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Help! My Dog Won't Eat

HELP! My Pet Refuses to Eat.

Your dog or cat approaches its feeding dish, sniffs and walks away with disdain. Your pet likes a particular pet food one day and refuses to eat it the next. You give in and change your pet's diet which may reinforce your pet's finicky ways. A strategy for winning the battle of mealtime wills combines a proper feeding program and strict monitoring of your pet's feeding habits.

If you have a problem eater, use the following checklist to help you determine why your pet is refusing to eat or experiencing digestive upsets.

Do you change pet foods frequently?

Yes No

If you answered yes, chances are you have identified the problem. Frequent diet changes can create a finicky eater. The pet becomes a "holdout" to see what will be offered next. When you find a nutritious diet your pet enjoys eating, stay with it.

Do you believe that pets, like people, need variety in their diet?

Yes No

If you answered yes, keep in mind that a pet demands as much variety as it has come to expect. Constant diet changes, as well as feeding food from the table, can create a finicky eater. Variety in the diet of humans is important to ensure the consumption of nutritionally balanced meals. Dogs and cats can get the proper balance of all the nutrients they need when they are fed a high quality nutritionally complete and balanced dog or cat food appropriate for their life style.

Are you aware of an indulgent family member who quietly slips the pet treats and food from the table?

Yes No

If you answered no or better check it out, take a second look at your family members. A sensible feeding program can be undone by one family member who pampers a pet by feeding goodies and food from the table when no one is looking. The results are not beneficial to the pet. It may become a finicky eater or show signs of becoming obese. (Obesity is the number one nutritional problem for dogs and cats). Food surreptitiously fed can also upset the nutritional balance of a high quality pet food.

A behavior problem may also be in the making as a result of feeding food from the table and/or frequent diet changes. The pet may develop the annoying habit of begging and may even steal food from the table.

Does your pet raid garbage cans without your knowledge

Yes No

If you answered yes, this may be the underlying cause of the pet's refusal to eat and/or digestive upsets. Some pets, regardless of how well they are fed by their owners, raid garbage cans. This is a dangerous practice which can result in digestive upsets or the pet's consuming contaminated food or toxic chemicals.

If you are not sure, check out the garbage cans in your yard. Be certain they have tight-fitting lids.

For their own protection and in order to be a good pet neighbor, pets should not be allowed to roam in neighbors' yards.

Do you make a diet change abruptly?

Yes No

If you answered yes, be aware that sudden diet changes can be the cause of digestive upsets. If it is necessary to change a pet's diet, it should be done gradually over a seven to 10 day period. Add a small amount of the new diet to the food currently being fed. Each day increase the amount of the new diet while decreasing the amount of the current food. This gradual change will help prevent diarrhea and/or vomiting which may occur when sudden changes in a pet's diet are made.

Does your dog seem eager to eat and then either eats reluctantly or refuses to eat for a few days?

Yes No

If you answered yes, your dog's refusal to eat can be its own attempt to control calorie intake. Dogs love to please people. When a dog learns that eating pleases its owner, it soon eats to please. Sometimes words of praise and affection accompanying food and treats reinforce the dog's eat-to-please behavior. Overeating can cause a dog, like a human, to get an uncomfortable feeling. It makes its own attempt to alleviate the discomfort as it controls its food intake. Chronic overeating can lead to obesity. Avoiding excessive treats and food from the table and making feeding routine rather than a special occasion helps a dog stay with its regular diet and feel comfortable.

Does your dog eat less during hot weather?

Yes No

If your answer is yes, be assured that it is not unusual for a dog's food consumption to decrease during hot summer months. Studies show that, as a general rule, dogs need about 7.5 percent fewer calories with each 10 degree rise in ambient temperature.

Understanding A Cat's Eating Habits

In evaluating whether or not a cat is refusing food, keep in mind that cats are occasional eaters. They nibble at their food, walk away and return at intermittent intervals for more nibbles. Seldom do they eat voraciously. Their occasional nibbling is sometimes misinterpreted as not liking a certain diet.

Choosing a Pet Food

A pet food should not only be appetizing, it should also provide the proper balance of nutrients dogs and cats require in a highly digestible form. To be certain that the nutrients in a pet food are available to and utilized by your pet, look for a statement on the label indicating that the product has undergone feeding trials in accordance with the protocol established by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). Find a complete and balanced food appropriate for your pet and stay with that diet.