What to Do if Your Pet’s Not Eating

It’s natural to feel concerned when your dog or cat loses their appetite; especially if there’s no obvious reason as to why your pet is not eating. Even more so if your pet usually loves to chow down on their food, a sudden change in eating habits can be quite alarming and distressing.

That’s why understanding the reasons behind this unusual behaviour, and also the steps you can take to address their loss of appetite, is incredibly important. So you can get your pet back to feeling happy, healthy and vibrant.

Let’s dive in.

Understanding Why Your Pet Won’t Eat

The first step to take is to really understand the possible causes as to why your pet may not be eating. It may even surprise you to learn that there could be several influencing factors which range in severity:

Medical Issues

This includes everything from dental problems to gastrointestinal issues, infections, or chronic diseases like kidney disease or diabetes. All of these have the potential to impact or reduce a pet's appetite. Our recommendation is to always consult a vet if you suspect a medical problem.

Behavioural Factors

Both dogs and cats can be incredibly sensitive to any changes or disruption to their environment. If there’s been a major life change, including the introduction of a new pet, moving house, or even a change in their routine, this can cause stress and loss of appetite.

Diet Changes

Abrupt or sudden changes in their diet can upset a pet’s digestive system. Just think, if your stomach was feeling sensitive, the last thing you’d want to do is gobble down more food - and it’s the same for our animal companions. That's why it’s important to introduce new foods or transition your pet’s diet gradually.

Age and Activity Level

Both older pets or those with reduced activity levels may eat less. This is because their nutritional needs may have changed, or their metabolism has naturally slowed down.

When it comes to older age in pets, a reduced appetite can be down to various issues such as poor tooth health causing discomfort when eating. Likewise, it could even be down to a reduced sense of smell and taste. Whereas less active dogs and cats may instinctively feel the need to consume less calories, as they’re expending less energy, and therefore not feel as hungry as before.

Quality of Food

Sometimes, pets refuse to eat if their food is stale or unappealing. Our tip in this case is to ensure the food you provide is fresh and of good quality. Or if it’s simply a case of your dog being fussy with food or cat being picky, you could consider switching up their protein source to see if this tantalises their taste buds once again.

So now that you might have a clearer idea of what could be causing your dog or cat’s lack of appetite or desire to eat, what should you do next?

Steps to Take

If your pet’s not eating, here are some key steps you can take to get their appetite back on track:

Step One: Monitor Your Pet

Firstly, you may want to watch your pet for a while, observing their behaviour closely. This will be helpful if you do end up consulting a vet, as you can make sure to take note of any symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, or strange changes in behaviour.

Step Two: Check for Environmental Stressors

As we’ve outlined above, sudden changes to your pet’s environment could be a cause of anxiety or stress. If that’s the case, identify any recent changes in your pet’s environment and where possible, try to remove any acute stressors and try to provide a calm and stable environment instead.

Step Three: Rethink their Food

Especially when it comes to raw or fresh food, it’s vital that this food is stored properly to maintain the nutrition and quality of the meat. If you’re already storing your pet’s food correctly, the next step would be to assess the actual quality of their food. Sometimes, switching to a higher-quality brand or food type can make a difference.

Step Four: Actively Encourage Eating

This one may sound obvious, but here are some steps you can take to stimulate your dog or cat’s appetite once more:

• Warm Up the Food: Slightly warming your pet’s food can make it more enticing by enhancing its aroma. This can also be easier for some pets - such as senior dogs or cats - to digest.
• Hand-Feeding: Sometimes, hand-feeding can encourage a pet to start eating.
• Reduce Treats: Limit treats to ensure your pet is hungry during meal times.
• Add Bone Broth: Pour a little low-salt bone broth over your pet’s raw food to add flavour and moisture, making it more enticing.
• Serve Smaller, More Frequent Meals: Offer smaller portions of your pet’s food multiple times a day rather than one or two large meals.

Step Five: Increase their Hydration

• Especially important during warmer weather or with certain medications, ensuring your pet stays hydrated can make all the difference to your dog or cat’s health and wellbeing. Our suggestion is to offer water frequently, and consider wet food if they are still not drinking enough. Offering raw goat’s milk can also increase hydration. It is easily digestible and packed full of probiotics, electrolytes, vitamins and minerals.

When to Visit the Vet

Obviously, it’s already a distressing time if your pet refuses to eat. But when should you be seriously concerned and book a visit to the vet?

The standard guideline is the following if your pet refuses to eat:

• For cats: refuses to eat for more than 24 hours
• For dogs: refuses to eat for more than 48 hours

However, if your dog or cat exhibits other concerning symptoms within this timeframe, it’s crucial to seek veterinary care ASAP. Your vet can take a closer look at your pet and their specific health status, and may recommend tests to identify any underlying issues.

Long-Term Solutions to Maintain a Healthy Pet Appetite

To be proactive in supporting your pet’s appetite and overall health, here are some long-term solutions you can aim to implement:

• Regular Vet Check-Ups: Regular veterinary visits can help catch potential health issues early before they develop into anything more serious.
• Balanced Diet: Ensure your pet’s diet is balanced and appropriate for their age, breed, and activity level. Consult your vet for dietary recommendations if you’re at all unsure.
• Gradual Diet Changes: Introduce new foods gradually to prevent digestive upset.
• Routine and Environment: Maintain a stable routine and environment. Pets thrive on calm and consistency.
• Quality Food: Invest in high-quality pet food. It’s seriously worth the investment, as fresh, nutritious food can significantly impact your dog or cat’s health and appetite.

How BARF Can Encourage a Pet’s Appetite

As we’ve mentioned before, a nutritious, wholesome diet is crucial to supporting your dog or cat in leading a happy, healthy life. That’s exactly why we offer our very own raw meat and bones range.

Some of the benefits of a BARF diet include:

• Natural Nutrition: The BARF diet more closely mimics the natural diet of wild animals, providing balanced nutrition through raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables.
• Improved Digestion: Many pets experience improved digestion and less gastrointestinal upset with raw diets.
• Healthier Skin and Coat: The natural oils in raw meat can lead to shinier coats and healthier skin.
• Increased Energy Levels: Many pet owners report increased energy and vitality in their pets on a BARF diet.
• Dental Health: Chewing raw bones can help maintain dental health by reducing plaque and tartar buildup.

Our raw meal range is crafted with care and expertise to provide optimal nutrition for dogs and cats. That’s why we use only the freshest, human-grade ingredients in our blends, ensuring your pet gets the best nutrition possible.

If you’re considering transitioning your pet to a BARF diet, just remember to do so gradually to avoid digestive issues.

In Conclusion

When your pet isn’t eating, it can be an extremely worrying time. However, by reading this guide you’re already equipped with all the information you’ll need to get your pet’s appetite back to its healthy, enthusiastic natural state. Remember that regular vet visits, a stable environment, and high-quality nutrition are key to preventing appetite loss.

If you’re looking for new ways to provide the best nutrition for your dog or cat, consider our BARF meal range. With its natural, balanced nutrition and high-quality ingredients, it’s a great choice for ensuring your pet stays healthy and happy.