why doesnt my dog eat?

Question

he usually only eats one time a day. hes a 1 yr old golden retriever. i dont take him out a whole bunch, so im thinking its because he isnt super active so he doesnt have a big appetite. but i mean after not eating for 12 hours he must be hungry, right? after saying "jake, go eat your dinner!" and pointing at the food a good 10-13 times, he finally gets it, and will sometimes eat.

is it the food thats the problem, or his lifestyle, or is there something wrong with him? before i was feeding him purina, blue buffalo, now im feeding him atta boy (im sure most of you havent heard that kind) but both have yielded the same results.

Answer 1

The one question that sprung immediately to my mind was "Has he been wormed recently?"



If he is carrying a burden of worms his stomach will be full and he will not have much of an appetite.



If you haven't wormed him then it's a good idea to get a prescription wormer from your Vet. Don't buy OTC wormers. These can sometimes make the dog sick and, imo, you are just wasting your money. It's much safer to have your Vet prescribe the correct wormer.



If he's not getting much exercise this could also contribute to the fact that he doesn't have a good appetite. You could try giving him two meals per day instead of one. Maybe his stomach cannot cope with one huge meal at one time. I would be inclined to split the daily ration into two. Soak one of his meals in warm water to bring out the flavour. This might tempt him to eat. Also make sure he always has access to plenty of water. When a dog is eating dry kibble they need to drink copious amounts of water during the day because the dry food absorbs a great deal of moisture from their bodies and they need to make this up to prevent kidney failure in later life.



You could try taking him out for a short walk before his meals. He would probably feel hungry and more inclined to eat his food on his return.



Good luck with him.

Answer 2

Do you give your dog anything else to eat? Like treats or slip it some people food once in a while? If you do you need to stop doing this as it creates a picky eater. Try another brand of food. As a general rule any pet food that you can buy at your supermarket is not going to be the best. If you switch brands try feeding the regular amount and if the dog refuses to eat that then pick the food up in about 10 minutes and do not offer it again until the next feeding schedule. The dog will not starve itself and learn to eat when it is available. Remember picky eaters are not born, they are created

Answer 3

He could have worms. A 1yr old Golden should eat more.



You need to walk him. That is free. It won't cost you anything and it will help you. Sometimes shelters will help people out of work with food. They also will sometimes give cut rate vet care. Just be really careful of the Human Society they will take your dog away from you in a heartbeat. Most of the branches of the Human Society rot big time. There are many nightmare stories about them. If you have a local shelter or an ASPCA those are the ones to help. DO NOT TRUST THE HUMANE SOCIETY. They are inhumane.



Please take care of him. Goldens are one of the coolest dogs there are and they need exercise so bad. Throw a ball. Walk him. You are hurting him. He might even be not eating because he is depressed.



When you changed his food did you do it gradually? That can make a difference. Don't keep changing his food on him.

Answer 4

How much food are you offering him at a time? You might be overfeeding him, look at the bag of food to see what he's suppose to be fed at a time, offer the food twice a day. The better dog foods are more up front but the dogs eat less so you end up saving money in the long run.

Answer 5

i would maybe change the food, or get the packets to go on top of the food. also putting chicken in with the biscuits would help.

you might also wanna feed him twice a day and take him for a walk everyday, since he is a golden retriever.

Answer 6

My dog is the same way. Try putting a little chicken broth on the food. Only do this every so often.

Answer 7

i would try and take him to pet smart and let him sniff out the dog food,toys,and other things he like or most dogs don't eat because they feel neglected but i doubt he/she feels that way because you sound like good owner