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Why won't my dog eat from his food bowl? He only eats from the floor.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Spitz | Male | unneutered | 6 months and 14 days old | 7 lbs

Norik likes to eat from the floor, he can go all day without eating if his food is in the bowl. Please changed his bowl 5 times with no luck. I changed the place for his bowl. Still no luck. The only way he eats if I handle food to him and put it on the floor in front of him. What to do? How to make him eat from the bowl?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Christie Long, DVM

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on November 21st, 2017

I would first encourage you to consider whether Norik is actually having appetite issues and not bowl issues. If you're sure that he has a strong/normal appetite, that's good, but remember that sometimes reluctant eaters actually have gastrointestinal issues - for example, intestinal parasites are very common in puppies - and make sure that you and your vet have ruled out potential medical issues first, especially if there are other concerning signs such as vomiting and/or diarrhea. Also think about whether he might have neck pain that is keeping him from wanting to lower his head all the way to the floor.

If Norik has a great/normal appetite, and you've made sure that any potential health problems are ruled out, but he truly doesn't like bowls, then I would recommend trying to feed him on something extremely shallow, such as a plate or cookie sheet. You might also consider an elevated feeding bowl to see if getting the bowl up higher is more appropriate for him.
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