When your pet stops eating, you should be worried because the life of animals in general is 70% dependent on feeding. So, a pet that stopped eating is really a sign that something is wrong and you need to evaluate such pet and know what to do. However, the first thing and most important is establishing the cause of your pet’s refusal of food.
These are five reasons that can make pet stop eating;
- Change of feed: if you suddenly change the feed that your pet is used to, your pet might not accept it so easily. This is not to say you have to feed your pet only one kind of feed always but just like humans, when we see something different from the usual kinds of meals or food that we are used to, it is possible some of us will not readily accept the new meal and same applies to pets. Gradual introduction of new feed is better than abrupt change, so if you experience this, revert to what you were feeding before and gradually start adding the new feed in little quantity till your pet will be used to it.
- Heat stress: when the weather is very hot and it happens continually, it is possible that your pet will take more water to regulate body temperature than they eat. Metabolism increases body temperature and when pets, especially dogs, are stressed with heat, they can decide to reduce the quantity of intake. If you establish that all other factors are intact, but the environmental temperature is very hot, you should worry less. What you can do is provide meal early in the morning when the weather is still calm and in highly nutritious ration rather than quantity. Ensure you provide supportive facilities as well to help the pet navigate the weather.
- Lack of variety: some pets could get fed up because they have been repeatedly feeding on a particular kind of food and craving a change. The pet can stop eating if a kind of food has always been repeated for that pet. Just like us as humans, we understand that variety is the spice of life and we do not repeat same meal for months or weeks, pets should not face the same too. They deserve to have variety of meals. So, if you have been feeding your pet same meal for long, it could make the pet stop eating.
- Food poisoning: pets can stop eating if they suffer from food poisoning. Food poisoning has implications that could come with mild stomach pain or gastric disturbances. It is possible that your pet is not having a serious condition that can be with visible symptoms, but the pet might just need some time to get over the internal pain before resuming meals. That does not mean the pet is sick, he just needs to recover and find stability just like us in humans.
- Disease: When a pet is sick, one of the fastest ways to know is that the pet can stop eating. The only thing is that in most cases, loss of appetite can come along with some other symptoms. So, if a pet stops eating alone it is not enough to conclude that the pet is sick, you should look out for other factors or symptoms that are presenting to understand and, in such cases, you should visit a veterinarian or invite a veterinarian.