The dog is weak and very lethargic. The dog does not eat anything: what to do? signs of serious illness

What to do if the dog doesn’t eat, how can you find out? the real reason and not miss the symptoms of the disease? Below we will analyze all these questions, but we will immediately indicate that we will be talking about abrupt refusal from food. A gradual decrease in appetite, leading to complete refusal from food most often indicates a developing disease.

A very common scenario that causes owners to truly panic is when the dog stops eating or past illness. The owner sees that the dog is walking is recovering, looks active and suddenly refuses to eat...really warning sign. However, before you panic, make sure that the reasons for ignoring food are not related to your behavior.

While the pet is sick or returns to normal after surgery, the owner surrounds it with care, pampers it, and takes pity on it. Dogs are very smart, they can build logical chains and draw conclusions. So, when you feel sorry for the dog and persuade him to eat a tasty treat, he concludes that if you give up the usual porridge, you can get a treat. Of course, the pet needs to be pitied and supported, but moderation is important in everything.

Many owners find themselves in this situation vicious circle when the ward develops conditioned reflex(habit) to extort goodies by manipulation. Let’s say right away that if something like this has already happened to you and your ward, the situation needs to be resolved gradually. You yourself taught the dog this trick, so punishment and rudeness are inappropriate here. If you decide to overcome the situation with force, then in the future, the dog is unlikely to agree to train under your leadership.

Have you noticed that the dog is not eating well, are you sure that the pet was not sick and you did not pamper it, what is the reason? Any guide to keeping dogs contains recommendations for creating a daily routine. Are you following these guidelines? Don't understand what you're talking about we're talking about, answer the following questions:

Do you walk your dog at the same time?
Do you feed your dog at the same time?
How many treats do you feed your dog during a walk? More or less than half the weight of a regular portion of food?

If the answers to the first two questions are negative, and the third is positive, you are completely ignoring the recommendations about maintaining a daily routine. Let's figure it out right away question about treats. The daily food intake is calculated taking into account everything eaten. If a dog does not eat from a bowl, but receives half a kilo of cookies during a walk, it compensates for more than half of its daily food intake and this must be taken into account. You had a nice walk with your dog in the evening, fed him some treats and he refused porridge - quite naturally.

Now about walking and feeding schedule. The dog’s digestive system, without exaggeration, works by the clock. It takes about 6–8 hours to digest meat porridge; if the dog eats dry food, the time increases by about 2 hours. If you fed your dog in the evening, after a walk, and in the morning, after waking up, it digestive system starts. Digested food remains move from the small intestine to the large intestine and the dog wants to go to the toilet. After relieving yourself small intestine completely freed and ready to digest the morning meal.

If the schedule is violated, that is, if the dog has to endure it or you feed it at odd hours, gastrointestinal tract may not be ready to digest a new portion of food. The body is designed in such a way that the dog will not feel hungry as long as there is food in its stomach. If the pet cannot go to the toilet, he will be worried about more tangible problems - intoxication and pain. Naturally, in such conditions good appetite there is no question.

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You may notice that the dog eats little if there is always food available to him, no, this is not a paradox. All homemade animals tend to eat out of boredom, especially if they are at home without an owner. As a caring owner, when you leave for work, you leave treats or dry food for your pet in case your pet gets hungry. In fact, you are pushing your ward to constantly snack out of boredom, which fundamentally violates the recommendations on routine feeding. Snacking, as well as constant access to food, negatively affects appetite, since the dog does not feel true hunger, it simply eats when it pleases.

There is another reason that many owners miss. If the dog does not eat anything (we are talking about a male), he may have met or simply smelled a female dog in heat. A hormonal surge can deprive a male of his appetite for several days, and these are not the most noticeable consequences. If your pet is not of breeding value, for the sake of preserving his health and sanity, it is better to resort to castration at an early age. Please note that a male is guaranteed not to react to females if castration is carried out in adolescence and before (spontaneous) mating.

There are also more banal reasons for refusing food, or rather, not banal, but obvious. For example, the dog needs to feel confident and stable, so the bowl should be placed on a stand and the feeding area should be covered with a non-slip mat. A bowl that is deep or too tall can feel intimidating or awkward. Some, especially dogs rescued from the street, may afraid to eat in the presence of people or other animals. This passes, but at first you need to show understanding. There are a lot of similar examples and they are all obvious if you watch your pet.

Adult dogs can fast for several days without good reasons, arrange the so-called fasting days. If your pet remains alert, drinks water and willingly goes for walks, there is no need to worry. For a puppy, a hunger strike is harmless if it lasts up to 12 hours, for adult dog this period ranges from 24 to 48 hours, and sometimes longer. Hunger is really dangerous with some diseases, for example, diabetes, in which case the dog should be under the supervision of a veterinarian.

How to increase your dog's appetite

A dog's refusal to eat may be due to poor appetite or the development of an illness. If your pet is lethargic, whines, does not drink water, is vomiting, or is losing weight quickly or is constantly lying down, you can skip this section. The point here is not reluctance, but discomfort that prevents the pet from eating. A clear sign feeling unwell- this is a refusal to walk, even if the pet was not too happy about walking before, completely ignoring the street speaks of apathy. The first thing you need to do is take your pet outside in your arms. If your dog stands motionless or immediately lies down, you should immediately consult a doctor.

The refusal of food does not affect the pet’s mood; is it cheerful and happy to go for a walk? In this case, you need to try several methods to improve your appetite. Start by skipping one feeding, such as the morning one. In the evening, offer your pet a regular portion of his usual food. If the treat is eaten with pleasure, the reason is a violation of the feeding schedule. We talked about this above, in a dog poor appetite because she doesn't really feel hungry.

The second method is not to skip feeding, but to cut the portion in half. If the dog ate the food offered, behaved normally all day and licked the bowl again in the evening, the reason is overfeeding. Check yourself carefully to see if you are exceeding daily norm feeding for the pet. Take into account all snacks, treats, keep an eye on the dog, perhaps he is begging for treats from other family members.

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One important nuance: Before you catch your dog overeating, make sure you feed him well. The reluctance to eat the entire portion offered may be due to the fact that dog doesn't like the taste of food, for example, a dog does not eat porridge because it is stale. The second option is an allergy; the pet may refuse food that is harmful to it. You may not realize that porridge causes stomach pain or bloating in your pet, but the fact remains that the dog feels discomfort. If a dog does not eat dry food, there are several possible reasons:

A sudden change in diet– you have always fed your pet natural food, but decided to switch it to drying in one day. The dog will most likely refuse to eat because the food looks inedible, unusual, and unappetizing to it. Dry food does not have the aroma of natural food, which is very powerful argument. If the dog has always eaten natural food, the refusal of dry food may be due to the fact that the gastrointestinal tract is not able to digest the granules. In any case, switch to new type Feeding should be carried out gradually.

Low feed quality– cheap drying is made from beans, soy or corn. All these products are useless for dogs, so they do not cause any obvious appetite. Manufacturers of cheap food use a trick by flavoring their products flavoring additives and flavor enhancers. More healthy food this doesn’t make it better... quite the opposite, but this condition allows you to force hungry dog there are granules.

Chewing problems– we are not talking about diseases oral cavity, rather about the conventions that you missed. Puppies have a hard time chewing kibble because their teeth are a bit loose. Older dogs may refuse drying due to thinning of the enamel and discomfort when chewing hard food.

Active walks help increase your appetite. Naturally, you don’t need to exhaust your dog to the point of exhaustion, but if you haven’t paid attention to active exercise, it’s worth a try. All dogs love to play, the type of activity and motivation may differ, meaning you will need to find an approach.

Even older dogs, who seem to have no interest in anything, are happy to accompany their owners on leisurely but long walks. Your pet may not play with a ball, but he will enjoy the challenge of searching. With the right load, the dog returns home tired and hungry. Usually the pet drinks, eats and goes to rest. After this, it is advisable to take the dog out for a short walk to empty the intestines and Bladder. Just like people, it is harmful for dogs to endure.

Dogs are distinguished by their constancy in tastes, but it happens that they get bored with the taste of their usual food. You can check this assumption and make sure that refusal to eat is associated with it in several ways:

Offer your dog frozen or boiled meat (without porridge). If the treat is eaten eagerly, the dog is tired of porridge, or has a protein deficiency.

Replace the cereal with buckwheat, and if you feed buckwheat, then with rice. In the first case, the food will have a more attractive smell. In the second, if the dog is tired of buckwheat, rice will be more readily accepted because it is neutral.

Add to porridge vegetable stew– grate the vegetables on a track and simmer with big amount water. You should end up with a fine stew or sauce. Season everything with a little oil and add to the porridge. Vegetables give the porridge a seductive aroma and enhance the taste of meat (if its ratio is sufficient).

A dog’s refusal to dry and water does not mean that it is sick or poisoned. Animals live, feel and feel differently; they can starve not only because stomach upset, but also for reasons that people do not understand.

If your pet is active, does not whine, and her nose is wet, there is no reason to worry about her health. When starting to decide what to do if your dog doesn’t eat dry food, you need to understand the root causes.

Reasons for refusing dry food:

A sharp transition from homemade food to dry food. Natural food and food are absorbed differently; when you change food, the stomach adjusts to a different mode of operation, and for this the body needs time. The dog may feel internal discomfort and refuse to drink or eat;

Plastic bowls. Humans do not smell cheap plastic, but it suppresses the appetite of animals;

Spoiled. If the dog is accustomed to the fact that after refusing food the owner will offer a treat, then he will continue to beg for the tasty treat;
. If the dog walks and moves a little, the energy received through food is not wasted and the animal does not feel hunger or thirst;
Stress. Moving, long absence the owner or the appearance of a second animal will make the dog nervous;

High-quality dry food does not contain flavorings, therefore it does not attract an unaccustomed animal.

Unsuitable food. Meaning individual intolerance any specific ingredient in the composition. Try changing the food.

A spoiled product will also not make the dog want to try it.. It is a mistaken belief that animal feed can be stored indefinitely. After opening the package, the food retains its properties only for a month.

The fact that the dog does not drink water worries many breeders. For unknown reasons, many puppies stop drinking regular water as they grow older.

When feeding your pet homemade food, you will provide him sufficient quantity moisture, but the use of dry food requires drink plenty of fluids, otherwise urolithiasis disease and constipation will not keep you waiting.

Replenish water balance in the dog’s body is possible in the following ways:

Dilute the water with kefir;

Stir canned dog food into water;

Pour water into the bowl with food, getting something like soup;

Soak part of the food in advance so that the water is absorbed into the crackers and sprinkle a new portion on top.

It is worth considering that after absorbing water, the food will reduce the smell and seem less attractive to the dog. To enhance the alluring smell, the soaked food can be slightly warmed up.

Attention! How do you know exactly how much water a dog should drink per day? Pour water according to the norm from 200 to 700 milliliters per 10 kg of animal weight.

What to do if the dog does not eat anything and is constantly lethargic?

If, along with the refusal of food, the pet experiences painful condition: loss of activity, trembling, rumbling in the stomach - the owner should worry.

Such manifestations indicate obvious ill health of the pet.

Self-medication in such situations should not be practiced. At the slightest suspicion similar diseases, the owner should contact an experienced veterinarian and follow all treatment instructions they provide.

Otherwise, wanting to do the best, the beloved owner will only aggravate the situation of the sick dog.

Situations in which lack of appetite is the norm

When wondering why a dog doesn’t eat, you don’t have to grab a reference book with diseases.

There are a number natural causes refusal of food:

Eruption of the first teeth in puppies. This process causes technical difficulties when eating and discomfort;

Ready to Mate. During heat, the dog becomes nervous, shakes, and behavior changes. A male dog who smells a walking girl can also forget about food for a while;

Teenage years. While puppies are growing up large breeds appetite is unstable;

Pregnancy and childbirth. Naturally, during the period of gestation, the bitch consumes a lot of food, making up for what is missing; she may experience toxicosis, when the dog vomits. After giving birth, while the body is recovering, the dog will not necessarily eat heavily;

Recent vaccinations or medications. Medications affect each body differently, including often reducing the desire to eat;

Heat. This factor also pushes the dog away from his favorite bowl of food.

As you can see, the lack of desire to eat should not necessarily bother a caring breeder.

Before you run to the doctor, you need to analyze all the factors that could affect your pet’s behavior; the reason may lie in age-related changes or changing external conditions.

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Dogs are animals that prefer active image life. They always enjoy walks fresh air and new games. That's why if the dog is lethargic and sleeps constantly t, then this should alert the owner and serve as a signal to immediate appeal V veterinary clinic.

Natural lethargy in a dog

There are several natural causes of lethargy in dogs, which are not serious and can be easily eliminated:

When a dog lacks vitamins, it becomes passive. Natural Treatment in this case, to compensate for the lack of vitamin.
If dog lies limp, then this may be evidence of simple boredom itself. The danger of this phenomenon is that boredom can develop into depression, which is difficult to treat. Try to pay more attention to your pet.
Old age is common cause that the dog is lethargic, doesn't drink, refuses food. You can try special games for older dogs, but if this does not help, then all you can do is accept natural aging and support your friend.

Lethargy in a dog as a symptom of a disease

Usually, if a dog is sick, lethargy is accompanied by additional symptoms, for example, a disease is indicated by the fact that the dog does not eat or drink, is lethargic and almost does not react to external stimuli.

Hypoglycemia - lack of sugar - is one of the common reasons why the dog is lethargic. The animal simply does not have the strength for an active lifestyle. The disease is quite easy to treat early stages, but in a “neglected” state it can cause convulsions and loss of coordination of the animal in space.

If the dog is not eating and is lethargic in the spring and summer, you should check your pet for tick infestation. Piroplasmosis can lead to liver failure and death of the animal.Various infectious diseases are a common reason why the dog is lethargic, sleeping constantly and refuses to eat.

What to do if the dog is lethargic?!

If the dog is lethargic due to illness, only an experienced veterinarian can carry out a competent diagnosis.

Therefore, it is very important to bring the animal to a veterinary clinic or call a veterinarian at home as soon as possible. Remember that your quick reaction can save the life of your four-legged friend.