What should I do if my dog ​​doesn’t like dog food? Find the reason first

Pet 9:06am, 14 October 2025 83

Although dogs are very well-behaved, they occasionally have some abnormal reactions. For example, if a dog suddenly refuses to eat dog food, some owners will think that the dog has become picky about food. This may be the reason for some dogs, but there are also other reasons. In short, if you want to solve the problem, you must first find out where the problem lies.

If you don’t like to eat dog food because you are sick, you need to take your dog to the pet hospital for examination, and then treat the dog according to the examination results. After recovery, the appetite will naturally return. If it is caused by picky eating, then certain measures need to be taken, such as regular feeding, mixed feeding, changing dog food with better palatability, etc., to slowly correct the dog's picky eating behavior.

1. Take the method of regular feeding

Picky dogs need to be fed dog food at regular times and at fixed points. Give the dog dog food 3 times a day. If the dog does not eat or cannot finish the dog food within 15 minutes of putting it down, it must be taken away. Usually, repeated training for about 5 days will correct the dog's bad habit of being picky. But at the same time, it should be noted that during this period, except for dog food and daily drinking water, no other food can be given to the dog. If the dog gives up halfway because of the distress, all the previous efforts will be wasted.

2. Adopt mixed feeding method

When the dog does not like to eat dog food, the owner can also correct it through mixed feeding. It is generally recommended that owners mix their dog’s favorite food with dog food. They can give a small amount of dog food at the beginning, and then gradually increase the amount of dog food, which can stimulate the dog’s appetite.

3. Change to dog food with better palatability

If the quality of the dog's dog food is too poor, or the dog gets tired of eating one type of dog food for a long time, it will also lead to picky eating. Therefore, owners can consider changing the dog food to one with better palatability and nutritional value to see if the dog likes to eat it. However, when changing the dog's food, pay attention to the gradual transition to avoid the dog's gastrointestinal discomfort.

4. Seek medical examination in time

If the dog does not like to eat dog food and is also accompanied by symptoms such as listlessness, elevated body temperature, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms, it should be considered that it is sick and does not like to eat dog food. At this time, the owner needs to take the dog to the pet hospital for examination and treatment in time. After the specific cause is eliminated, the dog's appetite can return to normal.