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My pregnant dog won't eat, only drinks water. What can I do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male

My dog is currently pregnant, 3 days ago she started to loss her appetite, she didn't eat any kind of food that we gave to her until now, she only drinks water. We brought her to veterinarian and as per doctor she is experiencing stress. Doctor prescribed vitamins for pregnant dog. Can you give us other remedy to restore her health. Thank you

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian

Published on August 12th, 2017

Poor girl! I would offer her a home cooked meal of plain boiled chicken and rice to see if this helps to entice her to eat. If she after a few days of being on vitamins and she still isn't acting right then I would contact your ve to do additional diagnostics. If your vet hasn't already I would ask them to do a fecal to check for intestinal parasites and blood work to make sure everything else looks ok. If she is close to the end of her pregnancy this could all be normal in preparation for labor. A lot of dogs will have a decrease in activity and appetite in the last 3-5 days of pregnancy. The normal gestation period is 62-63 days. I hope this helps!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 9th, 2017
Yes that is pretty normal at this stage. Pregnant bitches appetite can wax and wane. As long as she is eating something and not having any other symptoms (i.e. Vomiting, diarrhea) then she will likely be ok. Just make sure she is eating high calorie puppy food daily and up until the puppies are weaned (at 3-4 weeks of age).
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT
Licensed Veterinary Technician
Published on January 26th, 2019
Since she is pregnant, offer her a puppy formula through her pregnancy and until she weans the litter. You can add in a teaspoon of plain baby food or mix in some warm water to encourage her to eat.
Choose one diet and stick with it. Switching diets frequently can lead to stomach upset and may reinforce her finicky habit. If she doesn't start eating again in the next 24 hours, have her physically examined by your veterinarian to diagnose and treat any underlying cause. Your vet won't be able to confirm a pregnancy until about 4 weeks after the last mating.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on February 26th, 2017
While there can be a loss of appetite during a pregnancy, it's usually seen around three weeks of the pregnancy and around the time when the dog is due to give birth. Given that Starbucks is more than three weeks pregnant, but is still at least a week or more away from giving birth (normal gestation is 58-68 days), I would have her seen by a vet for a health check to be safe.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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