Anorexia in Dogs

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Anorexia (Loss of Appetite) in Dogs

By: Dr. Etienne Cote

Pages 1

3 4 5 6

Section: Overview

Home Care

Home care is concerned with observing your dog for possible reasons for his anorexia and helping him to eat.

Note whether any recent change has occurred in the home environment, such as a recent move to a new home, a new person in the home or the addition of a new pet? These may contribute to the loss of appetite and should be mentioned to your veterinarian.

Note whether any other symptoms are present. The presence of symptoms in addition to loss of appetite should prompt a veterinary examination sooner, rather than later.

To combat dehydration, some animals can benefit from being given oral rehydration supplements such as Pedialyte®. Ask your veterinarian whether this is appropriate and how much should be given.

Additional feeding techniques.

If an animal is unwilling or unable to eat, feeding may be enhanced with certain techniques such as warming the food so it is easier for the dog to smell it, mixing in certain home-cooked ingredients specifically suggested by your veterinarian, or offering the food by hand or with an oral syringe. Any warmed food should be checked to make sure it is not too hot, which could scald the mouth or digestive system. This is particularly a concern when the food is warmed (unevenly) by microwave.

New foods. When therapeutic diets are prescribed for a certain medical condition, a dog may not eat that diet immediately. Mixing with the previous diet and gradually decreasing the amount of the prior diet over several days can be tried in order to avoid cutting the appetite completely.

Young animals (6 months or less) are particularly fragile when not eating, and loss of appetite for even 12 hours in a puppy of 1-6 weeks of age can be life threatening. Regular milk (i.e. cow's milk) is poorly balanced for dogs, soft drinks (soda pop) and sport drinks are usually much too sweet and are deficient in electrolytes, and soup (e.g. chicken soup) is usually too salty and does not provide enough nutrients for energy. These infant animals may need to be fed a milk replacer by syringe if they have not yet been weaned; balanced milk replacers for dogs are available. Oral rehydration solutions made for children are less well-balanced, but are still better alternatives than soda pop, chicken soup, etc. It is essential that you consult with your veterinarian to determine what to feed and to determine how much to give.

Pages 1

3 4 5 6

Printable Version

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble

Share this Article with a Friend Email To:

Have a Pet Question?

Send Your Pet Question to Dr. Jon
and His Staff of Veterinarians

Dr. Jon's Newsletter

Yes! Send Me the Latest Health Information, Pet Tips, Pet Stories and more...

Search Over 15,000 articles

1 Vomiting in Dogs
At one time or another your dog may have a bout of vomiting, usually from eating too much or too fast. Vomiting may be just a sign of a minor problem – or it could be something very serious.
Read More
2 Chronic Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea is defined as rapid movement of fecal matter through the intestines. This usually results in poor absorption of water, nutrients and electrolytes and, consequently, loose, runny stools. Chronic...
Read More
3 Colitis in Dogs
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon, usually resulting in diarrhea. It can occur suddenly and resolve without treatment or may persist for several weeks. In chronic cases, various tests may be needed...
Read More
4 Fever in Dogs
A fever is an abnormally high body temperature, usually over 103 degrees, which is usually in response to bacterial or viral infections and may be the first indication of underlying illness.
Read More
5 Gastrointestinal Foreign Body in Dogs
Foreign bodies such as toys, string, clothing and plastic can become lodged in the stomach and create an obstruction. Any household object your pet chews on can become a foreign body problem.
Read More

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles

Dogs & Puppies

Dog Breeds

labrador retriever, golden retriever, yorkshire terriers, german shepherds, beagle, boxers

Dog Medication

dog allergy medication, dog pain medication, dog anxiety medication, dog flea medication

Dog Products

dog bowls, dog crates, dog toys, dog beds, dog ramps, dog food storage, dog tags

Dog Symptoms

dog vomiting, dog limping, dog diarrhea, dog bad breath, dog coughing, dog seizures

Dog Health

dog cancer, dog diabetes, dog epilepsy, dog hip dysplasia, dog health, sick dog

Dog Care

dog vaccination, dog microchipping, dog grooming, dog neutering, dog spaying, dogs mating

Dog Training

dog aggression, dog barking, dog chewing, dog behavior, dog jumping, dog whisperer

Dog Pictures

puppy pictures, funny dogs, cute dogs, dog breeds, sleeping dogs, silly dogs, small dogs

Cats

Cat Breeds

persian, siamese cats, devon rex, ragdoll cats, sphynx, maine coon cat

Cat Medication

cat flea medication, cat heartworm control, cat tick medications

Cat Products

cat litter box, cat food, cat bed, cat flea collar, cat carrier, cat urine odor

Cat Symptoms

cat vomiting, cat limping, cat diarrhea, cat bad breath, cat coughing

Cat Health

cat health, cat liver cancer, cat diabetes, cat scratch fever, cat aids, sick cat

Cat Care

cat vaccination, cat grooming, cat microchipping, cat neutering, cat spaying

Cat Behavior

cat urine marking, cat furniture scratching, cat litterbox training, cat toilet training, cat fears

Cat Pictures

cute cats, funny cats, playful cats, fat cats, jumping cats, lazy cats, sleeping cats, cute kittens

1Chronic Diarrhea in Dogs
Diarrhea is defined as rapid movement of fecal matter through the intestines. This usually results in poor absorption of water, nutrients and electrolytes and, consequently, loose, runny stools. Chronic...
Read More
2Colitis in Dogs
Colitis is an inflammation of the colon, usually resulting in diarrhea. It can occur suddenly and resolve without treatment or may persist for several weeks. In chronic cases, various tests may be needed...
Read More
3Vomiting in Dogs
At one time or another your dog may have a bout of vomiting, usually from eating too much or too fast. Vomiting may be just a sign of a minor problem – or it could be something very serious.
Read More
4Fever in Dogs
A fever is an abnormally high body temperature, usually over 103 degrees, which is usually in response to bacterial or viral infections and may be the first indication of underlying illness.
Read More
5Gastrointestinal Foreign Body in Dogs
Foreign bodies such as toys, string, clothing and plastic can become lodged in the stomach and create an obstruction. Any household object your pet chews on can become a foreign body problem.
Read More

Anorexia in Dogs

Anorexia (Loss of Appetite) in Dogs

Related Articles

Over 10,000 Veterinarian Approved Articles