Why wont my dog eat?

Question

Well, my 6 year old
Black Labrador (Elliott aka George)
isn't eating.
It's been going for 2 weeks now.
We can't afford to take him to the
vets at present. I'm very
concerned about him because
he is all that matters to me.

I just need to know what's up with him.
He used to be like the dog food disposal.
I don't know if he is depressed or sick.
Is there anyone who can tell me how
to get him to eat even if it's like a tiny bit of kibble?
Is there anyone who is training to be a
vet in the Hampshire area and wouldnt mind
just checking my baby over?

Answer 1

If you can't afford the vet, then it's likely you aren't feeding quality dog food.. Check the dogfood and the ingredients. He might just be sick and tired of eating garbage food and getting no nutrition at all...

If he is eating a decent food, and getting good exercise, lots of water to drink good attention... Then you'll have to see the vet, see why he is not eating...

Give him some plain yogurt, the kind with 2 live bacterial cultures.. It helps to build good bacteria in the gut.. Will keep something in there, for him anyhow. Make sure he is drinking lots of fresh clean water, and see the vet. Dogs aren't cheap, they need alot of quality food, good health care.. It's your responsibility to provide that.

Answer 2

You do need to take him to a vet. But I also understand the money side of it. There are other concerns here if he is not eating he is probably low on electrolytes which will cause him to be sluggish, tired and dehydrated. If you cannot get some at the vet try to give him some gatorade. Next make some plain brown or white rice and see if he'll eat that. Rice is highly digestible and at least he'll have some energy getting into him. Yes raise the food bowl just in case it's an arthritis issue. If your vet will let you try to buy some Prescription Diet a/d or i/d in a can it is usually only around a $1.00 or so a can. It is highly palatable really soft so you can feed it with a a large syringe if you have to and very high in calories so a little goes a long way. However, I still agree with everyone else there is probably an underlying medical cause. Try to get him to a vet as soon as you can afford to. Good luck!

Answer 3

Is he drinking his water and how much compared to normally? Any diarrhea or any stool at all? Has he been dewormed lately? There are many thing that it could be. Labs eat like there is no tomorrow mostly so he must be very sick. The guy talking about raising the food bowel off the ground is right on, this does happen to dogs that have Arthritis and I give him a thumb up for that suggestion. If your dog ate something other than dog food, like chicken, beef, or pork it can make him very sick. You need to take him to the Vet whatever it takes because he could have an obstruction, cancer, sore tooth, dehydration...the list goes on and hes trying to tell you something by not eating. If you were sick to the point that you had not eaten anything in two weeks it would be serious.

Answer 4

Hi it all depends on what his situation is, is he still drinking moving round and being all happy or is he just lying there sleeping. Check If his breath smells and he isnt coughing is he.
Hvae you tried him with his favourite treats. if its been going on for 2 weeks he will be really thin. Or is he just not eating his main meals.
If you cant afford to go to the vets. why dont you explain to the vet that your dog is sick and you can afford to pay the full amount all in one go, they might let you pay monthly for the treament you pet may recieve.
Or you could try and borrow the money from someone a friend or family member,

Its better to get him sorted sooner rather than later.
My dog just passed away last month and he had an operation when he was 7 years of age, he was couldnt keep out down and was only driking but getting dehydrated and then it turned out he had a ball stuck in his intestines but he was fine after the op. and live until he was 14 but when I ask you if hes not eating this is what happend when my dig deterioated he would hardly move and wouldnt eat and as you say Labrdors are garbage cans, he just kept being sick. We took him to the vet and it turned out to be serious but he was 14. But your dog is still young I would get him to the vets soon though. Let me know how you get on.

Answer 5

Have u tried offering him different foods, either dog or human. Also is it possible for u to look inside his mouth, a common reason dogs stop eating is either tooth decay or problems with their gums, they dont eat cause its simply to sore. For treatment u reali will need to take him to the vet and get him looked at, if it is his teeth hen they will only get worse and wil prob cost u more in the long run. If u can afford to go to the vet are there no free consultations in ur area for dogs. Hava look in ur phone book or better still phone a vet, xplain the situation and they'll prob give u some really good advice. Hope Eliot starts feeling better soon

Answer 6

I would take him to the vet now, preferably a qualified one. A trainee vet could give you an idea of a problem but now prescribe meds if necc. Take him to the vets if he's really that important you'll find the money. If you recieve any benefits then you can possibly get some help from the RSPCA, PDSA or blue cross or something. In the mean time try hand feeding him or moistening his food to make it more appealing. Nobody on a forum can help you without checking him over.

Answer 7

Try to find an older caring vet. See if he will help you with the cost, Most of the younger vets are just in it for the dollar and have been trained to be more callous and money hungry. Most people on here are quick to jump on poor people for not having money to take care of their animals but few complain about the high damn vet charges. Give me a break I guess only rich people should own pets and while we are at it kids too. Everybody need to make a living but I feel that taking care of animals or people should be as firemen, police, paramedics and the like. They are told up front you are not going to get rich in this job but you do it for the service.

Answer 8

If this dog has not ate ANYTHING & I mean anything for 2 weeks it is ill.
Has it been drinking? You failed to mention that.
Haveyou tried with different food?
Have you checked to make sure there is nothing lodged inbetween his mouth? Have you checked its temp?
Are unemployed? if so you can get help @ your local vets they apply on your behalf to dogs trust.
Otherwise there are a lot of other people who can help.
Are you in the UK.
If my dog is ill I get a tin of chappie, it is actually very good for ill dogs I would try your dog with with that. Check your dogs eyes/mouth skin to make sure it is not becoming dehydrated. Gums will go white, Skin will not jump back into place you hold the skin on the top of the head & scrunch it, if it slowly goes back into place the dog needs vets like yesterday as it is very dehydrated.

I know you say you cannot afford it but could you not borrow off friends/family? it is only £18 or less to have the vet check it over

Answer 9

It might be the food you're feeding him. We all tend to believe the dog food companies have our pets' best interests in mind when they manufacture food, but there is an awful lot of unnecessary and even bad stuff put in them. The number-one ingredient of a lot of popular dog foods is some sort of corn, which is the cause of a lot of allergic reactions in dogs. Also, animal or poultry byproducts can be bad for your dog. There is a wonderful video about pet foods at www.petsnaturalchoice.net. It will help you read the label of your dog food and give you an idea of what to look for in a quality pet food. If you can't get to a vet right away, changing to a good food might be a solution to your problem.

Answer 10

Has anything changed in your home atmosphere lately? Sometimes changes can upset a dog. I know a dog that gets depressed when it snows. Have you spent enough time playing with him? Do you take him outside often? Maybe you could encourage him to eat by making his food a bit more appetizing, try a little bit of gravy or something (not too much though). If this gets him to eat but he throws it up, at least then you know he's been avoiding food due to naseua.