Why Is My Dog Not Eating His Food But Will Eat Treats?

Why is my dog not ingesting his meals but will try to eat his treats? This is not an unheard of problem that dog homeowners talk to, and there are a several possibilities as to why your pet dog has absent off their food stuff, but not necessarily lost his appetite. Let us just take a glimpse at the doable triggers and how to get your puppy to take in once more. 

Why Is My Dog Not Eating His Food But Will Eat Treats?

Why Is My Doggy Not Taking in His Foods But Will Try to eat Treats?

Ahead of we get into the typical reasons for puppies consuming treats but not food items, I just want to remind you that this is NOT health care advice. If you have any considerations about your dog’s wellness or diet program, please seek the advice of your vet.

Poor good quality food items

One prevalent rationale that canines end eating their meals is that a lot of canine foodstuff so minimal high quality that they aren’t quite nice for Fido to take in. I know it could possibly not seem like it taking into consideration the matters that they do often consume, but canines have very good instincts when it arrives to their nourishment.

They have hugely developed senses of style and smell, so they can truly detect chemical substances and additives in minimal-top quality food that may well not be appealing. Higher-quality food items, on the other hand, often contain greater sources of protein and fats, which naturally flavor and odor additional appealing to a canine.

Small-high-quality foods may possibly incorporate fillers and by-products and solutions that are more difficult for dogs to digest, triggering pain or gastrointestinal concerns. Dogs quickly learns that consuming this sort of food stuff would make them truly feel icky, so they keep away from it.

What you can do

Glance for nutritionally finish pet meals on line with authentic, recognizable components like fruits and veggies and superior-high quality sources of protein like chicken and fish, as perfectly as balanced carbs like whole grains, omega fatty acids, and no fillers like gluten, meat by-solutions, GMOs, or artificial additives. 

a good quality dog food like nom nom encourage dogs to eat

They never like the taste.

If you currently get your pet dog excellent top quality food stuff, but they nevertheless won’t eat it, they might just not like the taste! This is possible if the challenge began immediately after you adjusted their food. Beware that in some cases manufacturers also transform up their recipes, and despite the fact that we may possibly not discover, our puppies do!

Opposite to common perception, not all canine will consume no matter what is put in entrance of them. A lot of canines are fussy eaters. Some breeds, these kinds of as Poodles and Shih Tzus, additional than other individuals! 

What you can do

Most manufacturers present several flavors of foodstuff, so swap up the taste of your dog’s foodstuff and see what transpires. If they didn’t like a selected flavor, prevent it in the upcoming.

They’re bored.

If your pet dog won’t consume his food stuff but utilized to try to eat it in the earlier, they could have just gotten bored of it! Just like us, dogs get bored of eating the exact same factor day in and day out. So, if it’s been a when because you improved up their meals, take into consideration generating a adjust.

What you can do

If your doggy eats dry kibble, take into account adding some heat water to unleash the flavor and give it a distinct texture or adding some cooked hen, fish, garden vegetables, or do-it-yourself gravy to the bowl. Alternatively, you can check out a unique flavor from the manufacturer or a new manufacturer altogether. 

You could also attempt moist meals, soft foods, a mixture, or insert a food topper to make items more thrilling. Clean, soaked and delicate foodstuff, and food items that have been air-dried, freeze-dried, or slow cooked are likely to be richest in flavor.

Allergic reactions

Yet another cause for your pet not consuming their food items could be that they’re intolerant or allergic to a little something in it. Potentially you recently improved your dog’s food stuff and they have seen that they never come to feel fantastic just after eating it, so they prevent it. 

If your pet dog has professional tummy upsets or changes in coat and skin given that switching to a new foodstuff, they could be allergic to anything in it. Common doggy foodstuff allergic reactions consist of wheat, dairy, eggs, soy, and prevalent meat proteins like hen and beef.

What you can do 

If you are anxious, discuss to your vet about undertaking an elimination diet plan or attempt a hypoallergenic doggy foods. We also suggest seeking for meals with further antioxidants and pre & probiotics for digestive help and immune overall health.

best limited ingredient dog food

They don’t really feel perfectly

Your doggy could also prevent mealtimes but continue to take treats because they do not experience nicely. They may not have a huge enough urge for food for a complete food, but nevertheless get smaller treats if they are presented. Lots of issues can make a pet dog get rid of their appetite, together with dental difficulties, gastrointestinal difficulties, infections, accidents, parasites, drugs, and additional. 

When to see a vet

If the dilemma persists and/or you detect a change in your dog’s body weight or behavior, you must check with your vet as shortly as you can to get to the bottom of the challenge. 

Worry & anxiety

Stress can also bring about dogs to go off their meals, but, yet again, they may possibly still just take treats if they’re accompanied by awareness and praise. Widespread brings about of stress in puppies involve travel or unfamiliar surroundings, traumatic encounters, phobias, decline, separation stress, and serious less than-stimulation.

What you can do

Tension brought about by lifestyle variations can be relieved by providing a steady everyday regime and heaps of adore, although ongoing behavioral problems can be taken care of with positive affiliation teaching. Anti-anxiousness merchandise like plug-ins, chew toys, and nutritional supplements can assist, also.

Vet Naturals

Their feeding station 

Contemplate the cleanliness and placement of your dog’s food stuff bowl. If they are avoiding their foods, it may be since their bowl is dirty or destroyed, or placed in a noisy or off-putting part of the house. For case in point, if anything off-placing like a terrifying sound comes about all-around your dog’s food bowl, it can bring about them to start off avoiding it. 

What you can do

Make certain your dog’s bowl is in superior situation and cleanse it routinely to hold it so. Feed your dog someplace tranquil in the house and try to adhere to a feeding regime so that they try to eat at about the same time every working day. Maintain mealtimes favourable and praise your canine when they consume their meal and possibly try a puzzle bowl to spark their interest. 

Lousy ingesting habits

You should really also take into consideration your dog’s feeding on behaviors. If they are obese and/or remaining provided loads of treats exterior of their mealtimes, specifically rich human foods that aren’t intended for canine, they may well decide to quit ingesting their foodstuff as it does not style as good, so that they can get more things from you. 

This is a big no-no. Although we like to share what we love with our canine, just about anything processed is just as bad for them as it is for us, but their bodies are substantially more compact and can be overfed and overindulged substantially much easier. It is also our obligation as owners to make dietary choices for them and continue to keep them alive & wholesome for as prolonged as probable.

What you can do

Discuss to your vet about how a great deal your pet dog need to be ingesting and slash down on treats pursuing their suggestions. Really do not feed them just about anything which is unnatural or not intended for them and start out generating mealtimes exciting by experimenting with textures, flavors, and puzzle feeders. 

If you’ve seemed as a result of our write-up and nonetheless are not certain what the problem is or you’ve experimented with everything and continue to feel shed, speak to your vet or check with a behaviorist as soon as possible. 

  • Laura Hall

    Laura is an seasoned pet author & canine lover with a degree in animal media creation, as perfectly as many years of simple fingers-on working experience with puppies. She has owned Border Collies all through her life and has labored and volunteered with dogs of all kinds.

Translate »
Dog Food Info
Logo