Why My Labrador Is Not Eating? 7 Reasons Why
Why my Labrador is Not Eating
We all are aware that Labradors are famous because of their excessive and frequent eating habits. If your Lab stops eating you know something is wrong. Let’s examine the 7 reasons why my Labrador is not eating.
As a responsible dog parent, you are exploring the reasons why your Labrador is facing a lack of appetite problem. Read this article If your Labrador Puppy is not eating?
Table of Contents
Different reasons are popping up in your mind that maybe your Labrador is facing an illness and it is perhaps feeling depressed.
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Always consult your vet when your dog stops eating.
Labrador dog not eating food?
Labradors never leave their food still in their bowl without any reason because they are obsessed with food. So if you are noticing that your Labrador is not finishing its food, then you must explore several reasons.
Maybe your dog is suffering from some illness, or it is not adjusting to its surroundings. Along with the different causes, you must focus on your own behavior because dogs notice your energy and vibe.
Let’s jump to the several different reasons why Labradors deny eating.
1. Illness
When your Labrador rejects food, the first reason that pops up in your mind is an illness. The decreased appetite of your Labrador may be due to sickness or because of some disease.
However, it’s not always the severe disease that causes the lack of appetite in your dog. But, sometimes, this can be true that your Labrador is suffering from some extreme conditions such as cancer, liver problems, kidney infections, or some sort of other pain.
2. Dental disease
There is a possibility that your Labrador is not eating food because it can be due to dental pain or disease. Check your Labrador for a broken or loose tooth after the food rejection.
If you are not getting the physical presence of a problem, then you must consult a vet because it can be due to an oral tumor.
3. Recent vaccination
Luckily there is a wide range of vaccinations that are available for severe diseases, which save their lives. You will notice soon after vaccination; that your Labradors will not like to eat something because they feel fatigued.
There is nothing to worry about because some vaccines cause minor side effects and lack of appetite is one of these.
4. Unfamiliar surroundings
Maybe you just adopted a Labrador, and it is not willing to eat anything because of the unfamiliar surroundings.
It can be due to motion sickness, and maybe your Labrador is in the honeymoon phase. Allow your Labrador to settle in. They will begin eating after a day.
5. Picky eaters
Some dogs get tired of eating the same kibble every day. Give them some variety by feeding them other types of dog food.
When my dog stopped eating her kibble I started topping it with a raw egg and suddenly she thought it was the most delicious thing.
6. Separation anxiety
As a dog parent, if you are not spending proper time with your Labrador, it may suffer from separation anxiety and hence reject eating food.
Separation anxiety also causes depression and stress in your dog, which is again a reason why your Labrador may not be eating food.
7. Behavioral reasons
If things have changed in your life like moving into a new home, a change in your hours at work, etc. Your Labrador may be acting out with behavioral issues and refusing to eat because they are stressed and confused.
Can Labradors stop eating?
Yes, Labradors can stop eating, but this is temporary when it is suffering from some severe disease such as dental problems, or due to some other illness.
However, if your Labrador does not like the taste of food, it may keep rejecting it and stop eating, which is again a temporary situation.
When there is no such serious situation, you will always find Labradors chewing or swallowing something because they are obsessed with food.
So if your Labrador is not eating, all you have to do is know about the actual reason before any treatment or medication.
What do you do when your lab won’t eat?
There is a possibility that dog parents are interpreting the “lab is not eating” in different ways according to their Labrador and their experience.
For most dog parents, when they say that their Labrador is not eating, they simply mean that the Labrador hasn’t eaten everything in sight in a few days.
On the other hand, some parents say this line because they notice fussier behavior in their dog in such a way that it is turning its nose when you are serving it with some kibble to eat.
You should also know about the right quantity to feed your lab.
1. Consult a vet
If you are noticing that your Labrador is no longer interested in eating food and is not cleaning its bowl even for its favorite food, then you must consult an experienced vet immediately.
2. Try changing food
There is a possibility that your Labrador no longer likes the type or taste of the food, so you must try changing the food brand.
Moreover, you can also serve it with homemade food by cooking it accordingly. In this way, you can increase or decrease the spice or the sweet taste your dog may like.
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3. Use of pharmaceuticals
There is a possibility that your Labrador is not feeling hungry, due to which it is completely ignoring and rejecting food.
Then consider asking your vet about medication that helps stimulate the dog’s appetite.
References
https://www.labradortraininghq.com
