Dog Food

There's nothing quite like a fresh bowl of dog food to get you going in the morning...assuming you have four feet and a tendency to wag your tail when excited. However, sometimes our loving pets just turn their noses up at food, and us humans can't exactly ask them why. Fortunately some troubleshooting can help you with this. First and foremost is medical issues. If not eating is the only symptom then it could be a dental problem or an injury to the inside of your dog's mouth. To be really sure, you should take Sparky to the vet.Though it isn't quite a medical "problem" per see if your dog is female and she's in heat, or male and around a female in heat it's natural to see a dog lose it's appetite. Give it a few days and they'll be fine.What you can easily diagnose at home is your dog's eating habits. This can take a few forms. For example, if you just switch brands of dog food and your dog is simply turning the new stuff down, try mixing some of the old stuff with the new. Less and less of the old dog food every day for a few days and you are good to go. Also, no more giving the dog table scraps. It could be that your dog is used to the "good stuff" and no longer finds dog food appealing. You may have to talk to the kids about this one. This is also why it is a mistake to mix people food in with the dog food to get your dog to eat. It forms bad habits and expectations.If nothing so far is adding up for your situation, you don't need to panic just yet. A healthy adult dog can go up to three days between meals without a complication, a fact that your dog is very much aware of. Dogs, as pack animals, love structure, so try a scheduled feeding time. Twice a day feed the dog, if it refuses to eat after fifteen minutes, take the food away. A dog will be more likely to eat if it knows this is its only opportunity. Another easy trick that has been proven effective is to move the dog's feeding place to somewhere away from noise and distraction. Consider helping your furry friend build up an appetite as well. Help him get some exercise.The right pet food should be enjoyable and nutritious for your furry friend so at the end of the day if none of your troubleshooting efforts seem to be panning out, you really need to consult a vet.