We have a one year old German Shepherd and she will either eat a lot of dry dog food then throw up or goes days eating very little. My vet said to feed her small portions and there has been no change. She throws up at least 1 a week. I have tried making food for her such as chicken, steak, etc.
Missy's ribs are also showing, but the research I have done says that this is normal for German Shepherd until they get older. I will take any suggestions and may need to try to find another vet.
Thanks
By tsnowman from Lynchburg, VA
Has your dog been checked for heartworms lately? Also, if it was me and my vet didn't help me I would get a new vet. I had to do that when one of my dogs had skin allergies so bad he was losing weight and hair. Now, I have a wonderful vet .She even does house calls.
1. Get a new vet. Yours is not helping.
2. In the meantime, try the tennis ball method suggested, or individual portions in a muffin tin.
3. As also suggested, feed a high quality, nutrition dense food. I would suggest a soy-free grain-free food in case allergies are your problem.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Our white Shih Tzu isn't eating. She's drinking a little, but we can't figure out why she's not eating and getting weaker. She's also grunting and coughing. Anyone know why she might be doing this?
Why won't my dog eat dog food? She is a miniature America Eskimo, good dog but she is not eating any of her wet or dry dog food. I did change both and nothing! She went all of yesterday and this morning without eating. We have stopped giving her treats and if we feed her any of our food it goes into her bowl and it is mixed in. But sure enough she finds just what we put in and neglects her own food. PLEASE HELP!
Hi Lauren,
I have worked for a Veterinarian for over 27 years. When a dog stops eating, it is an emergency. Please take your fur baby to the Vet immediately. She could have a blockage? and it might be a sign of other things that are going on. If they want you to do blood work and/or an x-ray, please do it, it is one of the only ways they can find out what's wrong.
Good luck..
When my dog stops eating it's either because he's sick, stressed, or he's picking up on the stress from the family members. If it's none of those and he's still not eating I will mix in cooked (frozen) mixed veggies and white rice...sometimes, he won't touch his food unless I put pineapple or cantelope in his bowl. It seems as though there's something in the veggies, rice, and fruit that he seems to be getting as far as nutrients. Good luck.
We rescued this girl 6 months ago. She wouldn't eat the dog food the shelter had so I tried 6 others. She eats a bowl when she first gets it, but after that she'll go a week without eating. She's been checked by a vet. When she came home she had ring worm and hook worm, which is fixed. I don't know if there's something wrong. I tried mixing it with egg, gravy, so much stuff. She just won't eat. Please help! I love this dog sooooo much.
By Anna from MA
How old is the dog and have you had her teeth checked to make sure she doesn't have any broken or cracked teeth that make it hard to eat.
When ever I get a new rescue dog, for the first week, I actually hand feed it canned food and gradully add dry food. Some dog foods are better and though I prefer Lamb and Rice for my dogs, even mine snub it but know it's all they're going to get.
I had one rescue that I probably spent $150 before I found something she liked. She finally liked Kibbles and Bits but if you don't close the bag super tight, the food quickly dries out.
There were a couple of dogs who refused to eat any sort of dog food because they were use to eating out of trash cans and had to be taught to eat out of a bowl. With super fussy dogs I keep brown rice mixed with chicken in small containers in my freezer and even the fussiest of the rescues would eat it.
She looks like she may have some boxer in her and if her bite is off it may hurt her to eat and also check her teeth and make sure she doesn't have any dry kibble stuck between her them.
I have a 12 yr. old German Shepherd mix male dog. I went to the vet and everything, he checked out fine. We took him in because he drinks a lot of water and all of a sudden he stopped eating his dog food.
We mix it with wet for 12 yr. and add water. We even switched food. He doesn't get much table scraps to live on and he gets one Greenie a day. He just won't eat. I've hand fed him.
I'm at a loss as to what to do next? Any help besides he'll eat when he's hungry? I'm use to him eating once a day. He use to eat twice. I know his metabolism is low. But what else can I do for him?
By Snug212 from Hag., MD
I would get a second opinion. I wish I had done that with my dog that passed on. One vet said he was fine and she died the next morning.
Hello, please go to another Vet. Asap. A dog that does not eat is an emergency.
Today I rescued a small Yorkie; he was in the middle of a very busy road. He acts very skittish as if he's either been beaten or on his own for a long time. I've tried to feed him and give him water with no success! He's very bony and little and it worries me that there might be something else wrong. I always take a gamble bringing rescued animals into my house with other animals.
I have two cats and another dog inside and I am terrified that this little Yorkie has something! When I picked him up he was panting very hard. He did drink a tiny bit of water out of my hand, but other than that he hasn't eaten or drunk anything since 1 o'clock this afternoon. Please help me figure this out.
He will begin to eat when he is gets real hungry and thirsty. If you can't find the owner and you plan on keeping him, take the dog to a vet.
My Black Lab won't eat her food anymore. All she wants is her treats and she is starting to lose weight. What should I do?
I have a female indoor Pekingese. She is about4 years old. I noticed yesterday she was throwing up a bit. She ate fine yesterday, but I had to go to work and got back home and saw white foam spots, about 5. She is sleepy all day and drinks water fine, but is refusing to eat.
I even tried giving her fresh cooked ham and chicken, but she refused it too. What can I do to get her back to her normal running around and eating again with out the throwing up?I have a 6 month old Rott/Huskey mix. All she gets is dry food, never human or canned food. Occasionally she gets a raw diet. I have tried foods from Blue Buffalo down to Eukanuba and she eats it for three weeks, then she will just sniff at it then walk away. I do not want to give her foods with many by products or brands such as Iams, Puppy Chow, Old Roy, etc. It was hard for me to even get Eukanuba.
She's done this since we got her 3 months ago. When she's around other dogs she eats just fine. I don't know what to do and I want to stop wasting so much food. Please help!
By Sarah A
Wait it out. Most likely, she will eat if she's hungry, and may be getting confused by the frequent food changes. I personally have a picky dog and found that he just likes to nibble little bits through the day rather than gobbling up everything in sight like my prior dogs. He ends up getting plenty of food through grazing. The vet said that was fine. When other dogs are around, your dog probably eats because it knows the food will disappear if it doesn't, mine just lets the other dogs (or at my house sometimes it's the cats) eat his food, he knows I'll feed him later. I did notice that if I gave him a biscuit treat it would get the juices flowing and he would always go eat a little food so you could try that. If you're concerned about it though, you can try putting a little water or broth on the food to make a gravy to see if that's tempting, a little bit of soft food on top would do the same thing. That didn't help with Mason though. Ah well, the doctor says it's better for us to eat small meals throughout the day too, right?
I have had dogs for over 40 years; Great Danes and Aussies. Some times they will go off their food depending on the weather, and some times they are just not hungry. When it is hot they eat a lot less. Some dogs will stop eating because they have learn that you will change the food and get some thing different. Don't do it! You will end up with a picky eater. As long as the dog isn't losing weight and isn't sick it will go back to eating, just give it time and make sure you get a good dog food.
Also if you are giving a lot of treats stop. Why eat dog food when you can get treats. Most dog wont go to long with out eating. When I work as a dog groomer that was the biggest complain people had was their dogs wouldn't eat. I have never had a problem with any of my dogs not eating. I hope this helps.
My dog won't eat. What can I do?
Jack from Brooklyn, New York
Get him or her to the vet.
My 1 year old Japanese Spitz puppy is not eating anything. He likes to eat human food like chapathi (flat bread) and Pedigree, but for the last month he is not eating anything. He just eats 2 dog biscuits per meal. He became very thin. We are vegetarian, so please help me. What should I feed him?
By Sophie
Your dog cannot be a vegetarian. He must have meat. He will eat meat primarily. Can you find a good canned dog food for him? That would be best. Follow the directions on the can. The canned dogfood is prepared so dogs like to eat it. Follow the directions on the can on the amount you need to feed him.
You need to take him to the doctor right away. If he is skinny, he is malnourished. There are so many types of canned and dry dog food out there, give him some. You might try pouring a little beef or chicken broth over his food. I buy a container, put about 2 tablespoons over the dog food and then refrigerate the rest of the container. It lasts a couple of weeks. You may be vegetarian but your dog is not and he will die if he doesn't eat.
My dog hasn't eaten for two days. She's really skinny with ribs showing. I tried feeding her dog food and human food, but she does not want to eat. She only drank a little water and I can't afford a vet. What should I do? She's a Chihuahua and already had kids, but is still less than a year old in human years.
By Beatrice
You must get veterinary care for your dog. Call your local vets and ask if they have a fund to help pets of people who cannot pay. You can call your humane society and they will take the dog and get care for it if you surrender the dog to them. It will then be adopted. Sometimes local dog rescues will take your dog. Some vets have a credit plan you can use that is interest free. But you must do something right NOW.
I've had Kendi, my mini Poodle/Yorkie for almost two years now. She usually has plenty of energy and barks at everyone. She used to love to play and she would greet everyone. I just got home from staying at my brother's house for three days and she was staying at home with my parents and my other brother.
In the period I've been away she has been hiding in the yard, and stays hidden for hours even when she is called. She won't eat any food. She won't eat her dog food or her treats. She doesn't even like the rotisserie chicken, that you can get from the grocery store. When I came back home she still didn't want to eat. She barely has any energy. Please help! :(
By Kimmy A.
You need to get your girl to the vet as soon as possible. She may have a blockage, sometimes dogs swallow a rock. She may have a severe infection that is affecting her whole body. Dogs almost always hide illness or injury from their owners. If you are seeing these symptoms your dog is most likely very sick. Don't wait. Good luck to you.
We rescued a Chiweenie four years ago. She is now about 10 years old. When we got her we had a hard time finding the right food for her, but she has done very well the last two years. She had begun to get a little overweight so we cut back her meal size just a bit. She's now at a healthy weight.
The last few weeks after I put her food out, she has been either eating a few bites and laying down right next to the bowl or moving it and just laying next to it. A few times she actually laid her head on the bowl. She will eat most of what is in the bowl after a bit, but only if I sit at the table near her. I'm thinking she is stressed as we are expecting our first child in less than 2 months. But I wasn't sure if there maybe something else going on. I'm glad she is eating, just not sure if this is a problem or not.
My Shih Tzu/Poodle mix, male hasn't eaten in 2 days and won't eat anything put in front off him. He's fine though and there are no physical or behavioral changes. Is this normal?
I have a two year old Boston Terrier. He has not eaten anything in two days except 1 small piece of tripe, he is drinking well. I have offered a variety of foods and he is not intrested. No vomiting or loose stool.
By Martina U.
By the way, this may not be a cold at all, but a tooth that is hurting him. Be sure to have that checked.
I have a 5 year old Rhodie and for the last 3 years or so, he doesn't want to eat. We used to have to portion him as a pup because he wanted to eat everything all the time, but somewhere around 2, he decided that he didn't want to eat anymore.
The vet suggested doing a chicken and rice diet to "re-set" him and he ate that fine, but within a few weeks, he didn't even want the chicken and rice. So we went back to the high quality kibble he was on before and he ate fine. Then a few weeks later he wouldn't want it. So we tried a new food and he ate again. He has been in this cycle for 3 years. We give a food (or treat topper, like cottage cheese or wet food) that he is excited about and he eats twice a day like normal, then one day he just won't eat it. Then after a few missed meals, he vomits bile and we desperately try to get him to eat (new food or topper). That is our cycle: new food, eats, stops eating, vomits, new food, eats, stops eating, vomits. It is so frustrating because he liked the food well enough yesterday.
He has had regular checkups and the vet hasn't noticed anything. My husband hasn't wanted to bring it up anymore to the vet because the dog will eat if we give him something new, but I worry about all the throwing up and changing diet. Any ideas?
By Stephanie H
I agree that you should get a new vet for a second opinion. This has been going on for a long time now and vomiting bile is not normal. Apparently your dog is having flare-ups of something- but what? Kidney problems? Liver problems? Gall bladder? Someone should be able to tell you.
After several trips to the vet and trying medications (with food that she is not eating-therefore not taking) along with several types of food, she is still not eating. I have tried canned food, dry food with broth, and boiled chicken with cooked rice; nothing is working. Every bone is showing and I am so stressed! I have had this dog for 10 years and need to fix this. Please help. This is my other "baby". I even got her as a Mother's Day gift. I have to save my dog.
By Love MyBoxer
Talk to your vet again. Your dog may have to be fed via IV. If she isn't eating then you should be opening her mouth and putting her pills down her throat - not that hard really, I do it to my cats.
We have just rescued a dog from the dogs home. He is 4 years old and we have had him just over the week. He eats very little in relation to what it says on the packet he should be eating and never finishes the bowl. Now on day 8 he is being sick which is only bile.
By Debbie
I once adopted a dog whose owner had passed away. He would not eat a thing. I offered boiled chicken, etc. He refused. After several days I happened to be cooking a T bone steak and saw his nose twitching like crazy. He was no doubt quite hungry by then. I offered some bites and he accepted them. This seemed to cause him to see me as his new owner and settle in. And no, I did not have to feed him steak after that. It's likely your new dog has an adjustment problem. Try something he can't refuse. Hopefully he will relax and be able to eat once he's not so stressed and feels at home.
I got a 4 month old Japanese Spitz. After 2 days we took her to get a bath. Then after I got home from work she started not eating. Does noise affect their eating? I don't know what to do? Help?
By dion
The first thing you should do when you get a pet is take it to the vet for a check-up. The vet can tell you about any underlying health problems that the previous owner didn't notice or just didn't want to tell you.
Another good reason to do this is that your dog needs a vet to go to in case there's an emergency. Imagine you're a vet with several emergency patients on a weekend. All the animals are patients you've seen before and have files on except one. Which one will be the last one you see? Your dog needs a "regular" vet just like you need a family doctor.
You do NOT want to just show up at a new vet's office in an emergency and just hope they have time to see your dog. So choose a vet and make an appointment as soon as possible.
Whether you adopted or bought the dog, you need to find out if it has had any shots. Your dog MUST get parvo and distemper vaccinations before you take it anywhere, including the groomers. Make sure your dog has had all its shots.
My dog is 14 years old. She is a mixed breed. Till the age of 14 she has never fallen ill. But for the last couple of days she has not been eating her regular food which we give her, and it has started worrying me. She will not eat her food but if I give her anything that I eat, she will happily eat it. She had an UTI infection about 3 weeks ago, but now its all fine. Please help!
By Puneet
You will need the vet to figure this one out. Anything else is just guessing. Your dog deserves better than that. And whatever may be causing the problem could get worse while you wait. Do the right thing for your buddy.
