My Dog Won't Eat Her Food

Question

I have a 5 year old Lab and she has stopped eating all kinds of food. At first i thought it was just because she was getting tired of her food. but i've tried buying different brands,flavors, textures... everything. Her favorite thing to eat used to be just half a peanut butter sandwich. and she wont even touch it now. Also, she'll drink water without a problem.. but n about 1/2 an hour- she'll throw it up sometimes. I've gotten the canned dog food to see if she'd eat that, but i'd had to put it in her mouth, about 1/4 of the chunk of meat at a time, and keep her from spitting it out to get her to swallow it. She used to be somewhat of a "fat" dog, not obese or anything-just not skinny. But shes lost a lot of weight since she stopped. i'd say easily 10lbs. She also hasn't been 'pooping'. and when she does, it's diarrhea.She's also stopped play catch, which used to be her favorite. She won't even eat her treats! I also have another yellow lab who's about 7 years old, and he's fine, still eats like he always has and is healthy as can be.

someone help!

Answer 1

Your dog needs to go to the vet ASAP. NOW! Your dog could die. This is very serious. So get your dog to the vet within the next couple of hours before she dies! SO GET YOUR DOG TO THE VET NOW! END OF DISCUSSION!

Answer 2

she has something in her stomach  like a virus  take to a vet and also here is a recipe i feed my dogs when thery eat

1 cup( a big mug) or dry food

a half a can of wet food

1/2 a cup of water

mix it all together

Answer 3

Take your dog to the vet NOW there maybe something serious with her.

Answer 4

There's something seriously wrong with your dog and it needs to see a vet for a proper diagnosis and treatment.  Now.  End of story.  Nothing else to do here.  

Add: A hacking cough, coupled with the weight loss and loss of appetite, lethargy and behavioral changes suggests to me advanced heartworm disease, which can be treatable, but it's VERY serious and you need to get the dog to the vet NOW (like today).  The earlier the treatment, the better the chance of a positive outcome.  If she's lost more than 10 pounds already, she's very ill and this has been going on for a while.  It's urgent.  

And for below poster, Beneful is total junk, it's like feeding your kids McDonald's every day of the week.  Most flavors of beneful actually have NO MEAT in them.  Please look into dog nutrition and pick a better food for your poor dog, it will be much healthier for the change.

Answer 5

Take your dog to the vet now!

Answer 6

I can relate to your problem.  I was just watching a dog who was so depressed her owners were gone, that she wouldn't touch her food.  This was only for a week, though, and she was clearly distraught over her family's absence.  There wasn't a medical problem that caused this defiance.

How long has your dog not been eating?  

If it has been weeks since she last ate, you need to act fast.  I would recommend calling your vet.  If you feel that you still want to try more on your own, take my advice.  This is totally up to you.  Do what you feel is right.

When you switched her foods, how quickly did you switch them?  Did you give her time to get used to them, to at least try them?  You might have been moving too quickly for her.

I would go to the store and buy a bag of healthy dog food, like Beneful  (I feed this to my 8 y/o golden retriever).  You know there is nothing wrong with the food.  Put the food in your dog's dish and allow her to sniff it.  If she shows absolutely no interest (I'm assuming she's very inactive at this point) take the bowl up to her, take a seat and start the hand feeding.  She probably won't take it willingly.  Take a piece of the food and literally press it into her mouth.  Rub it on her teeth by her gums, gently but insist she pay attention to it.  Touch it to her tongue if you can, but don't wrench her mouth open.  I don't recommend you force feed her; rather, entice her to eat.

Dogs explore the world with their noses.  Take a small handful of the food and hold it right under her nose.  If she moves her head away, follow her with your handful of food.  DON'T STOP OFFERING THE FOOD!  You can take your hand away then and offer the food.  Keep trying!  Cover her senses with it.  Her instincts will take over, and she will try it.  Once she smells it and tastes it, she'll start to cave in.  Watch her face to try and read what she's thinking.  You can tell when she's beginning to give up.

If she doesn't, you definitely need to see a vet.  Your dog is too young for this to be natural defiance, as an old dog would do when he knows his time is coming.  It could be a medical problem.  The diarrhea is from her bad diet (as long as there is no blood, this isn't much of a surprise).  I'm willing to bet this is more of a psychological issue than a physical one.

Has there been any change in your dog's environment, any kind of stress that would cause her to act this way?  

Start walking your dog, if you haven't already.  Nice long walks will make her think she is working for her food.  It will uncover her natural instincts and urge her to return to her usual behavior.  Dogs will jump at the opportunity to return to normal.  This will encourage her to eat as well.  In the wild, the pack spends a lot of energy hunting before they are rewarded with the kill.

You need to think like your dog.  Stop changing her food.  Choose a food that is healthy for her, and insist she eats it.  Watch her carefully to judge when and if (if she doesn't start eating) you should take her to the vet.  You're her owner; you'll know when.

Good luck!  I hope his helps you.

Answer 7

a change in your dogs eating habbits is a signal of somthing very wrong. remember, she cant talk to you and tell you whats wrong but something is. She could have worms in her tummy and those can cause very bad problems. your dog needs some vet attention and it would be good to take her as soon as possible for diagnosis. that way they can fix whats wrong with her and she will be eating normal again.