My Shih Tzu suddenly stopped eating his dry food. What's wrong?

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.

Sometimes puppies can have a slight decrease in appetite when they first come home since it is a big adjustment, however it sounds like you've had her a few days. Given her age and her breed I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian to make sure she doesn't have low blood sugar, parasites, or another medical problem affecting her appetite. If she also seems weak, lethargic or disoriented you should see an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. She is adorable!

It definitely seems like Benji likes his soft food, so it's going to take some time to get him transitioned to the dry food. The good thing is that dogs don't tend to not be finicky for too long before they give up and just eat what's available. It may take a few times of him missing a meal though. I think that is where most owners get concerned, because they feel like they are starving/torturing their dog. My opinion is that it's totally fine for them to miss a meal or two if you're giving them a food that's better for them. It is definitely not harmful for them, because it will take a long time (many days) before he would actually starve. I think the chicken broth idea is great! It may take a couple of weeks, but maybe you could continue wetting it with the broth and reduce the wetness gradually. Food allergies to grains is exceedingly rare, so you may double-check that this was diagnosed by a veterinarian. Usually, the owner gets some bad advice from the pet store employee, or reads some bad info on the internet and that's why they get the grain-free food. If that's the case, then this could open up some more options for feeding dry food. Dry food is better for dogs that tend to have bad teeth, because it does not build-up on the teeth as much. If you brush Benji's teeth regularly, then there is not as much need for the dry food; so you may consider that if all else fails. I hope that helps. Below is a link to a short article that has some more helpful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-every-dog-owner-should-know-about-dental-care/

Hi. Poor baby :( That definitely is concerning especially for a puppy. There are obviously alot of causes for not eating. It could range from parasites, to dietary indiscretions, to viral infection (parvo), and many other illnesses. I would recommend getting Jax seen tomorrow at your vet or the ER because puppies can get dehydrated, hypoglycemic and decompensate quickly. They will do an exam, a parvo test, and a fecal to start most likely. Good luck

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Dudu. You can try adding some canned food or warm water to his dry kibble to make it more appealing for him. However, it is worrisome that he is not eating. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian to determine why he has experienced this abrupt change in appetite. He may need fecal testing to look for signs of an infection or inflammation in his GI tract. I hope this information helps!

Please do not give Benji regular milk, it causes GI upset in dogs and should never be given to them. He may not be hungry, but if he's around four weeks of age, he can start being weaned onto puppy food. To help him wean and to get used to dry food, I would soak a high quality puppy formulated dry food in warm water until soft. Then mix that with his puppy formula to make a mush the consistency of oatmeal. Over the next two weeks, gradually increase the amount of dry puppy food and decrease the amount of water and puppy formula you use until he is eating the dry puppy food only. Best of luck!