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How to get a sick dog to eat: Tips & tricks

Posted on by Kristina Johansen

Dogs with medical conditions often don’t feel well and will not eat their food or may develop food aversion to a diet they’re currently eating. There’s no one size-fits-all-solution, but hopefully the following tips and tricks can help encourage your dog to eat.

If your dog has stopped eating entirely, please consult your vet. It is important to find out the cause.

  1. Do not attempt to force-feed your dog
    Offering more foods when a dog is feeling sick may result in the dog associating feeling ill with the food they’re eating. This can create food aversions and when your dog feels better, they might not want to eat the prescription diet.
  2. Start small and go slow
    If your dog is feeling nauseous and vomiting, feed them a quarter of their normal food intake per day and gradually increase this depending on their progress.
  3. Provide plenty of water
    Dehydration is uncomfortable and dangerous. Make sure your dog is well hydrated.
  4. Try a home-prepared diet
    Most dogs prefer a home-prepared diet over commercial food so if possible, switch. It’s important not to simply make up your own diet based on recipes from non-professional sources. Make sure you’re getting guidance from a nutrition professional.
  5. Be flexible
    Sometimes it’s better to eat some of the wrong foods then none of the right foods. Try a chicken nugget or cheeseburger. Feeding the odd food that is not on the menu can sometimes help to break the pattern of refusing to eat.
  6. Add a meal topper
    Flavour enhancers can encourage the dog to eat. Most dogs prefer stronger smells. Try grating a little parmesan cheese on top of the food; a drizzle of chicken broth, melted vanilla ice cream, or canned tuna juice also work well. The smallest amounts possible should be used.
  7. Change the food bowl and feeding area
    If you dog is feeling nauseous and vomiting it might associate this with an area or the bowl they were fed from. An easy solution might be to change the feeding location and food bowl.
  8. Offer foods with different textures
    Dogs have far less taste buds compared to us humans so in terms of palatability, texture plays a crucial role. If you normally feed your dog mashed sweet potato, try roast potato cubes or diced lamb instead of lamb mince and vice versa. If dry kibble is their typical diet, try wet food.
  9. Change the temperature of the food
    Warm it up or serve it cold. Some dogs prefer fresh foods at room temperature while others prefer foods straight out of the fridge.
  10. Feed little and often
    Large volumes of food can increase nausea and increase the risk of vomiting. Offer your dog small meals more often instead.
  11. Do not give up
    Dogs are surprisingly good at reading human body language. Feeding dinner with a bit of anxiety and worry is unlikely to give positive results. Try some relaxed cuddle time and belly scratches 5 minutes before feeding.