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Why does my dog sniff his food bowl repeatedly before finally eating?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 1 year and 9 months old

I am very much in tension today because I have notice 1 thing since last 5 days that whenever I feed him his meal in bowl in lunch and dinner then he earlier used to finish normally but since last 5 days he smells the food inside the bowl then he smell the bowl from outside then again he smell food inside bowl and smell the bowl from outside and do like this 3 to 4 times and then start eating sonis it some mental problem or some disease or what please help me as I am very much tensed now

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By David Darvishian

Veterinarian

Published on August 29th, 2017

Remember if you transition to a new diet, do this over a 1-2 week period while slowing building up the amount of the new diet and reducing the old diet every few days until you make the switch completely. Rapid food changes can cause intestinal upset. Good luck

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By David Darvishian
Veterinarian
Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bruno. Many things could be going on but I'm wondering if Bruno is getting bored or losing interest in his current diet. You could try to transition Bruno to another diet and see if he exhibits the same behavior. It is possible that he has developed some medical problem and if this continues or worsens, I would advise having your veterinarian examine him and getting a thorough history. You could try topping his current diet with low sodium chicken broth or some kind of topping/sauce made for dogs. Sounds like it's a normal behavior and he just needs some coaxing to eat like he used to. As long as he is eating, drinking, acting normal, playing then I would assume this has to do with the food being offered and not some type of illness. One thing you may want to try is to add some sardines or canned mackerel to his food to enhance the aroma and flavor. Good luck with Bruno.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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