Sometimes dogs just stop eating or eat very little. I went online to see what the vets say about this:
“When your dog loses their appetite, it’s tough to know what could be causing the problem and whether or not it’s serious. Refusal to eat or drink is typically caused by one of three things: an underlying medical condition, emotional factors like stress, or a change in environment (like switching to a new dog food)”. – Juno Veterinary
I’ve known dogs to eat indigestible things that get stuck in their gut and they can no longer eat or keep food down. They can still drink most of the time though. If a vet suspects a blockage they will do x-rays or order a CT scan to see if there is a foreign object, maybe even an MRI ( I don’t know, I’m not a vet). And if they ate something indigestible, it is most often a surgical issue unless they can go in with an endoscope and grab it and pull it back out of the stomach.
What do you do if it isn’t a blockage?
I had a case where a Boston terrier was wasting away and the vets couldn’t say why. Liz had me help her fosters before, so she called me to see what I thought. I said that, in the absence of a clear medical issue, it was possible that something had locked this dog in the fight/flight response so thoroughly that its digestive system just stopped working. Well, this was a rescue dog, so that might not be a stretch.
I started doing Neuro-Energetic Balancing™ every other week and after a couple of sessions Liz said that Fern seemed a little more energetic. A video is worth a million words, so please watch this video to see what happened with Fern. By the way, I’m writing this about 3 years later and she is doing fine in her forever home.
Is fight/flight a common issue with dogs that stop eating?
My observation is that a dog that was not a picky eater doesn’t stop because they suddenly want something better. And if the vets are mystified and their only solution is appetite stimulants, it might be a good time to contact me for an opinion that doesn’t involve drugs.
Would you like a free consultation?
If your dog has stopped eating, or you think they might be stuck in fight/flight for another reason like separation anxiety or antisocial behavior, I would be happy to talk with you about the situation. Click Here and fill out the contact form and I will get back to you ASAP.
