My timid foster dog won't eat or drink. How can I encourage them?
Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!
Sometimes eating and drinking behavior can change due to underlying dental disease or another health issue. I would recommend Maggie get checked out with her veterinarian soon. Your veterinarian will do an exam along with a oral exam and may recommend blood work and/or a dental cleaning. If all is normal, then perhaps Maggie may be particular with her food. I would choose a good quality food for her such as Wellness, Taste of the Wild, Solid Gold, Royal Canin, Hill's, Acana, or Orijen just to name a few. Try not to change the food frequently as this may encourage her to be finicky. She will eat when she's hungry enough! But first, I would be sure to have her seen by her vet just to make sure there is nothing else going on that may cause eating/drinking changes.
I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025