Your dog has picked up bad habits
or rather YOU gave your dog bad habits. If your dog continues to be interested in all kinds of food except his kibble, it may be because you give him food/treats outside of his meals and/or you leave him his bowl permanently available. Your dog then understands that his croquettes are in "open bar" and that if he does not eat them, he will have something tastier to eat from you anyway!
What to do?
Start by giving your dog nothing more than his meals, then give him his daily ration of kibble in 1 or 2 daily meals.Leave his bowl available for 15 to 20 minutes only, in a place where the dog can eat alone and quietly. Once this time has elapsed, remove the bowl from your dog whether he has finished it or not. It is likely that your dog will continue to ignore the contents of his bowl for 1 or 2 meals but, rest assured, if he is in good he alth, he will not let himself starve and will end up resigning himself to eating his kibbles when his stomach starts to cry out. Of course, this solution is only suitable for he althy but somewhat “capricious” dogs. It aims to reduce the frequency of food distribution to restore a normal feeling of hunger in a dog. On the other hand, it will be ineffective or even risky if your dog suffers from a he alth problem that prevents him from eating or that cuts his appetite. Make sure beforehand that your dog is only interested in his kibble and not any type of food, in which case, a visit to the veterinarian is in order!
Your dog's kibble is not good
Your dog may also be reluctant to eat his croquettes if they are expired, altered or unpalatable. This can happen if:
- the bag of croquettes has been open for too long and/or has been stored in poor conditions (bag not closed after use, croquettes stored in an environment that is too hot, too humid),
- the kibble optimal use-by date has passed,
- its croquettes are too rich in too rich in vegetable raw materials (cereals, legumes, vegetable fibers,) and not enough in meat ingredients and/or lipids towards which dogs have a natural appetite.
What to do?
Test your hypothesis by giving kibble from a freshly opened packet to your dog. If this test is positive, prefer kibbles in small packaging and store them in a dry, cool place, taking care to close the bag well after use to avoid this type of inconvenience in the future.
If it's the kibble recipe that doesn't suit your dog's taste, change it for new ones that are more palatable and more suited to his needs as a carnivore, taking care to practice a gradual food transition .
Also read: How to choose good kibble for your dog?You can also decide to change your dog's dry food for a wet food based on industrial pâtés, deemed more palatable for the dog (but also more expensive!).
Or better yet: switch to 100% homemade food! Very palatable, it will also be excellent for your dog's he alth, provided that it is well adapted to your dog's needs following the advice of a veterinarian.
Also read:
- Prepare your dog's meals yourself
- Calculate a household ration for your dog
Your dog is not hungry
A dog can leave his bowl of kibble simply because of a lack of hunger that can be linked to:
- excessive and/or frequent food distribution (cf. Your dog has picked up bad habits),
- a mismatch between the dog's food intake and its needs. This is the case, for example, in sporting dogs who have less physical activity and whose energy needs are reduced but who continue to be fed “as before”. Some dogs regulate themselves: it is therefore normal for them to eat less kibble to reduce their intake accordingly,
- a move, the arrival of a baby or a new pet at home, the death of his master in a word, anything that could be a source of stress or anxiety for the dog.
- a high outside temperature,
- the period of heat for females or "rut" for a male dog receptive to the heat of females in the neighborhood. These periods of sexual activity can naturally and temporarily reduce a dog's appetite,
- taking anorectic drug treatment (which cuts hunger). This is particularly the case for certain psychotropic drugs.
What to do?
Well, the solution depends on the cause!
If you think that your dog's lack of hunger is linked to a decrease in his energy needs, contact a veterinarian to calculate the amount of kibble adapted to his new need and to determine if this lack of appetite can then be explained by this cause!
If it's the heat that is involved (in both senses of the term, high outside temperatures or periods of sexual activity), don't worry! Your dog's appetite should recover with the return of warmer temperatures or the end of mating season.In the meantime, you can try to make your dog's kibble more palatable by adding an ingredient that your dog loves above all else: a little grated cheese, a little salmon oil, meat juice etc
If, on the other hand, your dog's appetite does not return or if your dog completely stops eating for more than 24 hours, consult your veterinarian without delay.
If you suspect that this lack of hunger is linked to the side effects of a medication prescribed to your dog, talk to your veterinarian so that he can judge the need to interrupt or modify his treatment.
If the fact that your dog is abandoning his kibble is linked to a one-time stressful situation such as a move, for example, give your dog time to adapt and his appetite should return to normal. In the meantime, you can help her get through this difficult time better by:
- spending more time with your dog by offering him a beautiful and long daily walk in an unusual place, where he can smell new smells and ideally meet congeners,
- offering him games and occupation toys,
- fitting it with a collar of soothing pheromones and/or administering Bach flowers.
If, despite your efforts, stress continues to take away his appetite for more than 15 days, consult a veterinarian to find solutions adapted to your dog's case.
Your dog is afraid of his bowl
When a dog no longer eats his kibble, it's not necessarily the kibble that is in question but his bowl, if your dog starts being afraid of it. This can happen if his bowl makes noise on the ground when the dog eats from it or if he has had a bad experience during his meal.Check this possibility by giving your dog his kibble directly on the ground or by scattering it in the garden.
What to do?
Go to our article "My dog is afraid of his bowl" to discover all the solutions available to you to remedy this problem.
Your dog is sick
If your dog shuns his kibble but also all other foods and/or shows other symptoms, it may be because he is suffering from an illness or pain that cuts his appetite or renders him physically unable to feed himself. Anorexia or lack of appetite are indeed the non-specific sign of various dog conditions.
What to do?
The only thing to do is to consult your veterinarian without delay so that he can find the cause of his loss of appetite and remedy it with the help of an appropriate treatment.