Puppy Is Not Eating | Causes and Advice video content

Your puppy is settling into their new home and you’ve selected the best food you could find
(and afford). Or maybe you’ve kept the food they were fed by their breeder or at the shelter.
But for some reason, your puppy has no interest in their meals. 

This can be a concerning sign in a puppy, especially in a very young or small puppy.
They have less ability to sustain themselves without enough calories compared to full-grown adult
dogs. If your puppy is not eating enough, here are some causes they might be suffering and advice
about how to solve:

Reasons Why Puppies Stop Eating

Stress: Maybe you brought them home very recently. Maybe you’ve got a full house for the holidays,
which can stress out anyone! Or maybe your pup is being “bullied” by other pets in your home
— don’t underestimate the cat! Although, it’s important to recognize that they can still experience
stress. All puppies can go through a bit of an adjustment period when they first come home,
having just left a familiar environment (and possibly their mother or siblings) for an unfamiliar one
filled with strangers. Keep an eye open for potential sources of stress for your pup.

Puppy Is Not Eating | Causes and Advice video content

Digestive upset or obstruction: Puppies are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t,
and unfortunately many puppy owners are just as notorious for intentionally giving their dogs snacks
and “treats” that they shouldn’t. This can cause digestive upset as well as obesity and begging later
in life; they may even cause your puppy to reject the healthier and balanced dog foods they should
be eating! If neither of you are doing anything “naughty,” some puppy foods can just be too rich for
some dogs, and every puppy will handle certain foods differently.

Digestive infections: Unfortunately, there are lots of viruses (like the dreaded Parvo), intestinal
worms (like roundworms), bacteria that can set up shop in your puppy’s gut and cause a range of
problems. Many puppies have roundworms or other parasites in their gut before you get them home.
This is a big part of the reason why we vets usually deworm puppies at most of their “puppy visits,"
recommend fecal (poop) testing, and vaccinate to prevent Parvo and other debilitating diseases.

Pain: Just like people, pain can cause your puppy to turn away from their food, too.
The pain could be from an injury — after all, puppies can be quite accident-prone! Pups can also
experience pain from teething, inflammation of their pancreas, or growing pains from their developing
bones. They could even have something stuck in their mouth — like a splinter or piece of wood from
chewing on a stick — or a broken tooth from a bad chew toy. Or it might “just” be impacted anal
glands! Check for any external or obvious sources of pain. If you don’t see any, it might be time for a
quick check-up at the vet.

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Organ disease or dysfunction: Puppies can suffer from problems in their liver, kidneys,
endocrine/hormonal system, and pretty much any other organ or part of their body.
It can be the result of problems they were born with (like a liver shunt), an infection, toxic injury,
or something else they’ve picked up.

Respiratory infection: One of the more common respiratory infections, kennel cough,

can be mild and self-resolving, but it can also spread and reach the lungs.
The best way to protect your puppy from kennel cough and perhaps even canine influenza,
a.k.a. “dog flu” is to talk to your vet about vaccinating against these diseases, and keeping your
pup away from the dog park or doggy daycare until they’re protected and ready — which is usually
at least 17 weeks old! 

Not liking their food: While it is possible that your pup just doesn’t like their kibble — especially
if you’ve changed their food up too often or too quickly, or if you’ve been giving them table scraps
— it really isn’t that probable that this is the main cause of your pup’s lack of appetite. Don’t make
the mistake of assuming that your pup isn’t eating just because they don’t like their food. It’s more
likely due to one of the factors we've already covered, and you should have them checked out by your
vet to make sure.

What to do when your puppy isn’t eating

 

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Adult dogs have a better supply of body fat as well as a liver that is fully capable of making
glucose (energy) during periods of starvation. Puppies don’t have these same reserves,
so missing even one meal could be problematic and cause for concern. Below are some things you
can do to try and tempt your puppy’s appetite at home.

Tips to tempt a puppy’s appetite:

• If you’re feeding dry food, try adding in a little bit of canned food.

• You can also try adding a little bit of warmed, low-sodium chicken broth to your pup’s food, whether it’s kibble or canned. (Avoid broths containing onions, onion powder, chives, or garlic — as these can cause a breakdown of your pup's red blood cells.) Mix Native Pet's Bone Broth powder with water as a pet-safe way to add broth to their food, or sprinkle this broth flavored food topper on their food. 

• Some pups will perk up their appetite when you add a little bit of plain boiled white rice to their meals; or some boiled and shredded, boneless, skinless, spice-less chicken breast.

• Add a squirt or two of flavored spray to up the "yum" factor on their regular food. The spray comes in cheese, peanut butter, chicken, and bacon flavors. You might also add a little bit of plain cottage cheese or plain yogurt (just make sure the yogurt doesn’t contain xylitol, an increasingly common sugar substitute that is safe for people but extremely dangerous for dogs).

• Put their food in an interactive toy (a.k.a. “puzzle feeder”) to make mealtimes more stimulating and fun.
If the above methods don’t work then you should bring them in for veterinary evaluation.