My food-motivated Border Collie puppy won't eat. Is it the heat?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Simba. Yes, heat and humidity can affect a dog's appetite. However, so can many disease processes. It is important to have him evaluated by his veterinarian to ensure that he is not sick. I hope this information helps!

Increases in the environmental temperature can cause dogs to not want to eat. You can try leaving her food out longer, feeding her earlier in the day when it's cooler or feeding her indoors where it could be air-conditioned. With this breed they can be predisposed to certain stomach conditions if only fed once a day. Therefore I would try to get her to eat two meals again if possible.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Heat could defenitely cause your puppies to not want to eat. With that heat it is very important to have an area of shade for them to hide, as well as free access to cool water at all times. Ideally, have a sprinkler or some water source (kiddy pool filled with water) that they can go in to cool down. Dogs overheat very easily and can get very sick with overheating. Best of luck with your little ones.

If it is extremely hot in your area it may be that the heat is decreasing Pogo's appetite some, which can be normal. Feeding smaller meals a little later in the day may help encourage him to eat some, as well as making sure he has access to a cool shaded area with plenty of water. If the refusal to eat continues or you see other signs of illness such as vomiting, diarrhea or extreme lethargy, then bringing him to your vet for an exam is best.

I'm sorry to hear that Precious isn't feeling well. It is very common that dogs will have a decreased appetite when it gets too hot for them. And this can last for a little while. Our air conditioning did not work for a day last summer and it took a couple of days for my dogs to get back to normal. So, if Precious is otherwise feeling and acting normally, it may just take her a little more time for her appetite to return to normal. Depending on what food you are feeding and how it is preserved, another problem we can have with dry food that is exposed to high temperatures is that the oils can start to go rancid. I would not expect it to be a problem after only a couple of days, but that is also something to be aware of. I will often have owners buy a new bag of the same food to see if their dog will eat that. That will sometimes tell me if the bag of food is starting to spoil. If Precious develops any other signs such as lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea or her appetite continues to decline, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine her. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that she feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

While extreme heat can cause heat stroke or heat exhaustion that could result in vomiting or diarrhea that doesn't sound like the case for Oskar. Heat stroke also causes weakness and difficulty breathing, and animals do not typically recover without intervention. Something else may have triggered the vomiting and diarrhea - it's possible that Oskar ate something he shouldn't, or that he has one of the other numerous diseases that can cause these signs. If he still is not eating or drinking I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian. Some of the tests they may recommend to determine what is causing Oskar's illness include blood work, abdominal x-rays or a fecal analysis. They might also recommend symptomatic treatment for his lack of appetite.

Hi ! It might be that Gemma needs to adjust to the heat. I would give her some time, we often don’t eat as much when the weather is hot. Just make sure you stick to a routine, offer her food and leave it down for 20 minutes then remove it untile the next meal. Always leave plenty of fresh water available and if worried have her checked over. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !