My Shih Tzu isn't eating dog food. Is human food or milk safe for her?

Most dogs will not starve themselves. It is best to remove any and all extras such as people food and treats that are more enticing, and only offer her the dog food for a few days. You can either set it down for a period of 15-20 minutes and pick it back up and try again in a few hours if she doesn't eat, or leave it out free-fed for a day or so to give her a chance to check it out and try it. Some dogs may not be comfortable with certain types of bowls as they may clink against a collar or feel weird on their faces/feet. Changing things up by trying a bowl of a different material or adding a placemat or rug under the bowl may help encourage Sunshine to try it out and start eating. If she is refusing to eat suddenly when she was eating fine before, or is showing any signs of illness in addition to this (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, painful belly, etc), then there could be an underlying issue causing it which should be checked out by a vet.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Dogs often prefer human food to dog food because it is more palatable to them. However, human food is not good for them! I recommend only offering Mini her dog food from now on. She may not want to eat it for a day or so, but she will feel hungry enough to start eating it again after this time. If you continue to give her human food, she will learn that if she waits long enough she will get what she wants. I hope this is helpful.

Hi Kowshik! Bittu is so cute! If he isn't eating, I would actually be concerned that he is sick. I would recommend taking him into the vet for a health check. As for what to feed him, I personally do not recommend feeding dogs vegetarian diets. Dogs by nature are not vegetarians, they eat meat, and it's good for them. Being a vegetarian is a human construct, and I personally don't think it's fair to place that on a dog when by nature they eat meat. Brands of food I would recommend for him include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I hope this helps!

I'm wondering if your friend meant puppy food, not baby food. Yes you can give puppy food to nursing mothers to get extra calories, calcium, and protein to support nursing, but food switches should be done slowly to avoid GI upset. Because Peper has had diarrhea for a week, I would take her and her puppies into a vet today to get checked out.

Great question! Dogs treats from the pet store is fine, but I do not recommend giving Linda bones or rawhides. My dogs love pig ears, and that would be fine as a treat sometimes. NEVER give her cooked bones, they splinter easily and can perforate the GI tract. Some human food is ok as an occasional treat, and I will put a link below on human foods dogs can and cannot eat. Best of luck, I hope this helps! http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets http://www.akc.org/content/health/articles/fruits-vegetables-dogs-can-and-cant-eat/

I would try to mix dry and canned food together and see if this helps. You can then slowly decrease the amount of canned food. She may always require some canned food or a few pieces of chicken or green beans over her food to make her want to eat. I would talk to your vet about an antacid that she can take to help reduce the vomiting. You may just have to be more stubborn than her and see if she will eat after skipping a couple of meals. If the vomiting or decrease appetite continues, I would have your vet take a look at her to make sure there isn't anything else going on. I hope this helps!

"Simple" diarrhea can frequently be managed at home by withholding food for 12-24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte. Resume feeding a bland diet (1:1 ratio of plain boiled boneless chicken and plain white rice). Feed in small, frequent amounts waiting at least one hour between feedings. Continue feeding until the stool is normal. Transition slowly to the regular diet. If the diarrhea doesn’t stop or other symptoms (vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, etc.) develop, see your veterinarian.