Why won't my 1-year-old German Shepherd eat unless I hand-feed him?

I would be concerned that Riley has a medical problem causing herself not to eat, as a healthy dog would not starve themselves more than three days. In addition, she may be getting sick from the illness, not from not eating. She could have a dental problem making it painful for her to eat, she could have a GI illness, foreign body, or may have eaten something rotten. You can try feeding her some canned dog food, but if she won't eat that, I would take Riley into a vet today for an exam. The vet can do a physical exam, routine blood tests, a urinalysis, and possibly x-rays to diagnose why she won't eat, and can treat accordingly.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This is a quite generic but concerning presentation. Differentials are many, from gastrointestinal diseases (infection/inflammations often dietary related) to any disease that can spread systemically (causing lethargy for example) like infection, and anything that can cause pain/discomfort. The approach must be logic, starting from offering different kind of food. A check up is needed if inappetence lasts for more than 24hours. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Not wanting to eat can be a sign of nearly any sort of illness, ranging from a simple upset stomach to much more serious conditions involving multiple organ systems. It's encouraging that she will eat out of your hands, but if this is not usually how she eats than I would say that she should be assessed by a veterinarian. A thorough physical exam might help reveal a problem if one is present. As far as things you can do at home to assess the situation, you can obtain a rectal temperature (above 102.5 or below 99.0 is considered abnormal), check the gum lines for paleness / dryness, and check the skin for hydration. Hope this helps and that Ellaa is feeling OK soon.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As GSDs get older they don't require the same amount of calories as they did when they were a puppy. When this happens, they tend not to eat as often. This breed does not need to eat every meal or even everyday. They usually only eat more when they are working. So if you have a GSD that isn't working (police dog, herding, agility, etc) then he probably won't need to eat as often. Dogs can go long periods of time without eating a meal, unlike humans. As long as Arjun isn't vomiting, having diarrhea, lethargic, or losing weight, I wouldn't worry. Continue to offer his usual food and limit treats to once-twice daily (because they contain more fat than dog food). Kisses to Arjun!

Chapatis, oats, and rice are not a balanced or healthy diet for a dog. Dogs need protein and calcium as well as many other vitamins and nutrients, and that diet you provided doesn't give him that. I see that Max is six months old, so he needs a puppy formulated food. Puppies need higher amounts of calories, protein, and calcium than adult dogs, and a puppy formulated food will provide that for him. I would not give him human food any longer, and put him on a puppy dog food until he is 12 months. Then he should be on an adult dog food. Brands I recommend include Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. I would also have a health check for him with the vet. He may be feeling unwell from have a nutrient deficient diet, or he could also have a medical illness causing the loss of appetite. Please keep in mind that even if it is a medical illness causing him to lose his appetite, the current diet you are feeding him is very poor and he needs to be on a puppy food. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Losing weight fast is usually a sign of a serious medical condition, unfortunately this is also a very general symptom, you will need to take him to the vet to get it checked first, he will need to have a blood test and xray/ultrasound done to start with.

Dogs are carnivores and therefore should eat non-veg food, preferably commercial complete puppy food for large dogs or specifically for German Shepherd dogs. Try a proper dog food. If he still does not eat you need to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for an exam as he may be getting ill.