Worried because your dog isn’t tearing into his favorite food like he used to? I know if my dog ever lost her appetite, it would be a sure sign something might be not quite right. Currently she tap dances on her hind legs with sheer joy as we carry her scoop of food from its container to her bowl. Next she inhales it like its about to disappear then immediately begins asking for more.

While a diminishing appetite can indicate something wrong, it doesn’t always. It is an area for concern. Following are some possible causes why your dog isn’t eating.

Illness. If your dog isn’t eating the amount it usually does it is often a sign of sickness. Appetite loss in dogs is typically accompanied by other symptoms simultaneously. Early veterinary attention is important because it could be a sign of major sickness, possibly including cancer, infections, dental disease, pain, liver problems, and kidney failure. If you’re worried your dog’s loss of appetite may be due to illness, read up on some of our additional articles on the possible illnesses connected with your dogs loss of appetite.

New vaccination. Dog vaccinations can sometimes have negative side effects. This can consist of a short term loss of appetite in dogs.

Travel and strange environment. If your dog’s hunger level was normal until you took him on a trip or moved to a new house, it could be that your dog won’t eat because of traveling or the unusual settings. This is actually pretty common. Our dog is quite opposed to any routine change such as this, and it can take her quite a bit of time to get settled when visiting a new place. A few animals may get motion sickness, and others get nervous or unsettled in new places.

Pickiness or conduct issues. Our dog loves to eat, but there is a certain flavor of food she just won’t eat. It was quite hilarious observing her eat it then spit it back out considering some of the other strange objects shes consumed that she wasn’t supposed to. Some dogs are just picky eaters, so you may just need to try a different food. Another explanation for why they may have stopped eating is because they’re being fed in situations where they aren’t comfortable, such as near an aggressive dog or from a bowl at too low or too high of height level.

Due to the fact that your dog’s loss of appetite may be caused by illness, don’t delay to have it looked into. If you don’t believe any of the above seem like it could be the cause, and your dog is miserable or becoming sicker or weaker from not getting enough food, visit your vet right away.

Are you worried because your dog is not eating? How well is your dog’s health in general?