Dog Fussy Eaters: Why is my dog not eating its food and what you should do about it - including making meals more interesting 🐶

It’s a common issue – your dog shows a lack of interest in food, such as turning their nose up at what you are giving them and only getting excited by their favourite treats.

While not showing interest in food can indicate underlying health conditions, most of the time it can be something as simple as the environment, or the type of food isn’t suitable for your pooch. If this is the case, then there are a number of things you can do to rectify the problem.With this in mind the team at online dog food experts tails.com have recruited the help of Behaviourist Carolyn Menteith to help explained why your dog may suddenly seem disinterested in their food, as well as revealing some top tips on how to make sure your dog eats properly.

Here’s what she had to say.

Why is my dog refusing to eat?

There are lots of reasons a dog can have issues around food and therefore appear to be ‘fussy’. Here is an insight into why:

Pain or dental problems

Many dogs have gum disease or dental issues - either due to age (teething in puppies, or a result of getting older), their breed (some breeds have known issues with dentition), or the food type (kibble being too hard to easily chew without discomfort). The pain they may be experiencing doesn’t have to be current either, but the memory of pain last time they ate, can be enough to put a dog off eating - as it has been an unpleasant experience in the past.

It can depend on the breed or genetics of your dog

Some breeds are known for their love of food, such as labradors, while others are far less food oriented. And within every breed, there are always individuals who buck the trend. Just like humans, that is just ‘how they are’ - and owners of these dogs need to be aware of that, instead of thinking it is ‘fussiness’, as it implies there is something wrong with the dog and they are being difficult.

Your dog is feeling stressed or anxious

If a dog is stressed or feeling anxious, like us humans, they can lose their appetite - and the more stressed they are, the more that will occur. So, if your pet lives in a particularly stressful environment, such as one where there is constant noise, or they are left alone a lot of the time, it is more likely that they will display issues around food.

Your dog views dinner time as something negative

Another reason some dogs may become disinterested in food is because they view dinner time as a negative experience, due to past experiences such as their feeding bowl being placed where there is constant noise or interruptions while they are trying to eat. As well as this, some dogs do not cope well with being fed on their own and out of sight of their owner or other people, so if you are constantly preoccupied while they are eating, they may begin to display food avoidance behaviours.

They are being given too big food portions

It's important to remember that not every dog has the same appetite, while some love a large bowl of food to keep them stimulated, others prefer a much smaller portion of food. For a dog with a small appetite, being faced with an enormous bowl of food can be really off-putting and may make it seem like they are being fussy or difficult when really they aren’t!

Your dog isn’t getting enough exercise

Like us humans, our dogs' appetite is stimulated by doing exercise, so if they aren’t getting enough time during the day to run around and blow off some steam, then they may not feel hungry or be interested in eating when it comes to meal times.

The food isn’t pleasant tasting to the dog

We all have food that we don’t like and are put off by and the same goes for our canine companions. Remember that your dog is an individual and it is important that you work with that. So no matter what the label says or if it's really expensive, sometimes your dog will just simply not like what you give them. But once again it's important to remember that they are not being ‘fussy’, this suggests they are doing it intentionally. Instead try different kinds of food to see what they enjoy the most. Mealtimes are a positive part of your dog’s day. For most dogs, exercise/playtime and meal times are the best bits of the day - and the rest of the day is pretty boring. It is up to you to do all you can to make sure that your dog is enjoying their meal times - as it is a key part of their happiness and contentment.

What should I do if my dog becomes disinterested in food?

First of all, consider the reasons above and try to discover ‘why’ your dog is being what you think of as ‘fussy’:

Are there any issues you can correct?

If your pooch has suddenly become disinterested in food, the first thing you should consider is if there are any issues that you can correct to begin with, such as removing the dog tag from your canine’s collar so it doesn’t hit the bowl, changing the bowl they are eating from, putting a mat down so they don’t slip, or changing where you are feeding them.

Consider how many times a day you are feeding your dog

Some dogs who have feeding issues, do far better with frequent tiny meals rather than one or two large ones. There are no rules about how many times a day you can feed your dog, so you can split their daily ration into five or six really small meals, which can often transform reluctant eaters.

Make food more interesting

Some dogs, because of what they were initially bred to do, are more interested in the search/hunt/discovery of food - and just having a bowl plonked down in front of them isn’t very exciting and doesn’t stimulate the appetite. Try food dispensing toys - or better still something simple like scatter feeding, snuffle mats, hiding kibble in a scrunched-up towel, or bits of food folded in a toilet roll tube. You might have to help and point things out to them to start with, but just introducing a bit of variety into how you feed can be just what some dogs need.

Take them to the vet

If you suspect pain or discomfort might be the cause of your dog's sudden lack of interest in food, then it's important to get them checked out by a vet immediately, who might be able to suggest if there is anything wrong, or how you can make mealtimes easier. You may also want to seek advice from a vet if your dog's sudden lack of interest in food isn’t corrected by making changes to what and how they eat. Lack of appetite can signify underlying health problems in your furry friend, so if you are ever unsure, it's important to seek the advice of a professional.

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