Golden Retriever Acting Picky? Find Out Why They’re Not Eating and How to Help!
Is your Golden Retriever not eating? This is very concerning and we’ll share 5 reasons why this can happen and some tips to get them eating again and when to take your dog to the vet.
Like humans, our human children, our dogs love it when it is time to eat. If they stop eating we know something is wrong.
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Golden Retriever eating habits
Usually, adult Golden Retrievers eat 2 cups of kibble a day, given as two meals about 12 hours apart.
What causes a dog not to eat?
There are several reasons why your Golden Retriever may not want to eat. Consider a few of them as discussed below:
1. Illness
Like all dogs, Golden Retrievers are also susceptible to anorexia. Though not a very serious illness for dogs, it does affect their feeding.
Even though your Golden Retriever looks fine and normal, this decline in appetite is an early symptom of an infection such as worm infestation or other digestive problems.
2. Dental Problems
Like every other dog, Golden Retrievers do not show they are in pain from their teeth.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to see a Golden Retriever with dental issues, which can cause them to not want to eat. This also happens during teething.
3. Vaccination
Vaccination also comes with its own side effect, which is a temporary loss of appetite.
4. Change in the type and time of feeding:
Golden Retrievers are very routine animals, and a drastic change in their feeding time or type of food can cause some unwanted reactions, such as a decline in their appetite.
5. Fussiness
At this point, I would encourage you to find out, if your Golden Retriever not eating, or is it simply not eating what you are feeding it?’
It is essential when your dog looks normal and healthy despite a notable decline in eating.
The age of your Golden Retriever, being choosy about their meals, or even an addition of a new dog in the family, as well as bullying from older dogs can all affect if your dog feels like eating.
When should I worry about my dog not eating?
After eight to twelve (8-12) hours of noticing this trend, you should be concerned, especially if it is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, or a significant physical change. In the absence of these accompanying changes, you should worry 48 hours after this started.
How do I get my Golden Retriever to eat?
An excellent place to begin is your feeding bowl. But first, ensure that the feeding bowl for our Golden Retriever is always clean.
This is because a well-bred Golden Retriever would be very reluctant to eat from a messy bowl.
Also, if other dogs are in the house, you can reserve a separate bowl for your Gold Retriever.
When changing their meal type, keep in mind that dogs cannot read nutritional contents as we do but would instead stick to a familiar taste, especially ones they have come to cherish.
This is no different for a Golden Retriever, so if it is necessary to change their food, then it is paramount that you slowly introduce this new feed between the former or serve it with the dog’s favorite such as chicken or eggs.
When all this is done and no improvement is seen, it is time to see a veterinary doctor.
