The Haslemere Pet Company

By Claire Goyer BA (Hons.), HND

After all the hard work deciding which food to buy, it can be so disheartening to see your dog turn up his nose at dinner time.  Or worse still, eat for a few days then all of a sudden walk away from a full bowl.  Many owners often resort to constantly changing brands, or start feeding their dogs a rough combination of pet and human food.  Unfortunately, neither arrangement presents a sound nutritional option, and although we all want to see our dogs enjoy their meals, chronic food refusal should never be ignored.

So why is my dog not eating?

There are many reasons why a dog may lose its appetite but the first point for consideration should be overall clinical health.  Unexpected refusal to eat is normally the first sign of illness in routine feeders, and it may or may not be accompanied by other symptoms.  

For example, the onset of dental problems can cause dogs to gradually go off their food, so Veterinary advice should always be sought in these situations even if the dog seems to be displaying normal behaviours. Once your vet has ruled out any clinical issues, you can then look to other reasons why your dog is not consistently eating.  

Remember - dogs aren’t born fussy, they are made fussy!

One of the most difficult things to explain to owners with picky pets is that the domestic dog as a species is not wired to be particular about what it eats.  What they are designed to do is think like this:

What do I want?   

How do I get it?

As a result, owners can often inadvertently train their dogs to refuse food and hold out for something better.  Normally, this type of inappetance rears its head around the 5-7 month of age mark when dogs are gaining in confidence and have established through repetition that they can get the leftovers if they refuse to eat what’s already in their bowl.

Well meaning owners then draw the conclusion that the dog doesn’t like his food anymore and change to a different brand/type. Only to find a few weeks later that the dog is once again refusing to eat and viola!  You are now the proud owner of a fussy dog.

But what about my puppy?

First take a look at the food you are currently feeding and make sure that it is the best quality that suits your household budget.  It’s no surprise that you get what you pay for, and the more expensive brands tend to be made from the best quality, palatable ingredients.

 However, this is not always the case and there are a few brands of commercial food on the market which tick all the boxes but don’t cost the earth.  Pop into your local trusted pet shop and ask a qualified member of staff to help you with your selection.  Sometimes, dogs go off their food if it doesn’t agree with them, so make sure that you are offering one which does not contain any beef, soya, wheat or gluten – the “Big Four” in the dog intolerance world.

With puppies, it is important to note that some wean themselves off the recommended three meals a day before they reach the age of 6 months. If puppy is refusing one meal but eats the others quite happily, you can consider reducing in quantity the one he refuses or stop offering it all together (bearing in mind that you must add the amount of that meal to his other two).

Refusal to eat in this situation is often a normal part of the maturity process. Puppy is simply not hungry at this time.  If however, puppy is constantly refusing to eat at any stage, then this bad habit must be eradicated quickly if a normal routine is to be re-established.

Everyone must stick to the rules!

Make sure the entire family understands the dog food rules and that everyone sticks to them.  I can’t stress this point enough.  You will never establish routine feeding if you allow the children to feed the dog crisps when you aren’t looking, or if Granny slips Fido a Yorkshire Pudd during Sunday lunch!  

Dogs need routine and a consistent high quality diet in order to thrive.  Titbits from the table are a no no, as are poor quality scraps added to his bowl.  These will do your dog’s eating habits no favours, and his waist line won’t thank you either.

It is also important to ensure that your feeding schedule mirrors the one you started with. If you have traditionally feed your dog at 9AM, and then again at 6PM then stick to those times as they already have significant meaning in your dog’s mind.  Even if he didn’t eat the food,he will know that “something” happens at that time and you may find it easier to get him to eat if he is already anticipating an event.

 If you never had an established schedule, now is the time to make one!  Make sure that it fits in with your lifestyle, as deciding to feed your dog at 6AM when your family is not normally up and about is never going to work in the long term.

How many times a day should I feed my “fussy” dog?

As a guideline, adult dogs are recommended to be feed a minimum of two meals a day with larger dogs (30kgs +) to be feed a minimum of three to reduce the chance of Gastric Torsion.   However, you may find that feeding your dog several smaller meals a day may tempt him to eat more readily than offering him two big bowls of food. 

Once you have him eating those smaller amounts you can slowly reduce the number of feeds to the desired two, but don’t make this change too quickly or you could put him off eating again.

Please don’t be tempted to leave food down all day for your dog to graze at will.  Although some swear by this method, for me this does nothing to re-establish a routine as it only encourages your dog to eat whenever he feels like it.  Remember, food is a powerful tool, and by allowing your dog to dictate when and how much he eats according to his own will you have lost one of the best training aids available anywhere.  In addition, it is very difficult to ensure that your dog will be getting his recommended daily allowance if you follow the free feeding method, not to mention the sanitary aspect of leaving food in a bowl all day long.

Instead, pick up any uneaten food within 15 minutes of the dog walking away from his bowl, and do not offer any other food until the next mealtime. This means no treats, no table scraps and not even his kibble. This may seem a bit cruel to be kind, but trust me; many dogs quickly learn that there is no point in holding out for something better, because they will not be getting anything else.  Most dogs respond very fast to this concept and will often eat the next offered meal quite promptly.

OK, I’ve done all of these things, but my dog still won’t eat.  Now what?

Now it’s time to think outside the box!

• Are there any environmental issues that may be affecting your dog’s behavior towards food? Are there other animals in the household that he may perceive as a threat to his dinner? Has he ever been threatened or attacked over food (even if this occurred some time in the past)? Has food ever been used as punishment (withholding/teasing)?

If you suspect there may be some deeper behavioral issues involved with his reluctance to eat, then seek qualified advice from a dog behavior specialist who can help work through these possible reasons and put a plan of action in place (I highly reccomend Kristina Elias BSc.(Hons.) Dip Soc Psy, DAS CABC of Wagtails Canine College 01428 648767).

• Some dogs are super sensitive to noise – especially those who may have been unkindly trained using aversion techniques such as rattle bottles or training discs.  Try taking your dog’s collar off at mealtimes so that his ID tags don’t bang against his bowl.  Feed your dog in an area that is not subject to household noises (like the telly) or the constant comings and goings of family members.
• Cleaning detergents can often leave traces of residue that can be off putting to your dog’s sensitive nose.  Take extra care to rise the bowls well in hot water – especially if they have been in the dishwasher. Stainless steel & ceramic bowls are preferable to plastic which can absorb more smells.
• Try soaking dry food in a small amount of warm water to release more of a scent.  Dogs see the world through their noses, and this may make his kibble “appear” allot more interesting.
• Adjust the height of his bowl so that s/he doesn’t have to stoop for their dinner as many find this posture uncomfortable. Invest in a spaniel bowl for dogs with long ears so they aren’t constantly getting in the way, and make sure that the bowl doesn’t slip or slide around on the floor.

Don’t worry – it will be alright in the end!

 While it can be difficult not to panic at mealtimes, dogs are extremely responsive to stress and can easily pick up on your signals.  Instead, make mealtimes more interesting to encourage your dog to see dinner time as fun time.  Try hiding part of his daily food intake in a safe toy (such as a Kong) and encourage him to get it out.  Hide food in the house or around the garden and teach him the “Find it” command (or “Hi-Lost” in the case of Gundogs).  As with regular feeding, this should be done using only his food (not unhealthy scraps), and performed at set times during the day.

And remember, every dog is an individual.  What works for some, may not work for others and in some cases, you may need to accept that your dog is simply not a big eater. As long as he is fit, healthy, and in the right weight range for his breed/type, you need not worry.  In fact, spare a thought for all those Labrador owners and their large food bills - you should start feeling better right away!