Is Your Dog's Fussy Eating a Sign of a Hidden Health Issue?

It's easy to jump to the conclusion that when your dog turns their nose up at their bowl and walks away, they are just being 'fussy'... and with a lot of dogs, this will be exactly what is going on, especially with certain breeds like poodles, cocker spaniels, bichons, and cockapoos, and other cocker and poodle mixes. These breeds can make feeding a real challenge (blog on this coming soon...). However, for some dogs, it may actually be a sign that something else is at play, like a health issue, pain, or even anxiety. Today, I am going to share some tips to help you understand if your dog is truly a picky eater or if something else is going on...

So, what else could be putting your dog off their grub?

If your dog usually eats well and this behavior changes, it might be a warning sign of an underlying health issue or something else rather than just being picky. Health problems can impact your dog's appetite and eating ability. Here is a list of common underlying reasons besides being fussy that can lead to changes to their eating:

1. Dental disease or mouth discomfort

• Inflammation of their tongue, cheeks, or lips. Conditions such as gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth or lips) and oral ulcers can be quite painful and make eating uncomfortable.

• If your dog enjoys chewing sticks or bones, they may also be at risk of fragments getting lodged in their mouth or throat, causing pain and making eating difficult.

• Like humans, dogs can suffer from toothache due to dental disease or tooth damage. If you notice your dog has a chipped tooth, it's crucial to have it checked by the vet, as it can lead to exposure of the soft tissue and nerves inside the tooth, which can be extremely painful.

  
  

signs of mouth OR TOOTH pain

The table below summarises some of the behaviours and physical signs our pup's can sometimes show when they have mouth or dental pain:

Behavioural signs	Physical signs
Reluctance to let you look or touch their jaw or mouth, shying away from yo	Discoloured or loose teeth
Not wanting to eat, they might even seen keen still	Swollen or reddened gums
Drooling, their may even be blood in their saliva	Swellings to the face
Wet marks where mouth was after laying down on floor or bed	Smelly breath
pawing at face, rubbing their face on you or your furniture	Eating on one side of their mouth
Not wanting to pick up or play with their toys.	Drooping food from their mouth
Not themselves, being grumpy or withdrawn	Champing their jaw after or during eating
Not wanting to eat their chews, antlers or bones	Lip licking

what to do next?

If you are concerned that your dog may have dental issues or mouth pain, then I would recommend a check at the vets. Whilst you are awaiting your appointment, try feeding them on soft and wet foods, you can even try adding water so they can lap it up (no chewing needed).

2. underlying health issues or illness?

Just like us, when dogs are feeling ill or have a fever, they won't feel as hungry. Underlying health conditions can make eating physically uncomfortable or difficult. It can also make them feel lethargic or cause nausea. This can make eating unappealing, and your usually keen-as-a-bean dog may not be showing their usual excitement for even their favorite foods and treats. It can sometimes be the only sign we see that something is going on or one of the first, so it's important to check for other problems that could be putting your dog off their food.

Here are some examples of common health conditions that can affect eating and appetite in dogs include:

• Digestive issues

  • (IBD, pancreatitis, food allergies/intolerances, Acid Reflux, blockage, constipation), this can lead to feelings of sickness, cramping or painful acid washing back up their food pipe (oesophagus), making eating uncomfortable for them.

• Blockages to their digestive tract

  • If you have a pup that loves eating socks, bones or chewing up their toys, they may be a risk of a digestive blockage, which can be painful and an emergency condition.

• Parasites

  • Especially in younger dogs or those that are elderly or immunocompromised. Dogs on a raw food diet may also be vulnerable to intestinal parasites, that can be uncomfortable cause digestive upset and discomfort. Remember fleas can also pass on tapeworm to your dog, so its worth worming as well as treating for fleas.

• Kidney or liver conditions

  • these can lead to toxins from bodily functions that are normally safely broken down by the kidneys or liver and sent on their way and excreted in urine, building up in the blood, which can leave pups feeling toxic , lethargic and sick. Kidneys disease can also sometimes cause ulcers to form in the digestive system that can make eating and processing food painful.

• Urinary tract infections (UTI's)

  • these can be uncomfortable and if linkeed to an infections to cause general malaise, so your pup may not be feeling their usual self and you may see them eating a bit less.

• Infections

  • If your pup has an infection they may also be struggling with a fever too, that just like in humans, can make them feel sick and lethargic.

• Tumours and cancer

  • Tumours can physically make eating and digesting food difficult and especially if they are linked to the digestive system, throat. But tumours anywhere can be painful and especially if they have spread to other areas of the body such as the bones, lungs and liver. Breathing may be difficult and they may be experiencing pain and a generlaised feeling of sickness and malaise.

• Neurological Conditions

  • Like motor neuron disease, these can affect their ability to eat and swallow food.

• Other health conditions

  • like diabetes and some neurological conditions can also affect your dog's appetite and ability to eat.

common signs and changes you might notice if your dog has an underlying health issue:

Signs that your dog may have an underlying health condition	Possible health conditions associatEd with sign
vomiting or diarrhoea and what looks like grains of rice or spaghetti in their poop (may in fact be worms)	parasites
Pain with eating or dropping food from mouth or eating on one side	Acid reflux, neurological conditions, dental disease
Regurgitation of their food (passing sausages of food from their mouth seemingily without them knowing)	Acid reflux, oesophagitis (inflammation of their food pipe) neurological conditions
Need reminding to eat or may not know where their bowl is ( especially if your dog is > 9 years old)	Cognitive dysfunction
Coughing (dry or wet)	Acid reflux, oesophagitis, heart disease
Dribbling, sniffing food and turning away, can be signs of nausea	Linked to pain, oesophagitis, kidney and liver disease, metabolic disease, digestive conditions
Vomiting (struggling to hold down food and or water*) if your dog is unable to hold fluids down they need to be seen by a vet ASAP*	Kidney or liver conditions, pancreatitis, blockage in their digestive tract (especially likely if you have dog that loves eating non edible items like toys, socks etc).
diarrhoea, blood in their stools	Pancreatitis, chronic enteropathy (IBD), acid reflux (heartburn), kidney and liver disease.
Straining to pass a stool	Constipation or blockage to the digestive tract

what to do next?

If you are concerned your dog may have something else going on, I always recommend my clients book their dog in for a full check at their vets first and as soon as possible if they are showing any of these red flag signs:

• Not drinking for 24 hours or more

• Vomiting frequently

• Unable to keep food and water down

• Lethargic

• Showing signs of pain - panting, vocalising, lethargy

• Pawing at mouth or face

• Bloated tummy

• Not passed a stool for more than 48-72 hours

• Blood in their stool or vomit ( note, blood in vomit can resemble coffee granules as it is partially digested)

• Wobbliness or weakness

• Signs of pain or distress

• Not passing urine or straining

  
  

3. stress and anxiety

Have you ever felt that 'sick' feeling in your tummy when you are feeling sad, stressed or anxious? It's exactly the same for your pup, anxiety or stress and eating can be the last thing they feel like doing. Imagine going for a dinner before you are about to sit an important exam... well that's how it feels.

So, what could be making your dog feel stressed or anxious?

Some dogs are more sensitive than others to their environment, and for some, just a small change to their environment or routine can feel intensely stressful and be enough to put them off their food. Our pups are also very tuned into our feelings and emotions, and if we are feeling sad or stressed, they know and can feel it too. Here are some examples of scenarios that can make our pups feel stressed:

• Travelling in the car

  • New sounds, smells, and motions can be a little overwhelming. Some dogs also experience motion sickness, which can all lead to some anxiety about car travel.

• Changes to their environment

  • Dogs love routine, as it gives them security.

  • Changes to your working hours, new people coming to stay in their home, loud noises, or building works can make some dogs feel anxious.

• New additions to your family

  • A baby or a new pet entering the family can be a daunting change.

  • It may mean changes to their known and loved routine.

  • Or shorter walks or fewer of them.

• Going on holiday

  • Staying somewhere unfamiliar, new sounds and smells, and car travel can make some dogs feel stressed or anxious while they adapt.

  • Try and take as many of their familiar toys, bed, and bowls from home with you.

• A busy feeding environment

  • Some dogs may prefer to be fed away from the hustle and bustle.

  • Somewhere they can eat alone without children.

  • Especially older dogs, it's always worth experimenting with feeding them somewhere quiet.

• Noises

  • Noise-sensitive dogs can find the fireworks season and New Year's a difficult time.

  • Equally, we know life can be noisy outside of this with thunder or construction works.

  • If you live somewhere rural, farmers can use bangers to scare birds in their fields, which can also be scary and stressful for dogs sensitive to noise.

• Too much alone time

  • Dogs love company, and they love you!

  • They love company and can find time on their own stressful.

  • Some dogs really struggle with separation anxiety and tend not to eat when they are alone, but will wolf down their food as soon as you get home.

• Bereavement

  • Loss of a family member or pet can affect our pups just like it can us.

  • They too experience grief and sadness, and this can make eating become less of a priority.

What to do next?

To help manage anxiety in dogs, you can try calming supplements, like Zylkene. Just remember supplements take time to take effect and are not a quick fix, so always start them a few weeks in advance of a potentially stressful situation. If you do feel your dog's anxiety is severe and they are struggling with separation anxiety or noise phobias, then it's worth chatting to your vet too. There are lots of different anti-anxiety medications that we can successfully prescribe in practice to help dogs with anxiety.

4. Pain (anywhere in their body)

You may not always be aware that your dog is in pain, especially if it is from somewhere like their ears, eyes, or from their tummy. But, just like us, discomfort anywhere in the body can make eating less appealing, and we often see a reduced appetite in patients in pain.

Common sources of pain that can easily be missed:

• Ears

  • Ear infections can be extremely painful and can be easily missed until they are well established and we start to notice obvious signs like discharge or irritation to their outer ear.

  • Inner or middle ear infections are not only uncomfortable but can also affect your dog's sense of balance and may make them feel dizzy and sick. They may also have a fever, which can all lead to a reduced appetite.

• Eyes

  • Corneal ulcerations are hard to spot and can be very painful.

  • Signs of pain include squinting, excessive tearing, rubbing at their eye, or holding their eye closed.

  • Eye infections are also very uncomfortable; signs there is an infection include redness to the eye and colored discharge (yellow or green).

• Joints

  • Arthritis is common in older dogs, but we also see it in younger dogs following surgery affecting their joints/ligaments or due to developmental disorders, such as hip or elbow dysplasia or from septic or rheumatoid arthritis. So any sign of stiffness or limping should always be investigated by your vet.

• Digestive discomfort

  • Did you know dogs have lots of glands in their abdomen, which when they are fighting an infection can become enlarged and cause tummy pain?

  • Acid reflux, when acid from the stomach washes back up their delicate food pipe (esophagus), is often silent. Over time it can lead to painful inflammation of the lining of their food pipe (esophagus) and even ulceration. This can make eating uncomfortable and unpleasant.

  • Food allergies, food intolerances, and inflammatory bowel can be associated with inflammation of the digestive tract and painful cramping.

• Skin disorders

  • Can lead to a constant source of discomfort if the skin is inflamed or infected.

  • If they are itchy, it can often disrupt their sleep too, making them feel tired during the day and less motivated to eat.

5. Medications

   
   

Some medications can cause side effects like nausea or digestive upset, making your dog feel unwell and less interested in food. If your dog's appetite change coincides with starting or changing medication, this might be the reason. Typically, their appetite should return to normal after completing the medication course. However, if your dog shows signs of tummy pain, vomiting, or lethargy, contact your vet as they might be reacting to the medication.

If their disinterest in food has started following a dose change to their usual medication or starting new long term medication, then it's worth chatting to your vet as they may be able offer an alternative or tweak the dose for you. to help reduce the side effects

Loss of appetite and nausea are common in dogs after surgery due to anaesthetic or pain relief drugs. This typically resolves within 12-24 hours. Offering bland foods like white fish, chicken, and rice in small meals can help. If the dog is still not eating after 24 hours, consult a vet to check for complications or infection.

6. A change in diet

Any change to your dog's diet should always be done gradually, to give their guts digstive tract and microbiome time to adapt to the new food. A sudden change can lead to tummy upsets like vomiting or diarrhoea, that can put them off their food.

What to do next?

To avoid this, I always recommend slowly transitioning your dog onto their new diet by mixing the new food in with their old food and slowly increasing the ratio of new to old over 7-10 days until, at the end, they are on 100% of their new food.

final food for thought...

If you're worried that your dog's change in eating habits might be related to one or more of the conditions mentioned above, it's wise to schedule a check-up with your vet as soon as possible. Your dog could be in pain or require medical or surgical treatment. Any dog that hasn't eaten for more than 24 hours should be seen by a vet promptly.

If after reading this you still believe your pup is simply a picky eater, stay tuned for my next blog. It will be packed with nutrition tips and tricks to help ease the stress and worry of feeding a selective pup...