Check he's he althy
If your dog isn't eating much, it may be because he has a condition that affects his appetite. An organic disease, pain or anxiety can thus be the cause of anorexia or pseudo-anorexia in dogs. First of all, it is therefore important that you make sure that your animal is not suffering by means of a small check-up with your veterinarian. This is all the more important if your dog suddenly loses his appetite.
On the other hand, if your dog has never been greedy and is in perfect he alth, you will find in the rest of this article some tips to encourage him to eat more.
Add flavor to your food
or rather a tantalizing smell to his bowl. In a dog, it is primarily the sense of smell that allows him to judge the appetizing nature of his food. In other words, this means that a dog will first base himself on the smell he perceives of the food to know whether he wants to eat it or not. It is also partly for this reason that boxes of dog food are generally better accepted by difficult dogs than kibble. Just put your nose above a bowl of mash and compare it with a bowl of croquettes to realize it.
And when it comes to smells, dogs don't quite have the same tastes as us humans. As a general rule (but there are always exceptions), dogs are rather attracted to foods with strong odors and it is then "just" to use this preference to boost the aromas that emanate from its bowl.You can flavor a dog's kibble with fish oil, a little canned tuna juice or even a little meat juice so that your dog is more interested in it.
Dogs also have a stronger natural taste for fat. They turn more easily to fatty foods, oils and fats which are natural flavor enhancers. With this in mind, enrich your bowl with foods that are a little fattier than usual. They will be tastier for your pet, which will make it want to "come back" to its bowl.
Fat matter, watch out for rancidity!
Fats are palatable, it's true, but only on the condition that they are not degraded! When fat goes rancid, it oxidizes and releases a very unpleasant odor and taste that may deter your dog from emptying the contents of his bowl.Also check that your dog's kibble is not expired or altered. This could explain why your dog is sulking!
Avoid small “sides”
It's true that it's tempting to want to give little "sides" to a difficult dog to compensate for the fact that he doesn't eat a lot. But, distributing food at the table or treats all day long to a difficult dog is a mistake! Doing so only compounds the problem. When we give him food throughout the day, we satiate the dog who is no longer hungry when we present him with his bowl. In addition, the small piece of cheese or the small piece of sausage that you give to your dog are much tastier (and caloric) than the food in his bowl and will make the dog lose interest in it even more. “Why eat my croquettes when I could have cheese? “, he could say to himself! The problem, as you will have understood, is that you cannot feed a dog exclusively cheese or slices of sausage.Eventually, this would end up unbalancing his ration! It would never occur to you to exclusively feed a child who does not want to eat his plate with sweets! Well, for the dog, it's the same!
So keep his interest in his bowl by limiting (or even removing) all the little "sides" . It's also important not to leave your dog's food out all day. Give him his food in the form of meals once or twice a day, in a room where the animal can eat alone and quietly, and remove his bowl after 15 to 20 minutes that he has finished it or No. Rest assured, if your dog is in good he alth (see our first point), he will not starve to death. He may skip a meal or two, but very quickly he will regain interest in the contents of his bowl.
Make it move more
It is possible that your dog's appetite is at half mast simply because he does not expend enough energy to have it.The solution is then to offer your pet more physical activity so that it “burns” more energy than its body will want to recover by eating. Offer longer walks, opportunities to run, or try dog sports. These physical activities will be beneficial to him in more ways than one, and not just to whet his appetite.
Stimulate his appetite
There are natural boosts to stimulate a dog's appetite in the form of herbs like gentian or homeopathic remedies like Avena Sativa. Speak to a specialized veterinarian!