My dog won't eat or stop barking while I'm away. What to do?

Poor Kronos! Many dogs won't eat if they are very stressed or anxious - this is the most common reason that they may not eat while their owners are away. You can try providing some extra tasty food for your pet sitter or boarding kennel to feed him while you're gone - perhaps canned food if he normally eats dry. If this doesn't help, your vet can prescribe an appetite stimulant or anti-anxiety medication to be given while you're gone - this may be the best option if he goes days without eating, since this can cause serious health problems. Consider working with a veterinary behavioral specialist to gradually desensitize Kronos to your absence. Behavioral modification techniques may [reduce](https://www.petcoach.co/article/top-5-ways-to-reduce-separation-anxiety-in-dogs/) the severity of his anxiety when you are away.

Try to stick to the same routine as before, like feeding the same food from the same dog bowl, playing and going for walks, etc. If he is still not interested in food, you can try something like boiled chicken breast to entice him to eat. If it is caused by anxiety, supplements like Zylkene or Comfort Zone Adaptil Collars or Diffuser may help. However, if Gizmo does not seem interested in eating in 24 hours, he may need to see a vet if there is a medical cause for his anorexia. It is possible that it is purely coincidental that his not eating happened when you went to your Grandmother's house.

It could be that Rocky is ill causing him to make the painful noises and not eat. Anorexia is a very general sign of illness, and it can be caused by systemic illness, infection, injury, or inflammation. Given that he hasn't eaten in three days, I would have him seen by a vet right away for a physical exam, blood tests, urinalysis, and possible x-rays to diagnose what is causing his symptoms. Once the cause is found, the vet can discuss treatment options with you.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would recommend you make sure he does not go out unsupervised to avoid him getting in a fight with the other dogs as that can result in unwanted injuries. Do not let him notice the other dogs so that he does not get upset. If he continues to not eat, I recommend you have him evaluated by a veterinarian to check for any possible medical reasons to explain his lack of appetite. Best of luck!

This doesn't necessarily sound like a separation anxiety to me. Some dogs (and cats) are just what I call "sociable eaters"; they don't like to be alone when they are consuming their meals. Some even want to be pet or talked to when they are eating. As long as she is eating her entirely meal in one sitting, I would say that your best solution to the problem is simply to continue sitting with her for the duration of her meals. As far as barking when she's left alone, I might recommend crate training her if she isn't already. Giving her a place to call her own that is like a den might make her more comfortable in situations that may ordinarily be uncomfortable. There are many training videos and books on crate training that will get you started on how to do it and what you will need. In more serious cases, there are medications that can be utilized to address these types of problems, but are not typically recommended until other options have been exhausted. There are some natural options such as the Adaptil collar that I have seen some dogs with similar problems succeed with. Here's a link to read all about it : https://www.adaptil.com/us#redirected Anyway, I hope this makes sense. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A healthy dog will not choice starvation. It sounds like he is trying to train you to give him what he wants. I would hold your ground. Put the meal down, give him an allotted time to eat it and pick it up until the next meal time. It may take 3 days of holding out for him to realize that this is all it will be. No treats until he is eating his food consistently. He could also be out of sorts from you being away and him staying with your family. If he starts acting sick (vomit, diarrhea, etc) or it has been longer than 3 days have your Vet examine him. Also have a talk with your family about feeding expectations and why you don't want things added to his food. Good luck!

If he's never been away from you, it may be that he is having some anxiety with you being gone that may be contributing. However, it could be something more serious. Since he's acting lethargic and is not eating, talk to your mum ( I assume this is who is caring for him currently?) and see if she can get him in to see a vet in the next few days. Your vet may recommend running some blood tests and /or taking some Xrays to see if there is something serious going on. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!