As a dog parent, you might have tons of problems regarding filling the tummy of your doggy.
In short, not only your doggy but you also find it difficult and struggling when it comes to the question, ‘why is your dog not eating all his food at once?’.
Let’s take a bit closer look at this issue and what you can do about it. here we go!
Dogs may not eat all of their foods at once due to medical conditions, unfamiliar surroundings, issues with food, anxiety, and diet changes. Several solutions are making a dog-friendly environment, treating illnesses, addressing diet issues, feeding with a proper schedule, and limiting treats.
Anyway, no matter what the reason is, I know all you need is a solution. So, we will look into the most common reasons for your doggy to stop eating all the food you give at once and things you can do to overcome the issue.
Why do some dogs not eat all foods at once?
As mentioned above, a doggy partner can strike his or her food due to several reasons, and these reasons can vary according to the breed and age of your doggy as well.
A point to remember! So, we will look into the list of reasons one by one.
1. Medical condition
It is really a problem once your doggy starts not to eat all the food he or she is given, and it is critical if he or she ate well in the past days.
An illness or sometimes a severe medical condition can be a major reason for the problem.
Medical conditions such as:
- Allergies
- Upset stomach
- Dental issues
- Poisoning
- An infection
- Parasites
- Fever
- Tumors
- Issues with heart, kidneys and lungs
- Intestinal problems
- Depression
Can lead your doggy to stop having food totally or not to eat the whole bowl given.
The loss of appetite of your fellow is not something good to wait and see.
Because some signs of sickness they show by rejecting food or not eating all might be the best they can do to inform you about their hidden illness. So be attentive.
Well, on some occasions, your dog might refuse food because of a mouth or a tongue causing unbearable pain.
It could be a broken or damaged tooth, gingivitis, or a tumor inside the mouth as well.
Apart from the above-mentioned medical conditions, a recent vaccination also can make your doggy strike food. It is common for humans, but they start to display it a bit more when it comes to dogs.
Even, vaccinations prevent your fellow from many critical and contagious diseases, they might hit the food pattern of your dog.
2. Unfamiliar surroundings
If your dog friend didn’t show any issue regarding having food until you take him or her with you on a trip or to any other place, it might be that your doggy refuses to eat because of this reason of traveling all of a sudden.
They show pretty unusual behaviors when they are going to a new place until they get familiar with the surroundings.
Sometimes, he or she is suffering from motion sickness, which is common with us as well. They get more easily fed up with the condition than us.
When it is about unfamiliar environments, your pooch might be distracted even from the absence of a family member or his or her companion if they have any.
It means even minute things can change their mood to eat.
A change in the weather can also keep them away from having food. Your fur baby can feel those changes deeply as they are so sensitive towards nature.
So, he or she might get a little surprised or disturbed even by a sudden change in the weather.
Well, on some occasions, it could be moving furniture in your house, especially within the area your doggy frequently wanders.
In such situations also he or she might show some dislike in eating until they get adjusted.
3. Issues with food
If your doggy starts to stay away from eating all the food at once, one of the major things to consider is the food he or she is given.
Some doggy friends are pretty picky, and they frequently refuse some food items no matter how nutritious they are.
So, this is not a dangerous condition as he or she is just a bit nasty, and that’s it. But, it is better not to let them do what they want for an extended period of time.
Be alert on them and find a solution or consult a vet.
Remember to check whether their food is spoiled. Most of you think it is okay to feed him or her the first bowl prepared in the early morning for the rest of the day.
Nah! You should not. Dog food also gets spoiled like ours.
4. Anxiety
Anxiety is basically one of the most affecting reasons for your fur baby not to eat for days. Most specifically, they get easily knocked down by separation anxiety, which occurs due to leaving your doggy all alone for a long time of the day.
If he or she is suffering from an anxious condition, obviously, they refuse to have food when you are not around them. So, they start continuing it as a habit even when you are at home.
Better identify the real condition of your friend and consult a vet to treat him or her if they suffer a lot from separation anxiety.
Well, some doggos think that they should take care of the house and guard it very well when you are not at home.
So, on such occasions, they do not get enough time to eat, which might also be a reason for not eating the given food bowl.
Suggested reading: Why does your dog stare at you while he is eating?
5. Diet changes
Have you changed any food item in his or her diet recently? If yes, it could be the reason for him or her to refuse food totally or partially all at once.
No matter how nutritious they are, your doggy shows a great dislike to eating, maybe because of the new smell and taste it gives. So be careful when you make changes to his or her diet.
Sometimes the vice versa of the above situation can let your doggy refuse food.
That means. If you did not change the food items in her diet for a considerable period of time, she might show some dislike to eating.
If they are eating the same food for months and months, they get easily bored with it.
And that is common with all of us, right?
Suggested Reading: Does dry food/kibble make dogs thirsty?
How to make a dog to eat all of his food at once?
Here we come to the real struggle. How to get your doggy to eat all at once? Come, let’s slice the question into several parts and find a list of proper solutions.
1. Treat illnesses
The vital thing you can do is diagnose the medical condition your dog is suffering and go for treatments
The best solution is to take him or her to a vet and follow his guidelines and do exactly what he or she asks you to do with the eating routine of your doggy.
Do not wait until your dog himself stands as it is so risky, and home remedies also might not work or be able to heal them if their condition is too critical.
Consult a vet ASAP!
2. Make a dog friendly environment
If the case is regarding the environment or surroundings, make sure to keep him or her within a familiar environment or build a one if you do not have such a place.
This procedure might be taking time and a little stressful until you identify the issue exactly. But give it time and see.
Also, check if the dog eats one kibble at a time. If so, he is probably uncomfortable with the environment.
Train your doggy to eat in that particular place. You will notice a positive change.
If you are a frequently traveling person, please consider more about your fur friend and make a friendly procedure with him or her during the travel time and at the destinations as well.
Better if you can consult a pet behavior expert or a trainer on this issue.
3. Solve food issues: Try a new food
The reason for your doggy to stop eating all his food at once is something wrong with the food; try following tips and steps to expect a positive change.
First, when you are giving any food to your dog, you should see the expiration date, and if it is cooked, you should check whether it is spoiled or gives a stinky smell.
If it gives such spoiled signs, throw it away and make a hot bowl of food with his or her most favorite smell. You will notice how tasty it is once you give it to him or her.
You can also try out a new type of dog food if he or she shows some signs of losing appetite. You can give them some dry kibble instead of everyday wet dog food.
Do not worry; there is plenty of dog food series with different smells and flavors.
Give him or her new food experiences, and you can have a great idea about the food items he or she is fond of having.
Another important point you should consider is the amount of food you give to him or her.
Well, in this case, DO NOT stick to the feeding guidelines because the amount of food they are getting can vary according to their age, weight, and breed.
Suggested Reading: Can you feed a large dog small dog breed food? and vice versa.
4. Scheduled feedings
A scheduled feeding routine is crucial if your doggy refuses food constantly. So, in this case, do not let your doggy lick the bowl for the whole day when he or she wishes to. That is not right.
Feed him or her around a particular time each day. Choose a time by yourself observing your doggy.
If he or she does not eat the given portion within like 15 minutes, take it away and again give something new in the next scheduled time.
Usually, dogs get more hungry during the evenings than mornings. So, they might eat a bit more during the night, maybe after skipping several mealtimes of the day.
If you notice it as comfortable with him or her, let them be and make sure to feed a little more during the night.
5. Stop giving treats
Basically, dogs love eating sweets and all the things they are not supposed to eat.
If your buddy is fond of having treats you and your friends and visitors used to give him or her, you are in a critical issue. You should stop it at once.
As a result of getting addicted to having treats, he or she might start to skip nutritious meals and healthy foods, which is really bad for their health.
No matter how hard begging he or she is for treats, do not feed them with it. Make them understand that they will not have any pieces, and the only option is food in the bowl.
Once they get fed up and hungry, they will automatically go for the bowl.
But, it is totally fine to give him or her a little treat once in a while, and that’s not actually a big issue if they have a proper eating schedule.
Be a strict dog parent for their well-being.
6. Be patient
Patience is vital in the procedure of taking your doggy to the track of eating. They cannot understand what is good and bad for them.
So, you have to be the guide and patiently understand what they really want to do.
Try new food items one by one until they get happy with one. Try every method to get him or her to the track, and no point in scolding or punishing them.
Help them to find nutritious foods and adapt to a proper feeding schedule.
Should you worry if your dog doesn’t eat all of his food at once?
A dog can generally go three to five days without having any food. In some cases, they can hold on for seven days, but that is not something good to wait and watch.
If he or she is not eating all food or anything continuously for two days, YES, you should really worry.
But, there can be some fair enough circumstances for him or her to not eat all the food they are given at once.
If we take it as a range, the reasons can vary from a simple everyday situation up until a critical health condition.
The best thing to do is, observe them very well for about a week or two. Then follow the tips mentioned above and methods to recreate the appetite of your doggy, and if it does not work, consult the vet.
A distracted eating schedule can make you doggy and you both stressed. Because you won’t feel like having a proper meal if your little fur baby is not eating.
So, be on alert for them and take the necessary steps to make him again good at eating.
Things to be aware of
Apart from all the issues mentioned above and solutions, if you have a puppet with you, remember that they do not eat as much as you expect, and that is not something to get scared of.
But, make sure there is no medical condition.
They are literally crazy about food and may eat anything and everything.
Cleaning the bowl, they have food, and the surrounding is something you must do regularly.
Make sure to take him or her for walks and give them enough exercises as well.
If needed, as the vet says, give him or her pharmaceuticals to stimulate appetite. As natural options, you can feed them with their favorite food item and rotisserie chicken.
Please do not give them table scraps because they might get addicted to them and skip nutritious meals.
The most important factor is DO NOT punish them for not eating the whole potion they are given. Patience and understanding should come first.
Be supportive and try to move with them as much as you can.
Conclusion
The worthiest gift you can have is a healthy doggy. So, it is natural to have some eating issues with them. But, if you closely and carefully attend to them, you can be a proud dog parent. At the same time, your doggy will have the most caring and loving parent.
So, I suppose there are enough reasons and solutions mentioned in the article for you to decide what to do with your affected doggy. Follow them and see the change.
Cheers until next time!