My dog won't eat dry food, only licks wet food. Is she sick?

Patty could be licking her dry food to get it moist before eating it because she is having dental problems and it may hurt to eat dry food. These dental problems could be gingivitis, a tooth root abscess, or a broken tooth. I recommend taking Patty into your vet for a health exam. Your vet can check out her mouth and determine if there is a dental problem causing this behavior. If there is a dental issue, she will need a cleaning, scaling, and polishing, plus any broken teeth may need to be removed. I would take her into your vet today or tomorrow. In the meantime, try soaking her food with low sodium beef or chicken broth to see if that helps her eat.

I'm sorry your dog isn't doing well at the moment! It's good that she isn't vomiting, but I understand why you would be concerned that she isn't eating her normal food. There could be a couple of reasons why this is happening. Given that she is rubbing the underneath of her mouth on the carpet, it could be her mouth is painful. That would explain why she won't eat the dry food but will eat something softer such as chicken and rice. She could have a dental problem causing her pain, such as severe gingivitis, a tooth root abscess, or a broken tooth to name a few causes. It could also be that she is feeling nauseous and the chicken and rice is the only thing that settles her stomach. I would monitor her for now. Just offer her the chicken and rice tonight, but try the dry dog food again in the morning. If tomorrow she is still refusing to eat her dry food and rubbing her mouth on the carpet, I'd make an appointment with the vet for her to be seen. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I'd Pepper checked out by a vet. She could have a dental problem causing her to not want to eat her dry food. While it's fine she eats wet food only, because of this sudden change in behavior. it's important to make sure everything is ok health wise with her. Best of luck.

Without knowing the age and type of pet, it is difficult to know. I am assuming it is a cat and if she isn't eating than she could have a problem with her teeth, gastrointestinal issue, pancreatitis, infection, endocrine disease, liver/kidney disease. It is continues, she needs to be seen by a vet to determine the cause and treat her problem. Your vet can run lab work and take an -x-ray, if needed, to help diagnose and prescribe medications to help. Hope she starts eating soon,

If Kayla won't eat her normal dry food but will eat canned food, I'd be concerned that she has a dental problem causing this change in eating. Dental problems can be common in senior dogs, and can include a tooth root abscess, broken tooth, or severe periodontal disease. I see as well that she isn't spayed, and a pyometra (a life threatening infection of the uterus) can also be a cause of a deceased appetite and a reduction in energy. Given the risk of a pyometra in an older dog, the best thing to do for her is take her into a vet today to get the cause of her symptoms diagnosed so she can be treated. Should she have a pyometra, spaying her is part of the recommend treatment. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Have you tried switching to a different dog food? It may be a matter of finding a dog food that Snowie finds more palatable. I would try several types of dog food brands to see which she likes best. I've sometimes had success in making food more palatable by adding chicken broth to the food. I pour enough chicken broth so that the dry kibble is sticking out above the broth and let the dry kibble absorb it. The end result is a spongy soft kibble that has soaked up the chicken broth. Many dogs find this much more palatable, especially the picky eaters. If her appetite is decreased and she is sick, then I would get her seen by a veterinarian to ensure she does not have anything else going on medically. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have.

It would be a good idea to have her checked by the vet, just in case. Most likely, though, she is being stubborn. Your dog has decided what her diet will be, but that's not her job . . . it's yours. Stop feeding her the wet food Put her dry food in a bowl on the floor without fuss and leave it for 15 minutes. After that time, pick it up whether she has eaten or not. Do not give her anything--no treats, snacks or human food--until her next scheduled mealtime. Then repeat the process. It may take several times for her to realize that there will be no more wet food, and that she must eat her dry food. Remember that you are not starving her–she is choosing not to eat. When she is hungry enough, she will. Do not give in or "feel sorry" for her. It will only make it harder to correct.