It can be very distressing when your new puppy will not eat; there are many reasons for loss of appetite in puppies. Determining the cause is the first step in the right direction before leading to serious consequences. It’s crucial to notice any changes in your puppy’s eating habits. For such a reason, we highlight the most important information related to this subject that guide you to the right actions.
Common Causes of Appetite Loss in Puppies
Your puppy is like your kid, there are certain causes that make your puppy refuse to eat. By paying some attention to these reasons you can handle them much easier. Here are some of key reasons of appetite lose:
Dental Disease
Your puppy may reject food due to something in their mouth that is causing pain like a problem occurs below the gum line that cannot be seen.
Sickness
The first reason that can cross anybody’s mind once their new puppy will not eat is that it is a sign of sickness, with showing other symptoms at the same time. However, appetite loss in puppies doesn’t mean serious disease as there are many elements that can cause slight fatigue, not necessarily to be cancer or liver problems. Therefore, from the first day you notice symptoms and refuse food for more than 24 hours, you should visit a vet.
Vaccination
The injections sometimes have adverse effects, such as causing an appetite loss for some time. Read: basic dog vaccinations: What Every Pet Owner Should Know
Changing Their Place
You can observe that when you go on a trip or to move somewhere your puppy won’t eat, as the unfamiliar surroundings can cause them anxiety. With some warm motion sickness to reassure them, they become less nervous.
Dealing with Stress and Anxiety in a New Environment
As we mentioned above, new surroundings can cause anxiety for some puppies. Dealing with an anxious puppy requires attention to help them get over this transition through providing a safe and lovely environment. By following the following steps, you can mitigate your puppy’s anxiety:
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First and foremost, avoid gatherings with unfamiliar people for the first week until they start to know them and familiarize their new community.
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Integrate your puppy with your family to avoid feeling alone or discarded, to allow them to feel safe and secured.
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Determine the factors that may disturb and make your new puppy will not eat like the existence of kids or larger animals. Try your best to help them overcome their fear and grasp that there is no danger.
The Importance of Gradual Food Transition for Puppies
A transition should be gradual so that you avoid any gastrointestinal disturbances, which can threaten your puppy’s health and comfort. Therefore, you need to handle this wisely and offer the new food over a period of several days, adding a little more of the new food while decreasing the old food over an approximate week. This way helps your new puppy to familiarize the type of food you want without hassle or any disturbances.
Tips to Encourage Your Puppy to Eat
There are many ways you can encourage your puppy to eat if you them
losing appetite, such as:
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Try different protein sources to determine their favorite food that meets their preferences.
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You also can warm the food to room temperature to boost the aroma and stimulate their appetite before eating.
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Decrease distractions and create a peaceful environment that helps them concentrate on their meal and enjoy it until the last crumb.
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There are some light exercises before meals that can stimulate their appetite rapidly.
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Adding some palatable toppers, such as wet food to his kibble can be helpful as well.
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If all these attempts do not work, you have to consult your veteran to check your puppy’s health and describe effective appetite-stimulating supplements.
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Add some warm water to your puppy’s kibble to make it more appealing and delicious.
Changing Food Types and Textures to Stimulate Appetite
Puppies are like our babies, they also have texture preferences. If your new puppy will not eat and you make sure they are not sick or have a physical issue, you need to try different types of food as they can tend to the new texture or new tastes. You can try:
Wet Food
Wet food is a great start for your puppy to help them chew, swallow, and digest easier:
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You can offer your puppy a complete meal formulated with the nutritional needs and contains a patented complex of antioxidants, including the highly beneficial vitamin E that stimulate your puppy appetite and support their natural defences.
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Kippy Pate Beef Puppy Dog is full of essential nutrients for your puppy to stimulate their appetite all day long, helping them grow up healthily.
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Gosbi Natsbi Iberian Pork&Turkey is a new taste for your puppy, which provides a comprehensive formula to ensure proper growth.
Dry Kibble
If your puppy doesn’t tend to wet food, dry kibble can be suitable for them:
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ROYAL CANIN® Maxi Starter Mother & Babydog offers an irresistible taste and a powerful formulation of nutrients to facilitate this first period of growth and change.
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Champ breed puppy is perfect if your puppy of large breed is losing their appetite thanks to the full nutrients it has that cover their needs to be in top form.
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Belcando puppy gravy is a dry puppy food enhanced with a tasty sauce to stimulate your puppy to eat solid food and make weaning easier.
Semi-Moist Food
You can try this by yourself through mixing textures, like kibble with a small amount of wet food, and notice how much your puppy will like this mix. Keep in your mind, slowly change between food types and textures to avoid any digestive intolerances.
Offering Treats
Stimulating your puppy can be easier with the irresistible Halawyat dehydrated chicken breast puppy treat that helps you control their behaviors and encourages them to eat their meals.
Wet Food with New Flavors
We like variety in our food and our pets likewise. bestpet puppy wet with lamb includes a powerful formula with a yummy taste that stimulates your puppy’s appetite.
Making Mealtime Fun: Using Interactive Feeders and Toys
Using tools your puppy will love is an integral part in stimulating them to eat better. There are different ways to make your puppy’s mealtime the favorite time for them, such as using food-dispensing toys or sprinkle the food in the grass and make them look for it, or even any other way you notice your puppy tends to in their food. Trying interactive toys works wonders as well! Encouraging your puppy with some toys like Nunbell Pet Toys Ball can totally switch the mealtime to the funniest time on the day.
When to Consult a Veterinarian About Your Puppy's Eating Habits
Sometimes a decreased appetite indicates serious issues beyond what we mentioned above, at once you should visit your vet. Here are clear indications to visit the vet if your new puppy will not eat without a clear reason:
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When your puppy completely refuses food or water even if you change the types of food and places they eat at.
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Appetite loss extends for more than 48 hours.
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There are other symptoms, such as lethargy, vomiting, or diarrhea that your puppy struggles with beside appetite loss.
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When you notice sudden weight loss without a reason.
Avoiding Overfeeding and Managing Treats
An important reason you should take into account is overtaking treats that can prevent your puppy from eating their regular meal. Therefore, cutting down on treats is a must to maintain your puppy’s health by feeding your puppy treats on a regular basis as a reward for finishing up their dish. Try to make the mealtime a fun time for your puppy by playing with a toy that dispenses food or rewarding your puppy with food.
Treats are great for training if you manage them properly, you can follow these guidelines:
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Decrease treats to 10% of daily caloric intake in specific times, ensuring they take their main meal.
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Pick out low-calorie treats for frequent rewards.
By managing treats efficiently, you guarantee your puppy has an appetite for their nutritionally balanced meals they take a day.
Recognizing Signs of Illness Behind Loss of Appetite
As a pet owner, you must notice any changes in your puppy, whether in their behavior or body. Keeping an eye on your pup from the beginning avoids many problems. For instance, if your puppy usually waits for you by the door and doesn’t do that for several days straight, you should recognize that they are likely struggling with some physical issue. Or even panting or growling more than usual, they are clear signs to take action and visit the vet. The signs of illness can be:
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Refusing to leave your side and sticking to you more than usual.
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Permanent movement and running.
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Being more aggressive and doesn’t like to play like before.
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Whining most of the time.
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Sleep changes and waking up many times while sleeping.
Creating a Consistent Feeding Routine
Setting a certain routine is a key element that helps your puppy enjoy their mealtime and keeps them waiting for it. You can also create a fixed routine for training, playing, meals, walks, and potty training to help your puppy expect everything around them. You should consider the feeding recommendations on the package, your puppy's age, activity, environment, and body metabolism to determine the suitable meals a day. After that, notice the pet’s body condition and make sure if this routine is the best solution for them or not.
How to Handle a new puppy will not eat
The phase of teething is uncomfortable for your puppy, causing some distress and showing symptoms such as red or inflamed gums or even bleeding gums, lower appetite, and less playing than usual. It can be the most likely reason if your new puppy will not eat. Your puppy needs your care at this time, you can help them by:
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Getting them soft chew toys that are tailored for teething puppies to reduce their discomfort.
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Applying puppy teething gel to mitigate pain.
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Relieving sore gums by using frozen toys or damp cloths.
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Try not to give your puppy hard bones or sticks to avoid damaging their developing teeth.
Maintaining Hydration Alongside Nutrition
Nutrition and hydration are both crucial and affect everything on your puppy, from energy levels to immunity. You should offer a complete and well-balanced diet that provides essential nutrients for growth alongside a reasonable amount of fresh water that is important for digression and maintaining overall health in pets. Sufficient hydration is playing a significant role in maintaining bodily functions, such as digestion, nutrient absorption, and temperature regulation. So, ensure that clean and fresh water is available all the time for your pet and regularly change it to protect it from dust. The lack of hydration can be a reason for making a new puppy will not eat.
Long-Term Strategies for a Healthy Eating Habit
Creating positive habits for your puppy can effectively enhance their health and immunity in the long run. By following simple strategies, you can avoid many troubles and make it less likely your new puppy will not eat.
Complete Diet
Your puppy in their early years needs a well-balanced diet to improve their health and help them be in good shape. In addition, making your puppy familiarize with healthy food helps them a lot to improve their lifestyle and that meets their health needs. Consider giving your pup the right amount of healthy food to make sure they don't become under or overweight.
Serving Fresh Water with the Food
Water is as important as nutritious food, ensuring constant access to clean and fresh drinking water. If you neglect giving them water, they can become seriously ill and face disturbances.
Stimulating with Treats
The best way to train your dog to the habits you need to grow on them is treats! You can give them some treats as a reward for good behaviors. Over time, they associate these delicious treats with good behaviors, which makes them happily implement your orders.
Conclusion
You need to proactively take some actions before your new puppy will not eat. Puppies’ decreased appetite is a behavior problem caused by a discomfort with mealtime or a serious problem. There are a number of things you can do to encourage your puppy to eat, try the above-mentioned tricks and visit Amin Pet Shop where you can find everything that can help you from the different types of food to the treats and toys that your puppy will resonate with.
FAQs
What to do when a new puppy won't eat?
If you make sure your puppy is healthy and doesn't struggle with a health condition, you can try changing your puppy’s feeding place or the food you serve, and make sure they don't feel anxious or scared.
How long can a new puppy go without eating?
Not more than 12-24 hours without food, you must visit the vet instantly.
Is it normal for puppies to refuse to eat?
Yes, it’s normal due to many reasons we discussed in this blog.
When should I worry about a puppy not eating?
Once you notice your puppy is struggling with other symptoms, such as vomiting or diarrhea.