Why won't my dog eat?

Question

I have a 8 year old jack russel all of the sudden she has stopped eating. shes threw up this morning and hasn't even had the energy to jump up on the bed, i dont know what to do. and i can't bring her to the vet till monday. what do i do? please help i love her so much and do not want anything to happen to her.

bringing her to the vet tomorrow is not an option, i dont have very much money and if you call them in the double the price.

will she be ok if i wait till monday?

Answer 1

I don't know why your dog doesn't eat. However, you can monitor your pooch carefully for now. Take her temperature. A normal dogs temperature is higher than humans so don't panic. Normal temperature for a dog is about 101.5, give or take a degree.

Give her plenty of fluids to accomodate vomiting. Do NOT give the dog Tylenol or other fever reducers or pain relievers. If she has a high temperature you can wet her ears and feet with cold water.

Make sure she is still able to poop and pee and that she does so normally. If she cannot poop and/or pee you MUST take her to the vet.

If she won't drink you can try gatorade or pedialyte to see if she'll drink that. Vomiting and dehydration can cause an electrolyte imbalance. Gatorade and pedialyte will help replenish and hydrate her.

If she's only been ill today she may just have a flu like illness that will go away on its own. If she's not all better tomorrow you need to take her to the vet. Also, it is imperative that she go to the vet if she continues to vomit, not eat or drink, has a high fever (103 and higher) or acts very lethargic and weak.

Good luck and don't worry about her not eating for a day or 2. Don't feed her human food to compensate either.

Answer 2

I don't know about dog nutrition, but I do know about cat nutrition and your cat will not be healthy on dog food. It doesn't contain taurine which is essential to a cat. Aslo I'm sure it's full of grain, which is basically carbohydrates and your cat can develop diabetes and become fat. You need to be strict for their own sake and feed them high quality species appropriate diet. Feed them at the same time in different rooms. Take the food away after 30 minutes if they don't eat it and refrigerate it. Try again in a few hours. No animal will starve itself just out of being fussy about their food. The cat would be harder to adjust, but the dog will give in pretty fast. Pour some tuna juice over the cat's food, it should make it more appealing. You can try mixing it gradually, but you need to make a change or you are risking your pets' health in the long run. More about cat nutrition here:

Answer 3

A good question and one that has often had pet owners scrambling for an answer.

Dogs may not have as many taste buds as we do (they have about 1,700 on their tongues, while we humans have about 9,000), but that doesn't mean they're not discriminating eaters. They have over 200 million scent receptors in their noses (we have only 5 million) so it is important that their food smells good, it is the smell that initially attracts them to a particular food.

Smell is also the reason they tend to get in trouble. Things such as car antifreeze have attractive smells. Though the taste may not be so hot, the sweet smell draws their attention to the deadly poison. Dogs have also been known to eat poisonous house plants because of the smell.

So, the number one answer to the question is smell.

Some dogs are ravenous eaters and will gobble up anything you put in front of them while others will sniff and walk away only to return to pick at their food.

No one really knows why some dogs are better eaters than others. They just are.

Dogs who exercise regularly or have naturally high energy levels will often show more interest in eating while older dogs, those who are house bound, or overweight may not show as much interest. Weather is another factor to consider. It is not unusual for a dog to refuse his meals in very hot weather, so don't worry if he skips a day or two. Make sure he has fresh water available at all times and is able to get out of the hot sun. If your pet turns down his meals for more than 2 days and for no apparent reason, it may be time for a visit to the vet. Several medical conditions will cause a dog to go off his food. I'm sure there have been occasions when you were sick and didn't feel like eating a normal meal. Well, your dog is no different.

Some Do's and Don'ts
Though dogs can eat the same food day after day and never turn his nose up sometimes a change of flavor is in order. But, keep in mind that changing flavors every day is not a good idea. Dog prefer eating the same food most of the time. If he does get bored try one change at a time. I usually feed my dogs chicken or lamb, changing from one to the other every few weeks. By changing off after a week or two his food doesn't become boring and if he does go off his food I know there is a problem I need to investigate.
If a change of flavor doesn't seem to work try changing brands. Just remember to do this gradually. Any sudden change will upset his stomach and cause diarrhea.

Do not add homemade gravy containing onions. Dogs develop hemolytic anemia if they eat enough onions.

Do not leave dog food sitting out in hot weather. If he still refuses his food after half an hour try putting it in the refrigerator and try again a little later.

If your dog has been eating dry food all his life then begins to shy away, it may be due to problem teeth or gum disease. Have him checked by a vet and try adding water to soften his food.

For overweight dogs, cut back on treats and add some extra mileage to his walks. It will increase his appetite and burn off excess fat. And lets face it, a lot of us could use the exercise as well.

An overweight dog is not a healthy dog. In most breeds, you should not be able to see their ribs. (Some sight hounds such as the Greyhound tend to show a little rib impression.... Remember I said a "little". If the spine and hip bones are visible your dog is too thin.) There should be a layer of muscle between the ribs and skin but not so much that you cannot feel them at all.

As in everything, use common sense. Know your dog and his habits and, always consult your vet...

Answer 4

You can not wait until Monday, she will NOT be okay by Monday. You need to look in the phone book and look for a dog hospital that is open 7 days a week 24 hours a day, that is the only responsible pet parent thing to do and it will be less than calling in your vet special.

Answer 5

You can pay double the price, or your dog likely will die.

She is dehydrated and needs injected fluids. Then she needs a thorough exam by the vet to find out what is causing the problem.
Once she is dehydrated she will lose her ability to eat and drink, she'll be too exhausted.

In this case, you control the fate of your dog. If it were me, i'd borrow from whoever I needed to in order to save her life.

Answer 6

No one here can answer this question 1 because we can not physically see the dog 2 because we are not experts. It is your responsibility to get medical attention for your dog when needed regardless of price. This is something that should have been considered before you got the dog. In waiting you risk losing your dog!!!

Answer 7

My cat did the same thing for a while. But she got stung by a bee and it made her sick. She ran fever and she wouldn't eat. She is young though. She isn't even 6 months old yet. But she got better and started eating on her own. Check your dogs skin...maybe she got bit by something.

Answer 8

try and see if u can make her some soft chicken and rice. She may just have a bug. Offer her plenty of water. she should be fine until monday. a couple of days shouldnt hurt her.. Hope she feels better:)

Answer 9

COULD BE QUITE A FEW REASONS...DOES SHE HAVE A BLOCKAGE AND CANT POOH??? JUST MAKE SURE SHE HAS WATER TO DRINK UNTILL YOU CAN GET HER TOO THE VETS..I DO HOPE YOUR LITTLE DOG WILL BE OK..

Answer 10

your dog probably got stomach worms take her to a animal shelter quickly