 hours. He may be nauseous. If he is still refusing food after 12 hours I would take him to a vet for a thorough physical exam to find out why. Good luck and kisses to Oberon!

I would say that they are probably bored with the food, especially if they are not vomiting or having diarrhea. Try switching things up to another brand such as Royal Canin, Eukanuba, or even Viktor. I would recommend doing a slow transition over the course of a week to avoid any stomach upset and then trying on of the foods above or one you've found during your research. I hope that you can find a food that your fur babies like soon! Best of luck and take care.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Given he has not been showing any other signs of illness, this may just be that he needs a diet change. Sometimes dogs can get bored of their diets periodically. You can try a new diet or possibly mix his current diet with canned food to see if that helps. Best of luck!

A dog may stop eating for a wide variety of reasons, some of which are due to medical conditions and others that may be more behavioral. Medical problems such as gastrointestinal viruses, intestinal obstructions, parasites, or kidney disease, among other conditions, can lead to this problem. Other dogs may become disinterested in their food and may prefer a different flavor of food, or the taste of the food may have changed due to the container in which it is stored. If your dog is still active and playful, you can try to tempt them to eat with a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice for a few days before gradually transitioning back to either their original diet or to a new food. (Any time you change diets, be sure to do so gradually by mixing the old and new foods together over 5-7 days.) If this is unsuccessful or if your dog is lethargic, vomiting, or having diarrhea, a visit to the veterinarian is in order. The veterinarian will be able to perform a physical exam as well as any necessary diagnostic tests to try to get to the bottom of this issue so that proper treatment can be started.