My dog won't eat but drinks and seems off. Should I be concerned?

An adult dog that has no other medical conditions can usually go for 12-24 hours without eating as long as he is still drinking water and is alert. He may just have a bit of an [upset stomach](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-treat-your-dogs-upset-stomach) from something he ate (that he wasn't supposed to) or he could have a touch of gastrointestinal infection. Continue to monitor him. If his symptoms worsen - he stops drinking, becomes lethargic, develops a fever, or begins [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/article/vomiting-in-dogs) or has [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-in-dogs), then you should [contact your veterinarian](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-handle-a-pet-emergency/).

Poor guy. The fact that he is producing urine and pooping means that he is getting something in his system. Is he getting people food instead? If he is eating some people food, try mixing the food in with his normal kibble. Or you can try another brand of dog food that is perhaps more palatable for him. Some good dog food brands to consider are: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, or Purina One. If he still doesn't want to eat his normal food after 2-4 days or starts acting abnormal or lethargic in any way, then at that point it is best to get him checked by your vet just to make sure everything is ok. Best of luck with your pet Shadow moving forward and I hope that he regains his normal appetite soon! Take care. : )

If these are the only symptoms I would monitor him a bit longer. Sometimes dogs can have some mild stomach upset that quickly resolves without treatment. If he does not eat in the next 24 hours, if he vomits or develops diarrhea, or if he seems very weak or lethargic then I would contact your vet.

It could just be an off day for Kira, and she may have an upset stomach. Given that she is eating a little bit and still drinking water, I'd keep an eye on her for now. If she stops eating altogether, she keeps eating very little for the next 24 hours, she stops drinking water, she becomes lethargic, or she develops other signs such as vomiting and diarrhea, I would take her into the vet. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your dog. As long as she is otherwise acting normal, it should be fine to monitor her for another 24-48 hours. If her appetite does not improve or she displays other signs of illness, then she will need to see her veterinarian. Hopefully she was just stressed by your absence, but you will need to ensure there is not an underlying medical condition. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Ghost is otherwise normal and has normal energy, I would offer him a bland diet as outlined below and see if he will eat the bland diet. You can also add chicken broth to his water to entice his water intake more, just be sure to change the water every 2-3 hours if you add chicken broth or it will go rancid. If he continues to not want to eat or worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

A dog may stop eating for a wide variety of reasons, some of which are due to medical conditions and others that may be more behavioral. Medical problems such as gastrointestinal viruses, intestinal obstructions, parasites, or kidney disease, among other conditions, can lead to this problem. Other dogs may become disinterested in their food and may prefer a different flavor of food, or the taste of the food may have changed due to the container in which it is stored. If your dog is still active and playful, you can try to tempt them to eat with a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken and white rice for a few days before gradually transitioning back to either their original diet or to a new food. (Any time you change diets, be sure to do so gradually by mixing the old and new foods together over 5-7 days.) If this is unsuccessful or if your dog is lethargic, vomiting, or having diarrhea, a visit to the veterinarian is in order. The veterinarian will be able to perform a physical exam as well as any necessary diagnostic tests to try to get to the bottom of this issue so that proper treatment can be started.